3 new Domus de Janas graves found in Sardinia – History

Three new prehistoric Domus de Janas graves were found in the cemetery of Sant’andrea Priu in northern Sadinia. These discoveries bring the total number of graves found in cemeteries to 20.

Domus de Janas (meaning “home of the fairies in Sardinian) are rock-cut chamber tombs carved out by several of Sardinia’s pre-Nuragic cultures in the period between 3400-2700 BC The chambers were carved to resemble homes, sometimes in extraordinary detail down the beams, washscotting, heartths, jams and false doors. The walls were often decorated, painted with red ochre and carved or engraved with symbols including large spirals, jagged Zags and Bull Horns.

New discoveries are the perfect way to celebrate the official addition of Domus de Janas to UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Of the 26 locations, more than 3500 Domus de Janas are scattered on the island. 17 cemeteries have been awarded the status of a World Heritage Site, becoming “the most extensive and richest companion funeral building in the Western Mediterranean.”

The cemetery of Sant’Andrea Priu is one of the most important groups of Domus de Janas. It was constructed from the Neolithic Ozieri culture (3500-2900 BCE) and its complexity was very complex. The three graves are striking for their excellent condition and their information on the evolution of pre-Sunila society, architecture and rituals. The Chief’s grave arranged 18 rooms near the two main rooms, covering an area of about 2,700 square feet. Its size makes it one of the largest underground graves in the Mediterranean region. The round hut grave is relatively small, just a rectangular style room and a circular main room, but its walls are decorated with dedicated walls and the ceiling is decorated with grooves in the raised pattern, replicating the roof joists of the hut from that period. The interior tomb is a replica of the building of the house, which includes two pillars and a ceiling carved in the shape of a bidirectional roof.

Recent excavations focused on the area between the two graves, indicating that there might be another grave. Archaeologists have discovered three, arranged in the shape of a fan, emanating from the tomb of the fireplace (the tomb of the xiii).

The XVIII grave was the first to appear during the excavation process, and it has Dromos (corridor). Discovered include pickups, green axes, spindles and obsidian fragments. The structure consists of a central quadrilateral cell with a wall engraved with a carved fireplace, from which access to the rectangular main battery, and to the left is another smaller chamber. The smaller grave XIX has a small gazebo on the outside, while the inside is divided into rectangular cells and a second smaller round cell. In the recovery discovery were ceramic fragments and a miniature jar. The most complex is the Grave XX, which has an entrance pool from which two side corridors branch out, a total of seven units. It can still be seen in one of the painted decorative strips. A rich cemetery objects, including more than 30 ceramic artifacts from the Roman period of the Empire, are named “The Tomb of the Roman Vase”.

By the time the Romans used them, these tombs had been for thousands of years, but throughout the millennium they were often reused and widely accepted as sacred spaces, even early Christians used them for burials and painted their own portrait patterns on the walls.

The excavations will resume in the fall and continue until 2026.