Árdís - 01.01.1964, Blaðsíða 29

Ársrit Bandalags lúterskra kvenna
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to see the famous Nuraghe. This is a prehistoric fort, but only re-
cently excavated. It is a conical shaped tower and no one knows its
origin, built by whom, why or when. It was probably built in the
Phoenician period. For centuries some ruins had been visible on top
of this particular hill from the town of Barumini not far away.
Finally it was excavated and revealed an almost perfect nuraghe
of which there are hundreds more on the island. They belong to
the Bronze Age, during which the island must have been com-
paratively well populated. As has been stated they are conical in
shape, about thirty feet in diameter at the base and decreasing in
diameter as it ascends. They are built of rough blocks of stone and
are not mortared together. The entrance almost invariably faces
south and they are situated obviously with a view to the best use
from a strategical point of view, nearly always on hill tops. They are
distributed over the whole island but are most numerous towards
the centre and westward. They seem to be almost entirely lacking