Villa Sant'Antonio, Necropolis of Genna Salixi

The necropolis is located on the border between Marmilla and Sarcidano, in an area characterized by suggestive mammelons and short volcanic rises.
The necropolis consists of 14 domus de janas, considered to be among the most beautiful in Sardinia because of their particularly advanced architectural concept.
Twelve of them are opened in the rock in a horizontal series, the other two opposite the first, one in front of the other. The elevations are impressive due to the monumentality and accuracy of the processing: in particular that of Tomb 3, framed above by means of a curvilinear engraving.
A canalization system dug into the rock, still visible, preserved the burials from the infiltration of rainwater.
The domus are of the type with a horizontal projection with a longitudinal development. They have a variously oriented entrance (from E to S) preceded by an access corridor. Six caves (3, 6, 7, 11, 13, 14) have the classic pattern consisting of a cell and antechamber preceded by a corridor with declining shoulders with a vestibule that is mostly covered; in other seven (1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12) the anticell is absent; in tomb 9, the corridor is absent. In some cases it is present (tombs 2 and 10) or the attempt to excavate a second chamber is evident (grave 8).
The corridors have large proportions (tomb 1, m 5.70 long; m 2.40 wide) and a rectangular or trapezoidal plan with declining shoulders. The other rooms are rectangular, quadrangular, rounded and elliptical; the vaults are mostly flat, rarely raised towards the bottom.
There are several elements that allude to the funeral offerings and rituals practiced: niches mostly dug into the floor of the floor, a shelf in the back wall of tomb 10, dimples dug into the floor of the cell of tomb 5 and the anticells of tombs 5 and 7.
Since there are no excavation data, a precise dating of the hypogeans cannot be formulated; comparisons with other island contexts, however, suggest that they belong to the horizon of the final Neolithic (culture of Saint Michael, 3200-2800 BC).

History of excavations
The tombs, violated from time immemorial, have never been excavated.

Bibliography
G. Pinza, “Primitive Monuments of Sardinia”, in Ancient Monuments of the Lincei, 1901, pp. 39-75;
P. Nuvoli, “S. Antonio Riunas (Oristano). Loc. Is Forrus, Fontana Caberis, Genn'e Sàlixi”, in The Sardinians. Sardinia from the Paleolithic to the Roman Age, edited by E Anati, Milan, Jaca Book, 1984, pp. 186-188.

How to get there
It is 1 km from the town, on the provincial road to Senis, in front of the Caiu nuraghe.