1a – “The Neolithic necropolis of Li Muri is undoubtedly the most well-known archaeological site in the vast area of Arzachena due to the uniqueness of the tombs that compose it. Discovered in 1939, it consists of a series of dolmenic cists, that is, small burial cells made of stone slabs set in a knife-like manner, originally topped with a covering slab and surrounded by small stones arranged in concentric circles. These latter stones served to contain a mound of earth and gravel that was meant to cover the tomb, preventing, as much as possible, the washing away caused by rain. Therefore, the necropolis in its entirety must have appeared as a collection of circular hills, tangent to each other, with diameters varying from 5.30 to 8.50 meters. Within the circle that bordered each tomb, there are remains of a menhir, a stone pillar embedded in the ground that was attributed with a sacred value. Near the points of tangency of the funerary circles, three stone boxes, approximately 50X50 cm in size, were found, likely intended to hold periodic food offerings for the deceased. Some objects that make up the funerary goods of this necropolis, including bowls made of steatite, flint blades, and small triangular axes made of polished hard stone, as well as necklace beads shaped like small olives, exhibit particularly refined workmanship. The typology of the tombs of the necropolis of Li Muri has given its name to a culture attributable to the Neolithic age (4th millennium BC): that of the ‘megalithic circles,’ also known as the Arzachena Culture or Gallurese Culture, due to the particular concentration of tomb circles with lithic cists in this territory.” (Mibact)
The photos of the necropolis of Li Muri, in Arzachena, are by Marco Cocco and Cinzia Olias.
