The necropolises

One of the most eloquent and unambiguous archaeological signs of the entry of Paleolithic hominids into the condition we call human is undoubtedly the discovery of traces relating to the practice of burying the dead belonging to their group. In human history, it was in the Middle Paleolithic that this practice was manifested for the first time.

In Sardinia, however, at the current state of knowledge, we do not have archaeological evidence relating to this period. The first island testimonies relating to the appearance of funerary practices date back to the Middle Neolithic, more precisely to the culture of Bonu Ighinu.

Precisely the differentiation of funerary practices during the Neolithic period represents one of the most important elements of material culture for the archaeologist in the difficult task of articulating Sardinian history into cultures.

However, one of the most typical and lasting forms of burial in Sardinia should be remembered that of people buried inside the so-called “domus de janas” (fairy houses), the artificial caves in which various bodies were placed. The 'domus de janas' appear in the recent Neolithic (culture of Ozieri) but their use persists even in the subsequent Eneolithic, thanks to the practice of reuse.

Other forms of burial are also worth mentioning: circle tombs, megalithic tombs (dolmen and allée couverte), and hypogeic-megalithic tombs (artificial cave with megalithic entrance).

Update

9/9/2023 - 18:33