nuraghe Palmavera

The nuraghe Palmavera is an archaeological site located in the territory of Alghero, Sardinia, Italy. Classified as a complex nuraghe, the structure consists of several towers joined together, surrounded by an extensive village of circular huts. Built during the Bronze Age and Iron Age, the site was a significant human settlement characterized by multiple phases of construction and expansion. Situated at the foot of Mount Palmavera, the complex held a strategic position offering broad visibility over the coastal strip and the marine sector of Lazzaretto.

The site's development occurred across three main phases. During the first phase, in the 15th to 14th century BC, the main tower was constructed using limestone blocks. A second phase in the first half of the 9th century BC saw the addition of a second tower and the reinforcement of the original tower with sandstone blocks, connected by an internal courtyard and a corridor with niches. A third phase, dating to the 9th to 8th century BC, involved further restoration using limestone and the construction of an exterior wall with four tower-huts, creating two outer courts divided by a solid wall. The village was ultimately destroyed by fire, likely at the end of the 8th century BC. Subsequent sporadic occupation occurred during the Punic and Roman periods, evidenced by recovered pottery. Early excavations were conducted by Antonio Taramelli in 1904 or 1905, followed by Guglielmo Maetzke between 1961 and 1963, and Alberto Moravetti between 1976 and 1991.

Excavations have uncovered a wide array of artifacts illuminating the daily life, economy, and ritual practices of the Nuragic community. Finds include standard Nuragic pottery, some with geometric designs, alongside a bone stamp used to create concentric circles. Terracotta objects include horseshoe-shaped ovens, spoon or boat-shaped oil lamps, and disc-shaped or biconical loom weights. Metal artifacts of lead, bronze, and copper comprise weapons like swords and daggers, tools such as axes and chisels, and decorative items including bracelets, fibulae, and rings. A fishing hook confirms the exploitation of marine resources alongside agriculture, hunting, and animal husbandry. Amber beads were also found. The archaeological material is conserved in the archaeological museums of Cagliari and Sassari.

The most significant artifact recovered is a sandstone model of a Nuragic tower, discovered on a circular altar at the center of the meeting hut. The original model is housed in the National Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum G.A. Sanna in Sassari, replaced at the site by a copy. Other notable ritual artifacts from the meeting hut include a conical sacred stone or betyl-tower, a cylindrical sandstone seat interpreted as a throne for the chief, and a rectangular basin or tank made of stone slabs whose function remains unknown.

The complex centers on a main tower, or keep, which retains its central chamber covered by a tholos vault. Archaic in design, the main tower features an entrance without side passages and asymmetrical, shallow niches. The central structure stands within an 879 square meter courtyard enclosed by a pentagonal wall, which incorporates three small round towers and the large meeting hut. This pentagonal enclosure served to separate the central monument from the surrounding settlement rather than for defense. The surrounding village originally comprised an estimated 150 to 200 huts, of which about 50 have been excavated. These huts are predominantly circular, occasionally associated with quadrangular spaces, and feature floors of light mortar or small stones, with roofs supported by posts and branches. The meeting hut, the largest structure in the complex at 62 square meters with an interior diameter of roughly 9 meters, features a bench seat running along its perimeter, interrupted by the stone basin and the chief's seat.

The nuraghe Palmavera is located in the area between the bay of Alghero and the Gulf of Porto Conte in northwestern Sardinia. The surrounding highlands were historically defended by single-tower nuraghi, some of which remain in good condition. Consolidation and restoration of the site were carried out in 1962 by Maetzke, involving the dismantling and reconstruction of the upper parts of the exterior walls, the entrance lintels, and the corridor coverings, with some damaged stones replaced. The site is part of a group of 31 Sardinian monuments nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status. Information and access are managed through the Soprintendenza for the archaeological heritage of the provinces of Sassari and Nuoro, and the cooperative SILT.