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29-662: In 1950, historian and archaeologist Guillem Rosselló Bordoy excavated an archaeological site known as the Talaiot del Serral de ses Abelles, a Bronze Age megalith, in Puigpunyent. In 2019, Jaume Deya and Pablo Galera identified a Bronze Age sword at the Talaiot. Specialists believe that the weapon was made near the end of the Talaiotic culture 's prevalence, dated to be approximately 3,200 years old. The sword has since been put on display at

58-418: A corbelled dome of the bullet-shaped tholos type, and where ashlar masonry is used more frequently); and an intermediate layer of very small pieces and dirt, which makes the whole construction very sturdy: it stands only by virtue of the weight of its stones, which may each amount to several tons. Some nuraghes are about 20 meters (60 ft) in height, the tallest one known, Nuraghe Arrubiu , reached

87-478: A tholos-shaped chamber. The access, generally located at the ground level, leads into a passageway that leads, in the front, into the central chamber and in one side (usually the left) in the helical staircase, built inside the wall mass, that lead to the terrace or to the upper-floor chamber. In addition to the usual circular rooms, in their inside can be found other smaller environments such as niches. A "tancadu" nuraghe ( Sardinian term for courtyard) represents

116-525: A combination of any of these things. Some of the nuraghes are, however, located in strategic places – such as hills – from which important passages could be easily controlled. They might have been something between a "status symbol" and a "passive defence" building, meant to be a deterrent for possible enemies. Nuraghes could also have been the "national" symbol of the Nuragic peoples. Small-scale models of nuraghe have often been excavated at religious sites (e.g. in

145-483: A height of 25–30 meters. The entrance leads into a corridor, on whose sides are often open niches, that lead to the round chamber. A spiral stone stair, leading to upper floors (if present) and/or to a terrace, was built within the thick walls and it was illuminated by embrasures. The Nuragic towers might have as much as three corbel chambers one on top of the other. In complex nuraghes corridors were often present, sometimes corbelled, such as at Santu Antine, in which

174-651: Is called a nuraghe ( Sardinian: [nuˈɾaɣɛ] , Italian: [nuˈraːɡe] ; plural: Logudorese Sardinian nuraghes , Campidanese Sardinian nuraxis [nuˈɾaʒizi] , Italian nuraghi ). According to the Oxford English Dictionary the etymology is "uncertain and disputed": "The word is perhaps related to the Sardinian place names Nurra , Nurri , Nurru , and to Sardinian nurra 'heap of stones, cavity in earth' (although these senses are difficult to reconcile). A connection with

203-568: Is that the term nuraghe came from the name of the Iberian mythological hero Norax , and the root *nur would be an adaptation of the Indo-European root *nor . The typical nuraghe is situated in areas where previous prehistoric Sardinian cultures had been distributed, that, is not far from alluvial plains (though few nuraghes appear in plains currently as they were destroyed by human activities such as agriculture, dams and road building) and has

232-603: Is the Nuraghe Santu Antine near the village of Torralba , in northern Sardinia. Other famous nuraghes are near Alghero ( Nuraghe Palmavera ), Macomer , Abbasanta (see Losa ), Orroli ( Nuraghe Arrubiu ), Gonnesa ( Nuraghe Seruci ) and Villanovaforru ( Nuraghe Genna Maria ). The nuraghes were built between the middle of the Bronze Age (18th–15th centuries BCE) and the Late Bronze Age . The claim that

261-551: Is the main type of ancient megalithic edifice found in Sardinia , Italy, developed during the Nuragic Age between 1900 and 730 BC. Today it has come to be the symbol of Sardinia and its distinctive culture known as the Nuragic civilization . More than 7,000 nuraghes have been found, though archeologists believe that originally there were more than 10,000. Natively, the structure

290-538: The Balearic Islands is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Spain -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Talaiot A talaiot , or talayot ( Catalan pronunciation: [tələˈjɔt] ), is a Bronze Age megalith found on the islands of Menorca and Majorca forming part of the Talaiotic Culture or Talaiotic Period. Talaiots date back to

319-458: The " nuraghes " of Sardinia , the " torri " of Corsica , and the " sesi " of Pantelleria . Talaiotic sites include: In 2019 a well-preserved 3,200-year-old Bronze Age sword was discovered by archaeologists under the leadership of Jaume Deya and Pablo Galera at the Talaiot del Serral de ses Abelles in the Puigpunyent municipality of western Majorca. The archaeologists believe that the weapon

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348-625: The "maze" temple at the Su Romanzesu site near Bitti in central Sardinia). Nuraghes may have just connoted wealth or power, or they may have been an indication that a site had its owners. Recent unconfirmed theories tend to suggest that Sardinian towns were independent entities (such as the city-states , although in a geographical sense they were not cities) that formed federations and that the building of these monuments might have depended on agreed-on distributions of territory among federated unities. They were not tombs of princes and their families, as

377-510: The El- Ahwat structures from Israel might be related has been contested; those are dated to either the 12th or the 11th century BCE. The only buildings widely accepted as being related to nuraghes are the torri (plural of torre ) from southern Corsica and the talaiots from Menorca and Majorca . According to Massimo Pallottino , an Italian archaeologist specialized in Etruscology ,

406-611: The Semitic base of Arabic nūr 'light, fire, etc.' is now generally rejected." The Latin word murus ('wall') may be related to it, being a result of the derivation: murus – *muraghe –nuraghe. However, such theories are debated. An etymological theory suggests a Proto-Basque origin by the term *nur (stone) with the common - ak plural ending; the Paleo-Sardinian suffix - ake is also found in some Indo-European languages such as Latin and Greek . Another possible explanation

