Sestu

The most ancient settlements in the territory of Sestu, a municipality part of the Metropolitan City of Cagliari, date back to the fourth-third millennium BC.

The prehistoric village of San Gemiliano is of great significance; it consists of numerous huts and dates from the Late Neolithic (Ozieri culture) to the Late Copper Age (Monte Claro culture).

Findings of lithic artifacts — primarily obsidian and flint, including arrowheads, javelin points, burins, and scrapers — can be attributed to the Ozieri and Sub-Ozieri cultures (Early Copper Age). Numerous findings also attest to the site’s use during the Monte Claro culture: some of the most significant pieces include fragments of situlae (large cylindrical vessels decorated with grooves), bowls, and a shell necklace.

Another important prehistoric site is located in Craviole Paderi, where findings belonging to the Bonnanaro culture (Early Bronze Age) have been discovered, whereas the Nuragic phase is only sparsely documented.

Several necropolises date back to the Punic-Roman period, such as the one near Corso Italia, where ceramic pottery for domestic use dating to the 3rd century BC was found. The name of the town itself originated in the Roman era and derives from its position along the road from Karalis to Turris Libisonis (Porto Torres), as indicated by the milestone bearing the inscription ‘Ad sextum lapidem’.

 

 

Picture: Saint Gemiliano church

ph.credits: Pi.Gra, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons