Su Nuraxi (Barumini)

Su Nuraxi is an ancient place in Barumini, Sardinia, Italy. The name "Su Nuraxi" means "The Nuraghe" in the Sardinian language. It is a very old settlement from around 1700 BC, made up of a special building called a nuraghe and a village that people lived in from about 1300 BC to 600 BC.

The nuraghe has four towers at the corners and one in the middle. Scholars think this is one of the best examples of the Nuragic civilization. In 1997, Su Nuraxi was chosen as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, which means it is very important and special to the world.

Nuraghe

Structure

The oldest part of the Nuraghe has a central tower with three rooms stacked on top of each other, reaching a height of 18.6 meters. It was made from basalt blocks and built between the seventeenth and thirteenth centuries BCE. Later, in the Late Bronze Age, four more towers were added around the central tower, connected by walls and with a balcony on top, though the balcony no longer exists. These towers all shared an inner courtyard with a well. In the Iron Age, the whole complex was enclosed by a wall with seven rounded parts.

Function

People still aren't sure exactly what the Nuraghe was used for. The person who first found Su Nuraxi, archaeologist Giovanni Lilliu, thought it was built as a fortress. Other archaeologists think the oldest part might have been used for religious ceremonies, as a safe place to hide, or even as a meeting place for the village leaders. The extra towers might have been added later for protection or to store supplies.

Village

A village grew up around the Nuraghe during a time called the Late Bronze Age. The number of homes changed over time, ranging from forty to two hundred, meaning the village could have had between 100 and 1000 people. The village was built in a circle shape, using big rocks and walls made without any mortar, with roofs made from wood and branches.

Some special larger homes were used for important meetings by local leaders. These homes had symbols of gods that the people worshipped. There were also rooms used for making things, cooking, and working with crops. Later, a system to carry away waste was built, along with a paved open space and streets.

In the sixth century BCE, the buildings were destroyed and then fixed up by people from Carthage. After that, the Romans lived there before everyone left the village for good.

The nuraghe and village were linked to other nearby nuraghes, like one found under a building called Palazzo Zapata in Barumini.

Archaeological excavations

The archaeological site was fully excavated between 1950 and 1957 under the direction of Giovanni Lilliu, a local expert. During these excavations, archaeologists discovered many important items such as tools, weapons, pottery, and ornaments. These findings helped show that the site was a busy and lively place until the first century BCE, even during the time of the Romans.

There is another important site nearby called Casa Zapata, and its interesting discoveries are shown in the museum at that site.