435-609: The Tramuntana Mountains, ascent of Puig de Galatzo, and La Reserva Puig de Galatzó. La Reserva Puig de Galatzó spans over 2.5 million square meters of unspoiled countryside. Throughout the year, Puigpunyent hosts a myriad of festivals, including a growing music festival in mid-August, featuring traditional and classical performances. Additionally, a vibrant summer festival in early August showcases local arts, crafts, and sports activities, catering to families and visitors of all ages. Puigpunyent's strategic location, nestled between

464-441: The central circular room, they are sometimes similar in size to later nuraghes. This type is distinguished by the restorations made in later times, supposedly because of a change to the protonuraghes design, or for other needs. This is considered to be the predominant type of nuraghe, and it represents the most diffused typology. The single tower, of a truncated conical shape, contains one or more superimposed chambers, covered by

493-454: The corbelled arch corridors were superimposed on two levels, and reached a length of 27 meters. Today fewer than 7,000 nuraghes remain standing; their number was originally larger. Nuraghes are most prevalent in the northwest and south-central parts of the island. There is no consensus on the function of the nuraghes: they could have been rulers' residences, military strongholds, meeting halls, religious temples, ordinary dwellings or

522-503: The earlier nuraghes, shifting to just −45½° for the later. Zedda has suggested that the target is likely a star, quite possibly Alpha Centauri . Protonuraghes are considered to be the most archaic type; they differ somewhat from the "classical" (tholos-vaulted) nuraghes in their stockier look. Protonuraghes generally follow an irregular plan and lack the large circular room present in presumed later forms; instead, they are laid out along one or more corridors or long rooms. Although lacking

551-470: The entrance orientations ( declinations and azimuths ) of 272 simple nuraghes and of the central towers of 180 complex ones. The data revealed clear peaks corresponding to orientations pointing to the sunrise at winter solstice and to the Moon at its southernmost rising position. These alignments remained constant throughout the history of nuraghe. The most common declinations revealed were of around −43° for

580-480: The evolution of the single-tower nuraghe; another circular building was later added to the main tower, with two enclosing curtain walls connecting the two. A courtyard was present within the structure, sometimes provided with a well. Also called Nuragic royal palaces , the polylobed nuraghes are the least frequent typology. Very elaborate and often designed in a unified manner, they look like veritable fortresses with several towers linked by high ramparts, whose function

609-574: The island had a poorer economy than its larger neighbor. The first author to write about these structures was Juan Ramis in his book Celtic antiquities on the island of Menorca , which was published in 1818, and was the first book in the Spanish language entirely devoted to prehistory . There are similar megalithic buildings found in other areas of the Western Mediterranean, though these are not necessarily related to talaiots. Examples include

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638-479: The late second millennium and early first millennium BC. There are at least 274 of them, in, near, or related to Talaiotic settlements and the Talaiotic chamber tombs known as navetas . Talaiots pre-date the megalithic structures known as taulas , which are usually found nearby. While some Talaiots are thought to have had a defensive purpose, the use of others is not clearly understood. Some believe them to have served

667-524: The mountains and Palma, offers residents a harmonious blend of rural living and urban convenience. The availability of international schools and easy access to amenities make it an ideal choice for those seeking a balanced lifestyle. Puigpunyent's proximity to Palma affords residents easy access to the city's cultural offerings and amenities, while also providing convenient connections to the southwest region, replete with private hospitals, international schools, resorts, and ports. This article related to

696-755: The nearby Majorca Museum. The name "Puigpunyent" is thought to derive from the Latin phrase ‘podinum pungentem’, reflecting the sharp, majestic mountains that characterize the area. Evidence suggests that Puigpunyent has been inhabited since ancient times, with numerous historical sites, including talaiots and the necropolis of Casat Nou, attesting to its rich heritage. During the Moorish era, Puigpunyent flourished, thanks to advancements in agriculture facilitated by innovative irrigation systems, such as water mills and channels. In Puigpunyent, visitors would relax and participate in outdoor activities. The outside area contains trails in

725-427: The outer shape of a truncated conical tower, thus resembling a medieval tower, with a tholos -like vault inside. The structure's walls consist of three components: an outer layer (tilted inwards and made of many layers of stones whose size diminishes with increasing height: mostly, lower layers consist of rubble masonry, while upper layers tend to be of ashlar masonry); an inner layer, made of smaller stones (to form

754-469: The purpose of lookout or signalling towers, as on Menorca, where they form a network. Talaiots generally take the form of circular or square buildings, and they may have been used as dwellings or meeting places. The talayots on Menorca have been much less prone to weathering than the ones found on Majorca. Despite this, very few grave goods have been found in Menorcan talayots, leading historians to believe that

783-588: Was made when the Talaiotic culture was in decline. The sword will be on display at the Majorca Museum. This article related to the Balearic Islands is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article relating to archaeology in Europe is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a Spanish building or structure is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Nuraghe The nuraghe , or nurhag ,

812-451: Was mistakenly believed by taking as an argument the discovery of human remains there, but of strata of a later age than the Nuragic, that is, Carthaginian and Roman. Neither were they monumental temples, which today are known to be of different shapes and types, even for prehistoric island times, likewise burials (domus de janas or "fairy houses"; tumbas de sos gigantes or "tombs of the giants"). In 2002, Juan Belmonte and Mauro Zedda measured

841-494: Was to offer more useful space and perhaps to reinforce the central tower. These "Megalithic castles" were surrounded by additional walls, sometimes also provided with towers (the so-called bulwark). Nuraghes are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Su Nuraxi di Barumini , in the south of the island, has been chosen to represent all the nuragic patrimony, but one of the highest and most complex nuraghes

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