Nuragic Village of Serra Orrios

Nuragic Village of Serra Orrios The Nuragic village of Serra Orrios lies on a wide lava plateau in the northwest part of Dorgali. It consists of over seventy buildings and two fenced megaron temples (Temple A and Temple B); nearby there were also two Giants' graves, unfortunately disappeared. Every hut, in circular or quadrangolar plan, has been realized with a roof made of branches and basaltic rocks, in whose walls

it

is

possible

to

find niches as

deposits

of several

objects.

As

in

other

villages,

the dwellings

were constructed in local clay and cork to waterproof the roof and the bottom. This last one was covered with stone slabs, cobblestone or simply well-trodden. In the middle of the huts and close to the entrance was situated a circular fireplace, which is a simple cavity in the pavement delimited by stones. Apart from some isolated huts, all the other dwellings seem to be organized in blocks with a central courtyard and well. The structures of this built up area are distinguished by the letters A, B, C, D, but in addition to them there are other two blocks in the northwest and south sides of the village, close to the temple B. The hut 49, isolated from the others, is composed of a vestibule, paved with big stone blocks and characterised by a circular plan and a counter-seat built along the wall, all these distinctive traits lead us to think that this construction was most probably used with public ( the meeting hut) or holy purposes (small temple). Both of the megaron Structures represent two doubled antis temples (in which the both ends are bounded by extensions of the side walls) with a vestibule and a room, where a circular counter-seat runs along its inner perimeter. These megaron style structures, dedicated to the Cult of the Waters, show possible traces of Greek influences. The materials collected in Serra orrios revealed the construction period of the village, dated between the Recent Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age (XIII - VI cent. B.C). To the Recent Bronze Age belong the circular huts, which are isolated from all the other ones. During the Early Iron Age appeared the structure organisation in blocks, rebuilding existing huts and the two megaron temples. Among the materials ceramics outnumber the other ones: pots, ollas, cups, piriform vases, askoid jugs, dolium vases for the storage of foodstuffs. There were also found: burners, pintadera stamps, a bucket, a bailer, spindle whorls, spools and loom weights. As regards lithic remains: three soapstone tools used to smooth objects, grinders, burnishers, sharpeners and a soapstone melting mould, which suggests a metalworking activity; in addition to them there were also a small polished stone hatchet and a flint blade. The metal collection consists of a smelter tool, weapons (four daggers), tools (two flanged axes, a double axe and a chisel) and ornament objects (seven hairpins, thirteen bracelets, two earrings etc.) Among the bracelets one has a silver surface, whose shape is an open ellipse decorated with engraved circlets. It is supposed that this bracelet is the result of a local work connected with the mine "Sos Enattos" situated in the territory of Lula. All the materials collected in Serra Orrios are exposed at the Archaeological Museum of Dorgali.   Text: Fabrizio Delussu www.museoarcheologicodorgali.it