Terralba

The first evidence of human presence in the territory of Terralba, a town in the province of Oristano, in central-western Sardinia, dates back to the 6th millennium BC. The fertility of its lands has favored the birth of human settlements since ancient times also thanks to its proximity to Monte Arci area, a rich deposit of obsidian, a volcanic stone used for tools and weapons, and to the fish-filled ponds of Marceddì and San Giovanni.

The most important Neolithic sites are those of Coddus is Abionis, Santa Chiara and Bau Angius. Also important is the site in San Ciriaco area, which gave its name to the regional facies bearing the same name, San Ciriaco Culture, which developed in the Middle Neolithic (5th millennium BC).

The Nuragic settlements include the villages of Pomata and Coddu su Fennugu. Of particular interest is a hoard which yielded female bronzes, found in S’Arrideli area; among these stand out two statuettes of a praying and offering woman and a female head with a singular wide-brimmed headdress.

The evidence from the Punic era is decidedly consistent: archaeological excavations have brought to light a large number of rural settlements, with a unique density for Sardinia, dating back mainly to the period between the end of the 5th century BC and the 3rd century BC, linked with the agricultural exploitation of the territory and wine-growing activities.

Terralba was a flourishing center even in Roman times. In Pauli Putzu area, in 1960, ten tombs from the Roman era were discovered by chance, with funerary objects including plates, amphorae, a coin, a ointment and a lamp.

Featured image: St. Peter’s Cathedral – ph. Gianni Careddu via Wikimedia Commons.