The Nuraghes

The island of Sardenia shelters numerous ruins from a culture that existed 3000 years ago. These people built monolithic stone towers and cities, worked in bronze, and left behind little other evidence of their culture or history.

Cagliari is the capital of this island region of Italy. Within the city lies the local National Archaeological Museum, which has, among Roman and Phoenician finds, a curious collection of small Nuraghic bronze sculpted figurines.

Heading north across the island, through green forests and cork tree farms, we came across our first run in with the law. Two policemen were parked on the side of the road, waving traffic to the shoulder. Well, really, we were the only car around. They were dressed in almost comical uniforms, with buttoned up jackets, belt, and brimmed hat. One held a very small stop sign on a 2 foot long white stick. But we didn't dare laugh, since the other held an assault rifle. Neither spoke the others language, so we gave them our passports and wondered if we had been speeding. They checked our info, conferring on the hood of their car about it, returned it to us, and waved us on. This would be the first of 3 times we would be pulled over in such a random check. What they were looking for, I am not sure.

Finally we arrived at Su Nuraxi. Of the 8,000 or so remnants of Nuraghes this is one of the best preserved and most complex examples, earning it a spot as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, thousands of years ago, the initial tower was built on a low hill, presumably to control passage through the area or for defensive purposes. Over the centuries, additional ringed fortifications were built, and the area developed into a small village or city.

A tour leads through the circular stone foundations of homes, shops, and some fortifications, before leading into the most central nuraghe. Here, large stones are stacked, without mortar, and doorways a capped with longer stones.

The walls are built in double layers, with the interior filled with dirt.

In the rooms and passageways, no light enters save through the primitive doors and windows, and sometimes holes left at the apex of conical roofs.

The interior is a open courtyard of sorts, though, being narrow amongst high walls, it is dim and cool. The rocks, as in the old wall above Arpino, are large. The structure seems incredibly primitive, but it has proven to last the centuries. Our tour, sadly, was in Italian. There are not many foreign tourists here. This place is secret. Quiet.