An ancient, mysterious, strongly oligarchic civilisation, made up of hunters and warriors, then shepherds and merchants, extremely devoted to the cult of the Mother Goddess.
The Nuragic civilisation is undoubtedly the one that, more than any other, characterises the history and culture of Sardinia, with its symbols and traditions that are still part of the island’s tradition and distinctive features throughout the world.
Developed in the period from 1800 B.C. to the 2nd century B.C.. It spans the Bronze and Iron Ages, before dying out under Roman rule.
The name obviously derives from the most famous constructions attributed to this population, the nuraghi, the famous truncated conical towers built by superimposing large stone blocks; after the Egyptian pyramids, they are among the tallest prehistoric constructions known in the Mediterranean basin, and today there are about seven thousand of them, scattered throughout the Sardinian territory.
There are various theories as to why they were built, but it is clear that the nuraghe served mainly as a defence structure, the central point of the nuragic villages that sprang up and expanded around the tower, of which Su Nuraxi di Barumini, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is the most important testimony.
The Nuragic people were not only warriors, whose faces have been immortalised in the stone of the Giants of Mont’e Prama and in the famous bronzes, small sculptures with a votive function, representing shepherds, craftsmen, archers, warriors, priests, captains, as well as animals and ships. They were made using the ‘lost-wax’ technique: wax models were made, then wrapped in clay, into which a hole was made through which the wax came out during firing. The clay mould was then used to create the bronze model, making each creation unique.
The Nuragic people were the first to discover the way of black gold, using this natural glass for the manufacture of weapons and cutting tools and preferring it to flint. Obsidian in this period became the mainstay of trade with other Mediterranean peoples, maintaining commercial relations with the Phoenicians and the people of the sea who in this long period of time had the opportunity to meet the ancient inhabitants of Sardinia.
As far as the spirituality of the Nuragic people is concerned, we should mention the cult of water, which was collected in sacred wells, a sacred good even then. A mysticism handed down over the centuries and characterised by a deep respect for the forces of Nature, which was glorified through propitiatory rituals that marked time and involved the entire community.