Oniferi, Brodu Necropolis

The necropolis is dug at the foot of a trachytic hill, below Nuraghe Brodu, in the Nuoro area, a region of central Sardinia.
The complex consists of four hypogeums with poorly articulated planimetric development. Tomb I consists of an elliptical cell with two pillars in the center, one of which is unfinished. Tomb II, seriously damaged, is difficult to define, although it is possible to identify in the ceiling the imitation of a sloping roof.
Tomb III, with its multicellular development, has a vestibule from which an anticell can be accessed. On the back wall of the anticell, a door opens that leads to the central cell. The hatch is surmounted by a triple bovine protome in relief. The cell, larger than the other rooms, has raised rooms along the sides, while on the back wall the entrance to a secondary coaxial compartment opens. The walls of the hypogeum show traces of red paint. Tomb IV is certainly the most interesting burial in the complex due to the presence of symbolic elements carved on the walls. The burial has a planimetric “T” shape and is preceded by a “dromos” (length m 4.50); followed by an atrium that leads to a quadrangular antecell, with a sloping ceiling, in whose back wall a door opens (height 0.71 m; width 0.84 m) that leads to the central cell. The hatch has a frame carved in relief and is surmounted by four stylized cow horns engraved one in the other (height 1.52 m; width 1.09-1.28 m). The wall surfaces have traces of red color. On the side walls of the central cell, there are two entrances that give access to two subsidiary cells. The necropolis has phases of Ozieri culture (3200-2800 BC), of the Campaniform Vase (2100-1800 BC) and of Bonnanaro (1800-1600 BC).

History of excavations
Information not available.

Bibliography
A. Taramelli, “Sheet 207: Nuoro”, in Edition of the Archaeological Map of Italy, 4, Florence, Military Geographic Institute, 1931, p. 66;
E. Contu, “Hypogeans with multiple sacrificial horns of Bròdu (Oniferi, Nuoro)”, in Journal of Prehistoric Sciences, XXI, 1, 1966, pp. 195-200;
V. Santoni, “Preliminary note on the type of artificial funerary caves in Sardinia”, in Sardinian Historical Archive, XXX, 1976, pp. 14, 21, 41-42, 44, 46, 48; G. Tanda, The Art of
Domus de Janas in the images of Jingeborg Mangold, (Sassari, 26 April-25 May 1985), Sassari, 1985, pp. 162-164.

How to get
From the town of Oniferi, take the road in the direction of Macomer and proceed for about 2 km to the intersection with the SS 129; turn left and continue for 1 km, until the Benetutti junction. Turn right and continue until km 1; leave the car and proceed on the left through the fields, crossing a stream and going up the opposite slope where the domus de janas are located.