Necropolis of Puttu Codinu

Villanova Monteleone, Italy

Among the limestone banks that characterise the area there are two low outcrops placed side by side with a slightly sloping rock face, in which a Necropolis (the Sardinian Domus de Janas) was carved. One outcrop houses the Tombs I-II, while the other houses the Tombs III-IX. Depending on the morphology, the entrances are preceded by short dromoi, that is corridors dug into the rock, sometimes leading to a pavilion (Tombs II, VIII, IX), where the access door opens. The tombs are all multicellular, mainly characterised by a “T-shaped” plan; some asymmetries suggest that expansion works have been carried out.

Among the nine tombs, the Tomb VIII stands out for the refinement of the decoration effects. It can be accessed from a raised dromos that leads to a quadrangular vestibule, without ceiling, that shows now only traces of cornices and pilasters. The antechamber has a tabular ceiling with the representation of a wooden roof; the back wall is characterised by a door framed on either side by lowered mirrors and cornices on the model of the wooden structures of domestic architecture which is symbolically imitated in the style of funerary architecture. The walls still preserve dual horn-shaped engravings, of the “boat-shaped” type. In the larger chamber there is a gable roof characterised by a central beam and seven joists per side; in the walls it is possible to see the wainscot at the base and pilasters reproducing the stakes of the supporting wooden structure of the huts. At both sides of the entrance it is possible to see “band” curved horns and the same pattern is repeated along the back wall, which is carved with a fake door, a kind of porta inferi (the door to the underworld). The remaining chambers do not show any decoration. In the adjoining Tomb IX, on the wall of the dromos, it is possible to see two juxtaposed hemispherical cupels.Outside the Tomb VII, there are two menhirs and a flat slab, probably symbols of the funeral area that included the Tombs VIII-IX.

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Details

Founded: 3500 BCE
Category: Cemeteries, mausoleums and burial places in Italy

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User Reviews

simone adiletta (4 years ago)
Beautiful pre-Nuragic necropolis which is believed to have been initially used more than 5,000 years ago, in the Neolithic; nine hypogea, some with numerous rooms and with the external frame of the entrance well chiseled. Access to the site is always available despite the fact that due to the box office, which I have never found operational, and a closed gate (which has no padlock) it seems closed; the absence of surveillance requires an even more respectful behavior of the site. Interesting between the entrance and the hypogea is the small historic forest of pirastru, with specimens, however, still of small size.
Manuela 77 (4 years ago)
It seems abandoned ... We found a gate closed with a tie but we did not allow ourselves to enter (although perhaps it would have been the case), there is no information, telephone number, ticket cost, timetables ... Nothing nothing ... It's a real shame!
metalpsyche82 (4 years ago)
The site, perimetered and semi-abandoned, has the access gate closed with a string, which can be easily (and legitimately) untied. Indeed, a sign inside the site says that the necropolis is freely visitable as long as you don't harm it.
Leon de Boer (5 years ago)
Quite a special place, that you would easily miss if you didn't know where it was. Free entry when we went, quiet and deserted but pretty unique. Nice views of the area around as well! Worth going if you are passing by.
Roger Axon (5 years ago)
An excellent example of a Domus de Janas in a lovely setting. There are nine tombs which you can look into.
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