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[The CIVIS Newsroom ](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom) 2. Sardinian Bronze Age towers repurposed as sacred sites in the Iron Age Sardinian Bronze Age towers repurposed as sacred sites in the Iron Age ======================================================================== CIVIS Highlights 11 June 2026 Sardinia’s iconic Bronze Age towers remained socially and spiritually significant into the Iron Age, even as practices evolved. Research by the University of Tübingen and the Soprintendenza identifies ritual objects from Nuraghe Barru as evidence of the site’s enduring role and wider island‑wide interaction networks. ![](https://civis.eu/storage/files/nuraghe-barru1.jpg)Nuraghe Barru site, central-southern Sardinia. Copyright: Lars HeinzeSardinia is famous for its nearly 7,000 nuraghi, built during the Bronze Age between 1700 and 1100 BCE. It is not yet known for sure whether they were used as defensive structures, elite residences, or ritual monuments. At the end of the Bronze Age and in the early Iron Age between 1200 and 800 BC, Sardinian society changed. Sanctuaries and sacred wells were built on the island. *“In the light of this transformation, we wanted to investigate whether the ancient towers had lost their significance,”* says dr. Silvia Amicone from the Department of Archaeometry at the University of Tübingen. She and her team worked with the local archaeological authority, the Soprintendenza, on a new study which proves that people in Sardinia were connected through networks in which objects, ideas, and practices circulated in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age. The study has been published in the [latest edition of Open Archaeology](https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2025-0078).. A sealed well and sacred offerings ---------------------------------- During excavations at [Nuraghe Barru](https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/nuraghe-barru-7a93b0f714144e95b3a4eb5e11ba6098), the research team directed by Dr Chiara Pilo from the Soprintendenza uncovered a carefully sealed cistern-well inside the tower complex: > *At the bottom of it were various deliberately smashed ceramic vessels, including what were clearly jugs, a miniature amphora, and a rare ceremonial vessel with four handles”,* Pilo says. *“We also found animal and human remains.* After the objects were deposited, the well had been closed with limestone slabs. Nearby, archaeologists found votive offerings deposited along a staircase. They included a 94 cm long bronze sword, three razor-like bronze objects, and a lump of copper. The staircase was then blocked, permanently sealing access to the upper floor. “*Overall, the finds suggest an episode of ritual activity rather than randomly discarded objects,”* says Pilo. A network of people, goods, and ideas ------------------------------------- ![](https://civis.eu/storage/files/nuraghe-barru2.jpg)The multi-towered nuraghem surrounded by predominantly circular huts. Copyright: Amir Ahmadpour and Lars HeinzeTo learn more about where these objects came from and what significance they had, the research team combined classical archaeological investigations with modern scientific techniques. Thin section petrography, a method used to identify the minerals contained in pottery, revealed that most of the ceramic vessels had not been produced locally. *“They came from different geological regions of Sardinia, some from more than 40 kilometers away,”* Amicone says. The materials from Barru therefore reflect wider patterns of interaction across the island. It is likely that Nuraghe Barru was part of an extensive network. X-ray fluorescence analysis of the metal objects revealed that both the sword and the bronze blades had a low proportion of tin to copper. *“Such alloys are common for Nuragic votive swords, which were not made for combat but for symbolic or ritual purposes,”* explains Amicone. The razor-like objects resembled others found in mainland Italy. This could indicate an extra insular connectivity, Amicone says, *“however, the composition of the material might suggest that the blades were not imported but produced locally.”* Ritual, power and identity -------------------------- Overall, the research team concluded that at the beginning of the Iron Age around 3000 years ago, Nuraghe Barru was no tumbledown relic from earlier times. Dr Gianfranca Salis, the current scientific director of the ongoing excavations at the site for the Soprintendenza, concludes: "*Nuraghe Barru was an active center during the Iron Age, where ritual practices and social identities were expressed in a period of transformation. When new places of worship emerged, not all of the old buildings were abandoned. Certain Nuragic culture towers were reused for ceremonial purposes.”* More details are available in the original text, in German: [Weiterlesen](https://uni-tuebingen.de/universitaet/aktuelles-und-publikationen/pressemitteilungen/archiv/archivfullview-pressemitteilungen/article/bronzezeitliche-tuerme-auf-sardinien-dienten-in-der-eisenzeit-als-religioese-kultstaetten/) Related news ------------ - [ ![](https://civis.eu/storage/files/afterrome1-800x600.jpg?token=4397a4b5ab8586378c500fa8daa6cb0b)DNA study rewrites the story of Early Medieval Europe CIVIS Highlights 15 May 2026 ](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/dna-study-rewrites-the-story-of-early-medieval-europe) - [ ![](https://civis.eu/storage/files/exu-pollmann1-full-800x600.jpg?token=99c089f73cbbe9f8a96db2beb92b7cbe)University of Tübingen retains its status as a University of Excellence under the German government’s Excellence Strategy CIVIS Highlights 20 April 2026 ](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/university-of-tubingen-retains-its-status-as-a-university-of-excellence-under-the-german-government-s-excellence-strategy) - [ ![](https://civis.eu/storage/files/wildcat-800x600.jpg?token=feab63e2e638099acac5ba09fdaf86b2)Human activity is influencing the behavior of Germany’s wildcats CIVIS Highlights 16 March 2026 ](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/human-activity-is-influencing-the-behavior-of-germany-s-wildcats) [Discover all our stories](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom) [ Reclaiming (Feminist) Justice: three countries, three universities, one shared feminist memory ](< https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/reclaiming-feminist-justice-three-countries-three-universities-one-shared-feminist-memory >) ![CIVIS – Europe’s Civic University Alliance](https://civis.eu/build/assets/civis-CCpvK1nT.svg) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Europe’s Civic University Alliance ![Co-funded by the European Union](https://civis.eu/build/assets/co-funded-by-the-european-union-DSKLW1us.png)Views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). 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