12.2, 12a.2 and 12b.: The nuraghe Li Luzzani, located on the southwestern outskirts of Sassari, “is a complex building, with a plan that is made uncertain by collapses and significant external burial; it consists of a central mastio, which features an intact tholos, around which an irregularly shaped bastion develops, equipped with at least three side towers. It stands on the outskirts of the town of Sassari, on the edge of the industrial area of Predda Niedda (it can be found at the end of Strada 38, on the right, within an olive grove), on a low hill that gently slopes down towards the East, while towards the West the slope is steeper, due to the presence of a deep valley incision that separates it from the nearby Monte Oro and where a road passed in Roman times, of which a few short stretches still remain.”
“The nuraghe Molafà, close to the eponymous tomb with a facade and the nuraghe Li Luzzani, “is located on the northern slope of an elevation that dominates the small valley carved by the Rio Giuncheddu, just before its confluence with the Rio Mascari… The nuraghe, perched on the edge of a cliff, is probably a complex building, made with freshly hewn limestone stones arranged in fairly regular rows… What can be observed today is mainly the main tower, still well preserved, while the remains of a probable frontal bastion are not entirely legible, of which traces can be seen but whose plan is made uncertain by collapses, significant burial, and a considerable accumulation of recent stones that prevents distinguishing any ancient structures from later ones” (Paolo Melis).
A few kilometers from the town of Uri, a long stone stele rises in the center of a field, giving its name to the site: Sa Pedra Longa (The Long Stone). In the past, it constituted the front of a nuragic giant tomb, dating back to the Middle Bronze Age (around 1700-1350 BC). From the original monument, only the monolithic arched stele (made from a single block of rock) is preserved, whose type and relatively modest dimensions suggest an ancient dating.
The photos of the nuraghe Li Luzzani in Sassari were taken by Romano Stangherlin; those of the nuraghe Molafà, also in Sassari, were taken by Pino Fiore. The photo of the Molafà facade tomb is by Romano Stangherlin. The photos of the giant tomb Sa Pedra Longa in Uri are by Giovanni Sotgiu and Nicola Castangia.
