Su Nuraxi is an archaeological site located in Barumini, Sardinia, Italy. The name "Su Nuraxi" means "The Nuraghe" in Campidanese, which is a southern dialect of the Sardinian language.

Su Nuraxi is a settlement that includes a nuraghe, a type of ancient tower, built around 1700 BC. It also has a strong structure with four corner towers and one central tower, as well as a village that was inhabited from 1300 BC to 600 BC. This village grew around the nuraghe. Scholars believe Su Nuraxi is the most remarkable example of the Nuragic civilization. In 1997, it was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites under the name Su Nuraxi di Barumini.

Nuraghe

The oldest part of the Nuraghe includes a central tower with three stacked chambers that are 18.6 meters tall. This tower was built using basalt blocks between 1700 and 1300 BCE. Later, during the Late Bronze Age, four towers connected by a surrounding wall and an upper balcony (which no longer exists) were added around the central tower. These towers linked to an inner courtyard with a well. During the Iron Age, the entire structure was enclosed by a surrounding wall with seven curved sections, called a heptalobate.

The true purpose of the Nuraghe is still unknown. Giovanni Lilliu, the archaeologist who discovered Su Nuraxi, supported the idea that it was a fortress. Other archaeologists suggest the oldest part of the structure may have been used for religious, protective, or community purposes, while the later towers might have served military or storage functions.

Village

A village was built around the Nuraghe during the Late Bronze Age to provide housing for the nearby population. The village went through many changes over time, making it difficult to determine the exact number of huts during any one period. The number of huts ranged from forty to two hundred, meaning the population likely varied between 100 and 1,000 people. The settlement was arranged in a circular shape, with large stones covered by dry-stone walls and cone-shaped roofs made of wood and branches. In earlier times, the huts were part of one large unit. Later, people began to split homes into separate rooms. Some of the most important huts were used for meetings by local leaders. These huts were larger and more complex, and one of them had symbols of the gods worshipped by the people. Other rooms were used as workshops, kitchens, and places for processing food. Between the 9th and 8th centuries BC, a sewage system, a paved square, and streets were added to the village.

In the 6th century BCE, the buildings were destroyed and later rebuilt by the Carthaginians before being used by the Romans. Eventually, the village was completely abandoned. The Nuraghe and the village were connected to other Nuraghes, such as the polylobate Nuraghe located beneath the 15th-century Palazzo Zapata in the village of Barumini.

Archaeological excavations

The archaeological site was completely uncovered between 1950 and 1957 by Giovanni Lilliu, a local expert. The work helped archaeologists understand how the towers and surrounding village were built over time. It showed that the entire area was an active and important center until the first century BCE, during the Roman period.

The excavations uncovered many important items, including tools, weapons, pottery, and jewelry.

Another significant nuragic site is located nearby at Casa Zapata. Valuable artifacts found there are displayed in the museum at the site.

• The view from the north-northeast direction shows the mound of Las Plassas.
• Su Nuraxi is visible along the path from the central tower to the east tower.
• Su Nuraxi, seen inside the central tower.