The Palmavera Nuraghe
Area interesse: Archaeological SitesArea interesse: Archaeological Sites
The nuragic site at Palmavera, one of the biggest in Sardinia, is situated along the road from Alghero to Porto Conte.
The site consists of a nuraghe with a main tower, called donjon and a secondary tower, both attached to a surrounding elliptic-shaped rampart, a reunion hut, a pentagonal-shaped defence wall having four small towers and finally of a village with huts around the nuraghe.
The nuragic site at Palmavera was built in three phases: the oldest part of the village (the donjon, and the first nucleus of huts) dates back to the XV century B.C.) and is built in limestone.
The second phase dates back to the IX B.C. and sandstone was used as building material. The secondary tower, a corridor with niches, the reunion hut and some more huts were built in this period. Finally the defence wall was built during the IX – VIII centuries B.C.
Today the village consists of 50 circular or quadrangular huts (originally they were from 100 to 150). Some were used as family homes, others as work-shops, stables or cattle-sheds. The huts were roofed with stakes and branches.
The reunion hut is the biggest in the whole site because of its special role as meeting place for the members of the community who gathered to discuss social or political matters, judge crimes or worship their gods. All around the inner side of the hut-wall there are 36 stone seats, all at the same level and a circular ornate throne-seat for the chief of the village, evidence of his superior authority. In the middle of the hut stands a sacred stone sculptured as a reproduction of a nuraghe.
The main entrance to the nuraghe, very small for defensive reasons, opens into a corridor open to the sky where you can find the entrances to the two towers. The donjon or central tower is 8 metres high and the inside roofing is a tholos or false dome. The secondary tower, the tholos of which has collapsed, was probably used as a store room.
The excavation of the site, begun in 1904 by the archaeologist Antonio Taramelli, has brought many archaeological finds to light, now kept at the Sanna Museum in Sassari. A thick layer of ashes in the huts reveals that a violent fire razed the village to the ground in the VIII century B.C.
The nuragic site at Palmavera, one of the biggest in Sardinia, is situated along the road from Alghero to Porto Conte.
The site consists of a nuraghe with a main tower, called donjon and a secondary tower, both attached to a surrounding elliptic-shaped rampart, a reunion hut, a pentagonal-shaped defence wall having four small towers and finally of a village with huts around the nuraghe.
The nuragic site at Palmavera was built in three phases: the oldest part of the village (the donjon, and the first nucleus of huts) dates back to the XV century B.C.) and is built in limestone.
The second phase dates back to the IX B.C. and sandstone was used as building material. The secondary tower, a corridor with niches, the reunion hut and some more huts were built in this period. Finally the defence wall was built during the IX – VIII centuries B.C.
Today the village consists of 50 circular or quadrangular huts (originally they were from 100 to 150). Some were used as family homes, others as work-shops, stables or cattle-sheds. The huts were roofed with stakes and branches.
The reunion hut is the biggest in the whole site because of its special role as meeting place for the members of the community who gathered to discuss social or political matters, judge crimes or worship their gods. All around the inner side of the hut-wall there are 36 stone seats, all at the same level and a circular ornate throne-seat for the chief of the village, evidence of his superior authority. In the middle of the hut stands a sacred stone sculptured as a reproduction of a nuraghe.
The main entrance to the nuraghe, very small for defensive reasons, opens into a corridor open to the sky where you can find the entrances to the two towers. The donjon or central tower is 8 metres high and the inside roofing is a tholos or false dome. The secondary tower, the tholos of which has collapsed, was probably used as a store room.
The excavation of the site, begun in 1904 by the archaeologist Antonio Taramelli, has brought many archaeological finds to light, now kept at the Sanna Museum in Sassari. A thick layer of ashes in the huts reveals that a violent fire razed the village to the ground in the VIII century B.C.