Nuraghe Palmavera — Alghero, Sardinia
Complesso Nuragico di Palmavera · Palmavera nuraghe
Middle to Late Bronze Age (c.1500–900 BCE)·Nuragic (Middle Bronze Santu Ippolito–Late Bronze Antas)·🇮🇹 Sardinia, Sassari, Alghero, Porto Conte Bay, Nurra plain, Italy
About
About Nuraghe Palmavera — Alghero, Sardinia
Nuraghe Palmavera (Middle–Late Bronze Age c.1500–900 BCE) 9 km NW of Alghero by Porto Conte Bay is a two-tower nuraghe (central keep 10 m high tholos plus later 10-m bastion) with a unique meeting hut containing a sandstone model nuraghe and bench. The 20-hut village around the towers produced Mycenaean sherds and amber linking the Nurra to Aegean trade. Excavated by Taramelli 1905–38 and Moravetti 1977–86, Palmavera exemplifies the nuragic complex-village transition at the Bay.
Why it mattersMeeting hut with model nuraghe is Nuragic cult symbol type; Aegean sherds provenance.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Meeting hut model — votive or architectural plan?
Theories
- 01Village council of Nurra plain under Palmavera elite; Mycenaean contact via Porto Conte
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Central tower c.1500 BCE; bastion 1200; meeting hut c.900 BCE
- Period
- Middle to Late Bronze Age (c.1500–900 BCE)
- Culture
- Nuragic (Middle Bronze Santu Ippolito–Late Bronze Antas)
- Builders
- Nuragic
- Purpose
- Coastal nuraghe fort with village and cult meeting hut
- Excavation
- Excavated
c.1500 BCE
Central keep erected on Porto Conte limestone
c.1200 BCE
Bastion and village added; Mycenaean imports
1905–38
Taramelli first excavations
1977–86
Moravetti restudy; park openings
On the ground
Structures & features
40.5949° N · 8.2429° E · 10 m · 2 mapped features
Palmavera Central Keep — Tholos Tower
tower10-m limestone corbelled tower 10 m high with internal tholos chamber and stair to terrace
40.5951° N · 8.2431° EPalmavera Meeting Hut — Model Nuraghe
sanctuary6-m circular hut with bench and 50-cm sandstone model nuraghe tower on floor, votive
40.5947° N · 8.2426° E
Gallery