sals

This is the smallest of the group of dolmens, standing about 90cm high and consisting of a capstone of about 2½ metres square balanced on 3 other slabs.

Free and open access.

Yet again, a plant had been left recently, but this time there was also a message (on a separate piece of stone, not on part of the actual structure). Can anyone translate it?

Bilella (spelt like this and as Billella on the same information board) is signposted off Via Boccaccio in Luras – it’s actually about 1.2km from the turn off.

Free and open access.

Yet again, a plant had been left as an offering!

A curious construction – built on a cut shelf of rock – and looking from one side like a transformers toy climbing a stair! It’s the tallest of the group of dolmens at about 1.65 metres.

This dolmen is smaller than, but similar in construction to Ladas – both have been dated at 3rd millennium BCE. It’s situated on a rocky outcrop with great views from its south easterly facing entrance across the valley below.

Again, a plant had been left to the left of the entrance.

Free and open access.

This dolmen has a huge main capstone – over 3 metres by 4 metres – supported by stone slabs on 3 sides with some wooden posts to help out too. A separate, smaller capstone creates a porch area, and the underside of both stones have been carved in to.

Someone had been recently, and left a potted plant (cyclamen maybe?) tucked safely at the left of the entrance.

Free and open access.

Li Lolghi has ample parking, a wooden information and ticket hut (we’d paid at Li Muri so just picked up our guide leaflet) which has the usual range of info, postcards, ice creams and drinks – including beer!

The slope leads up to the tomba – orientated to face south east – and again was originally an allée couverte as at Coddu Vecchiu, extended circa 1300 BCE.

The giant stele has been broken at a 45° angle and repaired, and has relief carvings on it; the stone slabs of descending height on either side mark out the esedra.

Looking through the portal, you can see along the funeral corridor to the remaining capstone and shelf at the end, before the earlier tomb.

The rear of the monument is gently fenced with posts and rails, and viewing platforms are provided. The whole thing is a massive 26 metres long!

From the fork in the road where the directions to this site and Li Lolghi split, it was 1.2km to the car park and information building (closed when we got there) just past the site, and about 120 metres up a gentle incline to get back to the site itself which has a gate and wooden hut at its entrance.

The site has wooden posts and rails to keep people off the stones, and viewing platforms similar to those we’d seen at Coddu Vecchju.

There are 5 cists; 4 of these have a menhir and stone slabs arranged around them to form a circle; cist number 5 to the far left on my panoramic photo has an incomplete circle with an open front.

This is believed to be the oldest site on the island, at around 4000 BCE.

Tickets are 5 euros to visit both here and Li Lolghi, payable at the information office just down the slope – the guide was at the circles when we arrived and we followed her down to pay after our visit. As usual for the “pay” sites, there were toilets, and a range of info, drinks and snacks on sale.

The nuraghe of La Prisciona is currently (Sept 2007) closed to the public for repairs and excavation, likely to continue until at least May 2008.

The new excavations are revealing a whole series of buildings/rooms surrounding the nuraghe which has a triangular base and 3 towers, and a deep well in its courtyard.

The information office at Coddu Vecchju about 900 metres away shows some images of the excavations.

From Arzachena, take the 427 or SP14 towards Tempio, the site is always signposted. There’s ample parking, and a building for tickets and information (with refreshments etc on sale and toilets available) about 300 metres north of the site. We’d bought tickets at Nuraghe Albucciu so just had to show these to be given our site guide. Open 09:00 – 19:00.

A gentle stroll along the road side and then down a path brought us to the tomba. Wow! It’s huge!

The building was done in two stages, the first part being an allée couverte (circa 2500 BCE?) with the giant stele and esedra (forecourt area, the wings, or some might propose, the open legs of the tomb) added later. The site is roped off, and visitors are asked not to climb onto or into the tomb, but a variety of raised viewing platforms have been built all the way round the back to make it easier to see.

The stele is massive – almost 4½ metres tall, but narrower than some others at 1.9 metres – and has a pronounced pink tinge to its stone; it was built with two slabs on top of each other, and both sections have relief carvings in them. The wings of the tomba are stone slabs in decreasing height. Behind the stele – the tallest one on the island – there’s a short corridor, which joins the newer part to the body of the original tomb – about 10 metres long with granite slabs forming the walls, floor and capstones.

It’s just over 1½km from the car park for Nuraghe Albucciu (see this site for access, facility and ticket details) to Malchittu Temple; the path is generally wide and sandy, but does climb a bit, and the last section to reach the temple is a scramble up uneven rocks. So not recommended for the less mobile!

The temple is a very unusual structure for Sardinia and is situated between two rocky outcrops with fantastic views over the surrounding area. There’s an entrance foyer, with one straight and one curved wall, and a doorway into the main part of the temple, where niches for offerings, and a central hearth, can be seen. There’s an oak tree growing towards the back of the structure. The walls are really impressive and a scramble up the rocks on either side give great views down into the temple.

At the bottom of the rocky scramble, there’s the remains of another structure.

It’s well worth allowing a couple of hours to view this group of sites (here and Albucciu and Moru).