The Nuragic people: Their settlements, economic activities and use of the land, Sardinia, Italy

Abstract

Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean (Fig. 11.1) and is well-known for its Nuragic society, which developed in the Bronze and Early Iron Ages from 1900 to 730 BC (Nuragic Age, Table 11.1). Past studies of this civilization were based primarily on the analysis of buildings and artefacts. The distribution of the various settlements was analyzed in detail only in relatively limited areas, and generally with particular interest being paid to their use for military purposes. The relationships between the human societies and the terrain have been mainly overlooked, in part because of the absence of collaboration between archaeologists and Earth scientists. The aim of this chapter is, therefore, to explore and partly remedy this lack of knowledge of these relationships. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010.