The archaeological area is located in the SE foothills of the Linas Massif, on a pass along the valley penetration route between the Campidano di Cagliari and the Domusnovae plain, in southwestern Sardinia.
The sacred area, one of the most important in Nuragic Sardinia, consists of three well temples and a small village of huts dating back to 1300-730 BC (Recent Bronze, Late Bronze, Early Iron Age). Not far away is the Punic temple of Genna Cantoni.
The first well, located in N, on a slight slope, consists of a vestibule or atrium, a descending staircase and an underground covered “tholos” chamber. The rectangular atrium, which cannot be precisely measured lengthwise due to the partial burial, is 2.50 m wide. The remaining wall N has a maximum height of 1.50 m, while the S wall is completely underground. The staircase, collapsed in the initial section (maximum remaining height m 2), slightly moved towards N with respect to the center of the room, has an ovival section; the steps are covered by the collapse. The width of the stairwell, 1.40 m above the ground, narrows to about 90 cm near the last steps, for a total depth of 4.10 m. The room (2.75 m in diameter), partially collapsed, invaded by water and cluttered with rubble, is about 3.50 m high.
The building is built in a subsquare structure with shale blocks of different sizes, arranged in irregular rows.
The second well is located at a distance of about 50 m S from the previous one. This building also consists of a vestibule, a descending staircase and a “tholos” room. The vestibule and the staircase - oriented towards E-SE - are, however, completely underground. The room, devoid of cover and cluttered with rubble, is kept for a height of about m 3. The masonry and construction material are similar to those documented in the first well.
The third well, located on the steep N slope of the Su Padenteddu hill, about 300 m from the previous ones, is built with medium and large shale blocks in a subsquare work, arranged in irregular rows. Currently, the vestibule, oriented towards SO, and the descending staircase are visible.
The vestibule, paved with shale slabs - 3.20 m long with a maximum remaining height of m 2 -, has a trapezoidal plan (the width goes from 2.60 m, towards the outside, to 2.20 m, near the staircase leading to the room). Wall D. preserves, throughout its development, a seat counter. A wall surrounded, perhaps, the area in front of the vestibule.
The stairwell, trapezoidal in plan (the width goes from m 2, at the bottom of the ground, to m 1.40, near the room), covered by slabs arranged in steps (remaining height measured near the last step m 1.60), consists of 14 steps (raised 15/20 cm; stepped 20/35 cm).
The collapsed “tholos” chamber is cluttered with rubble, but five rows of stones with a height of about 1 m are still in place on the ground floor.
At the three well temples, pillars, betillic stones with columns with capitals, altars, were recovered, etc. In one of them, a bronze with an oriental face (known as “Barbetta”) was also found, carrying a bowl and a focaccia on offer. Furthermore, from the favissa of one of the three wells comes a gilded bronze bowl of supposed Ceretan origin, attributed to the first half of the 7th century BC.
The huts located not far from the three religious buildings, with a circular profile, are mostly built in freshly cut shale blocks and arranged in rows. The cover of the rooms consisted, in all probability, of poles and branches, as in the current shepherds' pinnettas.

History of studies
The sacred wells of Matzanni have been reported since the eighties of the last century.

Bibliography
F. Nicosia, “Sardinia in the classical world”, in Ichnussa. Sardinia from its origins to the classical age, Milan, Scheiwiller, 1981, p. 460, table 469;
G. Lilliu, “New Pozzo Temples of Nuragic Sardinia”, in Sardinian Studies, XIV-XV, 1, 1985, pp. 197-288;
G. Lilliu, The civilization of the Sardinians from the Paleolithic to the Nuraghi Age, Turin, Nuova ERI, 1988, pp. 421, 443, 462, 523, 534, 619, 623, 625, fig. 197, 32-34; G. Lilliu, Nuragic civilization, introduction by A. Moravetti.
Sassari, C. Delfino, 1999 (Archaeological Sardinia. Studies and monuments; 1), pp. 57, 168, 227.

How to get
to Vallermosa there is a sign with the indication for the Matzanni Nuragic Complex. Continue on the road indicated by the sign for about 12 km, up to the slopes of Mount Cuccurdoni Mannu. The monuments, accessible on foot from a large open space, are located inside a recently-built masonry fence.