Sardinia’s archeological treasure - 8,000 nuraghi, ancient megalithic buildings found nowhere else in the world - is now available online for everyone to enjoy thanks to a newly created website, ArkeoSardinia, available in Italian and English.
The website displays 50 of the most beautiful and interesting archeological sites, each with a description, photos (many from up above), a map, and nearby places of interest, including practical information, such as hotels and restaurants.
Browsing the site, you can discover such gems as Nuraghe Arrubiu (Orroli, Nuoro), possibly the largest nuraghe, along with Su Nuraxi (Barumini, Cagliari); you can explore the Tombs of the Giants Li Lolghi e Li Muri at Arzachena (Sassari); you can be captivated by the mystery of the Tophet found in the urban area of Tharros (Cabras, Oristano)... was it a sacred burial place for children or a place where human sacrifices took place?
The large amount of digital content documents a long history that goes from 5,000 BC to the 2nd century AD. The Nuragic civilization began in the Bronze Age (1800 BC), as the evolution of pre-existing cultures present on the island of Sardinia since Neolithic times. The Nuragic civilization takes its name from nuraghi, circular defensive towers in the form of truncated cones built of dressed stone for which no parallel exists anywhere else in the world. Nuraghi were discovered in the 1930s and were recognized a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.
And if you happen to be in Milan, stop by the Civic Archaeological Museum for the exhibition “L’isola delle torri. Tesori dalla Sardegna nuragica” (The Island of towers. Treasures from Nuragic Sardinia), where you can admire more than 1,000 artifacts from the Nuragic civilization.
In the meantime, watch this fascinating video about the "island of towers" (in Italian) and take a virtual tour at ArkeoSardinia.
