Area archeologica di Pranu Muttedu

One of the most impressive and important archaeological sites of Prehistoric Sardinia rises in a wide sandy schistose plain called Pranu Mutteddu, in the Gerrei region. It was probably a sacred area, partly destined to the ancestors worship cult (as monumental tombs attest), partly dedicated to other rites. Megalithic burials are surrounded by a great number of menhir, the greatest concentration in Sardinia; there are also some domus de janas tombs (literally %u201Cfairy house%u201D or %u201Cwitch house%u201D).

The most characteristic burials, built of local sandstone, are formed by two or three stone concentric rings. In the middle is the burial chamber, built of big blocks, preceded by a corridor with big slabs stuck vertically into the ground and covered with a plat band (horizontal slabs). The sixty menhir are scattered, in couples, lined up (up to twenty), in small groups or isolated, in front or inside the tombs. The most impressive is tomb II, which probably belonged to a divinized chief. It shows some typical elements of circular tombs and domus de janas tombs. It is made of two enormous stone blocks one behind the other, connected to other rooms built of smaller blocks. After the deposition of the corpse, the structure was covered by a mound and surrounded by stone circles; a small menhir was in front of the entrance and another circle (30-35m diameter) was made all around. This area was frequented during the Neolithic and Eneolithic Age, as the archaeological finds from the Cultura di Ozieri attest (3200- 2800 BC).

Partially accessible to disabled people.