Recent and final bronze

In the recent and final Bronze phases (1300-900 BC), the Nuragic civilization reached the apogee of its historical parable.

As far as the island situation is concerned, the monumental presences come to occupy and control every portion of the territory, allowing the full and effective development of the social, political and economic potential of which the Nuragic people were bearers.

Other tombs of giants were built, experimenting with new architectural solutions, and many nuraghes were erected, while other older buildings were transformed from single-tower nuraghes into polylobed nuraghes, that is, with several towers.

Although they reveal older phases, nuraghs such as Su Nuraxi di Barumini (classified by UNESCO among the monuments that constitute the cultural heritage of humanity), Santu Antine di Torralba, Losa di Abbasanta, Arrubiu di Orroli take their definitive form.

Many of the villages created in the previous phase, especially those associated topographically with nuraghi, undergo significant dimensional growth (a striking example of this phenomenon is offered to us by the village of Su Nuraxi di Barumini). However, as the most recent studies and research increasingly decisively demonstrate, topographically autonomous villages, that is, born not near a nuraghe, are not uncommon at all. This fact can also be legitimately interpreted as an eloquent sign of the intensification of Nuragic territorial control that characterizes this chronological phase.

In this chronological phase, the construction of sacred buildings is also concentrated, both of those linked to the cult of water, such as well temples (for example Sant'Anastasia di Sardara, Santa Vittoria di Serri, Santa Cristina di Paulilatina, Predio Canopoli di Perugas) and sacred sources (such as Su Tempiesu di Orune, Rebeccu di Bonorva); and of the small “megaron” temples (such as Cuccureddà by Esterzili, Serra Orrios by Dorgali), whose specific cultural value is not still completely clear.

Near some particularly important nuragic temples (as in the case of Santa Vittoria di Serri), “federal sanctuaries” were born, vast villages interpreted as areas where periodic meetings between faithful from different areas had to take place on the occasion of holidays that were particularly important for island religion.

In this phase, economic and political contacts with contemporary Mediterranean populations are also intensifying, in particular with Mycenaeans and Cypriots, interested in the mineral resources of Sardinia. Significant in this regard are the discoveries of “panella” and “oxskin” ingots.