1/5 of all archaeological sites in Italy (ISTAT data)

Sardinia’s archaeological heritage is impressive and represents a unique deposit of cultures and traditions that have succeeded one another over the millennia. Suffice it to say that about one fifth of all archaeological areas and sites studied in Italy are located on the island. This treasure tells us the story of the people who have inhabited it and the history of the many civilisations that have settled there since the earliest times. A heritage that helps us to better understand the vicissitudes of those mysterious “sea peoples” who ploughed through the Mediterranean basin towards the end of the Bronze Age.

Every ruin, every artefact describes the size and complexity of a past that reveals itself to us in the form of many fascinating riddles. In fact, ancient Sardinia is a true archaeological enigma, consisting of a long series of questions that we still do not know exactly how to answer. What role the nuraghi played in the Mediterranean is a topic that has sparked heated debate. The actual identification of the Shardana with the Nuragic civilisation has fascinated and continues to fascinate researchers around the world, leading to a variety of different positions. However, we can say with certainty that the most recent studies tell of a Sardinia that is increasingly becoming the protagonist and centre of attention of the ancient Mediterranean scenario.

The ancient Sardinians built up a dense network of trade and cultural exchange and actively contributed to the events of their time through a complex and modern culture. At Nur Archeopark we will tell you this fascinating story and try to give you the authoritative and proven points of view. We will give you the tools to approach these fascinating questions on an exciting journey that combines science and hands-on experimentation.

The Nuragic civilisation emerged in Sardinia around 1800 BC during the so-called Bronze Age and, after many changes, reached the Iron Age in the 6th century BC. During this period, all European peoples entered the great epic of history thanks to writing. The Nuragic civilisation takes its name from the word nuraghe. This ancient term, which means “tower“, comes from the language spoken in Sardinia before the arrival of Latin. Judging by the number of monuments and artefacts found, the Nuragic civilisation is one of the most important civilisations in the entire Mediterranean region. We speak of 8,000 nuraghi, around 2,000 hut villages, over 3,000 tombs of the giants and more than 1,000 sacred monuments, including well temples, sacred wells, megaron temples and sanctuaries.

Not to be outdone is the countless material production. Vases and vessels made of terracotta, such as the characteristic askòs, bronze weapons, jewellery and accessories made of glass paste, rock crystal, amber, silver and gold. The most striking objects of this culture, however, are the more than one thousand figurines commonly referred to as bronzetti.

Unfortunately, the numerous translations that have been produced since the discovery of the stele to date differ greatly from one another, and none of them appear to be entirely convincing. However, all scholars agree on one point. The third line of the stele contains the letters S-R-D-N, i.e. the first written mention of the ancient name of Sardinia, Sharden. The presence of this word is important because it is linked to the name of the Shardana. This mythological people of warlike seafarers were at the head of a great alliance of so-called “peoples of the sea” in the 13th and 12th centuries BC.

This coalition, so named by the Egyptologist Gaston Maspero in 1881, attacked Egypt several times and contributed decisively to the fall of the great empires. The debate about the identification of the Shardana with the Nuragic civilisation is still ongoing, but most scholars tend to regard the two the peoples as coincidental.

After having been the personal guard of Pharaoh Ramses II in the 13th century BC, the Shardana were at the head of the alliance of the Sea Peoples a century later and fought in the great battle of the Nile Delta against the Egypt of Pharaoh Ramses III, depicted on the gigantic bas-relief that adorns the temple dedicated to Ramses III at Medinet-Habu, near Thebes. These reliefs can be seen in the Archeopark only, thanks to a reproduction made available to us by the Department of Oriental Studies at the University of Chicago.