Sacred wells

The religion of the nuraghe's people was expressed in their place of the shapes of the temples is wedded with the wealth of the ex-votos (the most precious are bronze statuettes).

The cult of water was prevalent (and of the mysterious being that lived therein, according to the naturalistic and animistic beliefs of the time), in the sacred wells. These wells are underground temples, as shown by the discovery of bronze statuettes of the pawerful Mother Goddess.

The shrine has the shape of a well, of varying, covered with a dome and preceded by a rectangular hall-way or (rarely) a round space for the ritual and the display of the votive offering and a symbolic adornments (pillars with or without decorations).

Their circular vaulted structure (tholos ) is that of the nuraghi, subterranean dwelligs of divine beings.

The stairway as is an entrance to the arcane: the transition from light to twilight is gradual and accompanies the stages in the trasformation of those who approach the supernatural, perhaps after the so-called "incubation", a premoniti sleep in the sacred place which contact is made with the deity, or perhaps for the trial by water, an ancient form of the ordeal.

Here we are in the realms of imagination. The secrets of the Well of Santa Cristina are not all laid bare for our inspection and it way have other function. On the day of the spring and autumn equinoxes, for example, the sun lightens the stairway right down to the water.

The most recent wells temples (14^th-13^th- century BC) were built in the same manner as the nuraghi, with roughly hewn stones and unadorned partitions, as in examples at Sa Testa (Olbia), Cuccuru Nuraxi (Settimo San Pietro).

The structure of the wells of the next period (12^th-11^th century BC) are refined, in square-cut stone, with perfect domes, their facades carved geometric patterns and bulls’ heads in relief (alluding to the divinity), sometimes even painted: this is the case of the temples of Santa Anastasia (Sardara), Santa Vittoria (Serri), Santa Cristina (Paulilatino).

These buidings were related to grat sanctuaries - site where sacred games and markets were held, as well as meetings of the chiefs for acts of peace - to which they brought wealth with the treasure of the temple, the contributions of public institutions and the offering of the pilgrims. Those sanctuaries also played a role of moral and political guidance in the form of an oracle.

Another building of worship is the “megaron” type, with a rectangular plan “distyle in antis" that is with two columns between the antae or ends of the sile walls. They had one, two or three rooms and a pitched roof, and were equipped ings were precious bronze figurines, locally made, making up a hunting scene.

Nuragic settlement at Tiscali

At Supramonte di Oliena (518 metres above sea level), there a nuragic village with no colossal towers and bastions, the only one of its kind. An axcess of optimism on the part of its ancient inhabitants? No, the offer by mother nature of an impregnable natural fortification in the form of a dolina.

By simply concealing the entrance with bushes, they were able to live undisturbed: the presence of huts on an rectangular ground plan, probably erected by the Carthaginians, suggest that area was used for hundreds of years. Some historians have supposed that it was here the original population took refuge when the romans spread all over the island and were hard on their heels, yet never managed to subdue them for good.