Villaggio nuragico di Tiscali

The nuragic village of Tiscali occupies a collapsed limestone cavity, or dolina, near the summit of Monte Tiscali between the Supramonte of Oliena and Dorgali. Its houses are partly concealed within the rock hollow.

Why it matters

Tiscali is notable for the way its setting shapes the settlement: the natural depression forms a sheltered enclosure on a high mountain. The village records occupation from the nuragic period through Roman times and probably into the early Middle Ages. Archaeological evidence suggests a civilian settlement with an agro-pastoral character, rather than a fortress.

What to notice

Two groups of buildings occupy the dolina. On the northern side are around forty circular or elliptical huts; toward the south-west are roughly thirty smaller square or rectangular structures. A rainwater collection system reflects the practical demands of the site, which has no nearby spring. Differences in masonry mark separate building phases: dry-laid stone in lower courses and smaller stones set in mortar above. Finds include Campanian Dressel 1 wine amphora fragments. A natural opening in the rock frames the valley beyond.

Context and history

The huts were built between roughly the fifteenth and eighth centuries BC and later altered. Mortared upper walls have been attributed to Punic or Republican Roman-period rebuilding, and continued occupation into the early Middle Ages is considered probable. The site became more widely known in the early twentieth century. Its exact role is not fully established, but the buildings, water system and storage evidence are consistent with a community using the high pastures and surrounding land.