La fauna della torre Nord del nuraghe Santu Antine (SS) Dati preliminari dei contesti dell’Età del Bronzo

Abstract

Summary A demographic increase is clearly documented by the presence of increasingly larger huts and villages in Sardinia during the second phase and the beginning of the Final Bronze Age. At the end of the Final Bronze Age, instead, many nuraghi are abandoned in almost the entire Sardinian territory, perhaps because of structural damages of the upper parts. 4800 faunal remains have been found in the north tower of S. Antine nuraghe near Torralba (SS). In particular a sort of water well-cistern has been identified, which was abandoned and disused in the final Bronze age. The structure seems to be ritualized after its abandonment. At the bottom of the cistern a votive vessel was found. Furthermore, the water well is sealed with a ring of stones forming a very narrow mouth. Outside the cistern, several uneven paving and numerous pottery were found. This finds allow us to reconstruct all the phases of the nuraghe from the Middle Bronze Age to the first phase of the Iron Age. The zooarchaeological research tries to highlight any differences between the various phases of the monument. Particularly, the attention is focused on the transition between the Bronze Age and Iron Age. Is possible, in fact, that the structure has been abandoned or reused in this period.