Corpo Pagina
San Sperate, located just 20 km far from Cagliari, is a town rich in archaeological evidence belonging to a long time span, from the Ancient Bronze Age to the Roman era.
The findings coming from the hill called “Cuccuru Santu Srebastianu” pertain to a pre-Nuragic village, which yielded remains of huts, fragments of ceramics, pestles, animal bones and shell valves and other meal remains. They date back between the 17th and 16th centuries BC.
The location of the site, right on the top of the hill, was functional to avoid flooding due to the seasonal overflow of Rio Mannu.
The site was also inhabited during the Recent Bronze Age, when it was equipped with a nuraghe.
The village was made up of several, circular huts with a stone base and roofing made of perishable material.
In the surrounding area there are the remains of 11 Nuragic well temples.
A beautiful model of a complex stone nuraghe found in the locality of “Su Stradoni de Deximu” also dates back to the Iron Age.
During the Punic age between the 6th and 3rd centuries BC in San Sperate area, several centers linked to the agricultural exploitation of the hinterland were founded: among them the most important is located in Santu Srebastianu area, on the same site where the ancient Nuragic village had previously arisen.
The houses were built according to the typical Carthaginian building technique with a stone plinth surmounted by rows of raw bricks and roofs in perishable material.
The settlements were accompanied by four necropolises with lithic box tombs that welcomed the deceased.
Among all the masks found in Sardinia, that one of San Sperate is the best preserved. It is a splendid work of coroplastic decorated with a series of geometric designs and decorations. It is placed, chronologically, in the 5th century BC.
There are remains of habitation and settlement even in Roman times as evidenced by the findings of epigraphic and building material.
Featured photo: church of San Sperate Martire
ph.credits: shardana13-http.wikimapia.org.jpg
