3200-Year-Old Bronze Age Towers in Sardinia Continued as Ritual Centers Into Iron Age

The Nuragic analyzable of Barru, with the determination of the cistern-well. Credit: Amir Ahmadpour and Lars Heinze / CC BY 4.0

Ancient chromatic towers built during the Bronze Age successful Sardinia continued to service arsenic progressive centers for ritual and societal enactment good into the Iron Age, a caller survey has found.

Researchers accidental grounds from a tract successful central-southern Sardinia shows that these monolithic structures, known arsenic “nuraghe,” were not abandoned erstwhile caller spiritual practices emerged connected the island. The findings constituent to a wide speech web connecting communities crossed Sardinia much than 3,000 years ago.

The study, led by Dr. Silvia Amicone, an archaeometrist astatine the University of Tübingen, was conducted successful concern with the section practice authority. It was published successful the diary Open Archaeology.

Sardinia is location to astir 7,000 nuraghe, built betwixt 1700 and 1100 BC. Their archetypal intent remains debated, with theories ranging from fortifications to residences to ritual spaces. Between 1200 and 800 BC, Sardinian nine began to shift.

New ineffable sites and beatified wells appeared crossed the island. Researchers wanted to cognize whether the older Bronze Age towers successful Sardinia mislaid their value during this transition.

Sardinia’s Bronze Age towers stayed progressive into Iron Age

Excavations astatine Nuraghe Barru uncovered a cautiously sealed cistern good wrong the operation structure. At the bottom, the squad recovered breached ceramic vessels, including jugs, a miniature amphora, and a uncommon four-handled ceremonial vessel. Animal and quality remains were besides placed wrong earlier the good was sealed with limestone slabs.

A: representation showing the determination of Nuraghe Barru connected the Italian land of Sardinia; B: aerial presumption of the Nuraghe; C: the cistern-well sealed by limestone slabs; D: ceramic vessels retrieved astatine the basal of the cistern-well, including a four-handled ceremonial vessel; E: bronze sword unearthed successful correspondence of the staircase wrong the occidental partition of the Nuraghe. Credit: Silvia Amicone / CC BY 4.0

Near the well, researchers recovered offerings arranged on a staircase. These included a bronze sword measuring 94 centimeters (37 inches), 3 blade-like bronze objects, and a lump of copper. The staircase was aboriginal blocked, cutting disconnected entree to the precocious floor.

Dr. Chiara Pilo, who led the excavations, said the finds constituent to a deliberate occurrence of ritual enactment alternatively than randomly discarded objects. The changes besides physically altered the operation itself.

Pottery origins uncover an island-wide speech network

To hint the origins of the objects, the squad utilized thin-section petrography to survey minerals successful the pottery.

Most ceramics were not made locally. Some came from regions much than 40 kilometers (25 miles) away, suggesting Nuraghe Barru was portion of a wider speech web crossed the island.

X-ray fluorescence investigation of the metallic objects showed the bronze sword and blade-like items were made with precocious copper and debased tin content. This creation is emblematic of votive swords successful Nuraghic culture, objects created for symbolic oregon ritual usage alternatively than combat.

The blade-like items resembled pieces recovered connected the Italian mainland, but worldly investigation pointed to section production.

Ancient tract served arsenic a halfway of ritual and power

Dr. Gianfranca Salis, technological manager of the practice authorization overseeing the excavations, said Nuraghe Barru was an progressive halfway during the Iron Age wherever rituals, identity, and societal powerfulness were negotiated during a play of change.

As caller spiritual sites appeared crossed Sardinia, not each past structures were near behind. Some towers were repurposed for ceremonial instead.