New data regarding “architectonic prospect domus” of the Bronze Age in Sardinia

Attention was called to the existence in Sardinia of "tombe di giganti" which are entirely rock-cut, imitating the typical megalithic structures of the Nuragic era, for the first time at the start of this century (Prechac 1908; Mackenzie 1910), however only in the nineteen-seventies did the study of this class of monuments take place in a systematic way (Castaldi 1975).In recent decades, research has uncovered new tombs. increasing the total to at least 80; it is therefore desirable that we examine this singular class of monuments again, in light of new acquisitions and new data.As regards the area of diffusion, the phenomenon appears to be circumscribed to north-west Sardinia, and in particular to the Sassari area and to northern Logudoro, with the exception of a few extremely peripheral isolated cases. This geographical limitation coincides, with good approximation, to the formation of the limestone and Miocene sediments of the Sassari area (fig. 1): the same limestone tables in which, two millennia before, the funerary rook-cutting of thedomus de janas, that developed in a very notable way and with its own characteristics, recognisable above all, in the planimetric module calledSassarese(Santoni 1976; Tanda 1977).The origin of architectonic prospect rock-cut tombs must be researched on one side in the hypogeum traditions of the Neo-Eneolithic which were so strong in this north-western side of the island, and on the other side in the objective limitations placed by the particular type of rock (extremely soft and workable) and the morphology correlated with this, with the presence of vertical walls suitable for the realisation of monumental prospects.We will now examine, in a more analytic manner, some of the principal characteristics of the monumental class.