The historical course summarized out in these pages was sketched out according to the classic subdivision of Sardinian History: Prehistory, Nuragic Civilization, Phoenician and Punic periods, Roman period, early Middle Ages, Age of the Giudicati, Aragonese, Spanish, Piedmontese periods, Contemporaneous History. Sardinia’s History and Civilizations, together with the environmental peculiarities, have contributed to explain its past and present Culture.
Archaeology in Sardinia catches its lovers’ attention for the importance and uniqueness of the numerous monuments scattered all over the territory. Nuraghi represent the pre-Roman world’s utmost architectural manifestation in the Western Mediterranean. Also graves are of great interest and distinguished into two types: domus de janas (Sardinian for fairies’ houses) and giants’ tombs.
An exceptional relevance is recognized to well temples, where the water cult rites were performed. Evidences of the subsequent periods – Phoenician, Carthaginian and Roman – are given by the ruins of temples, baths, houses and theatres in the towns of Tharros (OR), Turris (SS), Nora and of the fortress of Monte Sirai (CA). To the paleo-Christian era are dated back the catacombs of Sant’Antioco (CA), the underground temple of S. Salvatore di Sinis, near Cabras (OR), the basilicas of Cagliari, Cornus and Tharros (OR).
