Sassari, Necropolis of Ponte Secco

The burial area is located on a limestone ridge, a short distance from the altar of Monte d'Accoddi, in Nurra, a region of northwestern Sardinia.
The necropolis consists of 13 domus de janas of the type with a longitudinal projection and a vertical projection with a well.
Tomb I has a short “dromos”, an antecell and a main chamber from which you can access six side cells. The doors are decorated with recessed frames, while on the side walls of the anticell there are schematic triangular bovine protomes. Tomb II, or “Tomba Bassu”, consists of eight rooms: the rooms are arranged around the central cell and have a mainly rectilinear development (length 10 m; width 10 m). Tomb IIA or 'tomb of the protomes' is severely degraded. The hypogeum, with its entrance raised above the country level, has a complex planimetric development (length 10 m; width 8.00 m), with thirteen curvilinear rooms distributed around two central rooms. The anticell has - on the side walls and on the front walls - rich wall decorations carved in relief consisting of two offering plates and four rows of three bovine protomes in a naturalistic style.
Tomb III has a general floor plan in a “T” shape, with raised access to the country floor and an entrance door with a square negative frame. The anticell leads - through two descending steps and a door with a frame and upper lintrive in relief - into the main cell with a quadrangular pillar and three subsidiary cells with a subrectangular alcove with trapezoidal doors.
The 'Tomb IV', very degraded, consists of a 'dromos' and a pavilion with two entrances, perhaps the ancient antechamber now open on the forehead. The main cell, with a circular column and a single sloping vault, leads into a semicircular environment. In the cell, on the right wall, there are two other coaxial rooms with a semicircular and rectangular plan. On the back wall, through a trapezoidal-shaped door, decorated on the upper side by a double pattern, in relief, of schematized double protomes, there is access to a rectangular cell, coaxial with another semicircular environment. Tomb VI or 'tomb of the upside down', also very degraded, has a planimetric development similar to that of the 'tomb of the protomes'. It is also characterized by the presence of engraved schematic figurative motifs: on the back wall of the small pavilion, to the left of the door, there are some inverted anthropomorphic figurines, of the “candlestick” type with curvilinear arms, while double rectilinear horns surmount the door. Next to it were several hemispherical cups, also of sacred meaning. Of great interest are the materials returned from the burials - including some goddess-mother idols, perforated loot and “brassard” - that can be traced back to the culture of Ozieri (3200-2800 BC) and the Campaniform Vase (2100-1800 BC).

History of excavations
The hypogeic complex was investigated in 1952 by Ercole Contu (tomb I), in 1970 by Antonello Baltolu (tomb II) and in 1979 by Maria Luisa Ferrarese Ceruti (tombs III, IV, V).

Bibliography
E. Contu, “Eneolithic Hypogees of Ponte Secco and Marinaru near Sassari”, in Studi Sardi, XII-XIII, 1952-5, pp. 19-81;
E. Contu, “Notiziario-Sardegna”, in Journal of Prehistoric Sciences, XVI, 1961, pp. 275-276; E. Contu, “Notiziario-Sardegna”, in Journal of Prehistoric Sciences, XXV, 1970, pp. 431-437;
M. L. Ferrarese Ceruti, “The Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu-Portorres and Ponte Secco-Sassari”, in Proceedings of the First Study Conference, The Culture of Ozieri: Issues and
new acquisitions, (Ozieri, January 1986-April 1987), curated by L. Dettori Campus, Ozieri, Il Torchietto, 1989, pp. 37-47; E. Contu, The Prehistoric Altar of Monte d'Accoddi.
Sassari, C. Delfino, 2000 (Archaeological Sardinia. Guides and itineraries; 29);
G. M. Demartis, Le Domus de Janas della Nurra, Piedimonte Matese, Imago Media, 2001, p. 51.

How to get there
Take the S.S. 131 in the direction of Porto Torres. At the junction for Bancali, reverse the direction of travel; cross the road that leads to the archaeological area of Monte d'Accoddi and continue for 750 meters: the necropolis is clearly visible on the low horizontal limestone coast that begins practically from the road and proceeds perpendicular to it.