Silanus, Santa Sabina Complex

Santa Sabina complex. Photo by Bruno Manunza, from Sardegna Digital Library

The archaeological area, which also includes the medieval church of Santa Sabina (Santa Sarbana), is located in the Silanus plain, in the Marghine, a region of central-northern Sardinia.
The complex consists of a nuraghe, a village, a tomb of giants and a sacred well. The presence of the church of Santa Sabina (from medieval times but still a destination of popular devotion) documents the contiguity of testimonies from different periods and the persistence of the sacredness of the place from ancient times to today.
The nuraghe, a monotorre (diameter 12.60 m; remaining height 8.60 m), is made of large basalt blocks, finished with greater care in the upper parts of the wall. The entrance, oriented to the south (width m 1.20; height m 1.82), leads into a corridor (width m 1.20; length m 5.00) with a ceiling sloping towards the entrance to the room and with overhanging walls. In the right wall of the corridor, there is a sub-rectangular opening niche with an arched trapezoidal door, while on the left is the stairwell, with an arched trapezoidal entrance (width m 1.05, height m 2.37) and an ogival section (average width of m 1.00, height of m 3.88); the staircase can be traveled to the current top of the tower and has a rectangular opening (m 0.30 x m 0.36). The corridor leads into the central chamber, with a circular plan (diameter 4.15 m), which preserves the oiled roof (height 8.35 m) and three wall niches arranged in a cross.
The nuraghe dates back to 1600-1000 BC.
In the area in front of the nuraghe and near the church of Santa Sabina, the traces of the nuragic village can be identified, consisting of circular huts. The town was reused in Roman times.

History of excavations
The nuraghe was recently excavated by the Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of the provinces of Sassari and Nuoro.

Bibliography
V. Angius in G. Casalis, Dizionario geografico, storico, statistico, commerciale degli Stati di Sua Maestà il Re di Sardegna, XX, 1850, p. 138;
Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione, Elenco degli Edifici Monumentali, Roma, Tip. Operaia Romana Cooperativa, 69, 1922, p. 157;
A. Taramelli, "Foglio 205 (Capo Mannu)", "Foglio 206 (Macomer)", in Edizione Archeologica della Carta d'Italia, Firenze, Istituto Geografico Militare, 1935, p. 12, n. 24, p. 13, n. 24a, 25;
C. Zervos, La civilisation de la Sardaigne, du début de l'énéolithique à la fin de la période nouragique : 2. millenaire, 5. siecle avant notre ere, Paris, Cahiers d'art, 1954 (ed. italiana: Sassari, Carlo Delfino, 1980), p. 47, fig. 19;
A. Moravetti, Ricerche archeologiche nel Marghine-Planargia. Il Marghine - Monumenti, Parte prima. Sassari, C. Delfino, 1998 (Sardegna archeologica. Studi e monumenti; 5), pp. 533-538;
A. Moravetti, Ricerche archeologiche nel Marghine-Planargia. La Planargia – Analisi e monumenti, Parte seconda. Sassari, C. Delfino, 2000 (Sardegna archeologica. Studi e monumenti; 5).

How to get there
Leave the SS 131 at Macomer, to take the SS 129. On the road you will find the junction for SP 6 in the direction of Silanus. After passing the town, follow the signs for the nuraghe and the church of Santa Sabina, isolated in the open countryside.