The complex of “S’Ortali ‘e su Monti”, in Tortolì, includes: house of the fairies, menhir, megalithic circle, nuraghe, tomb of giants, village and granary.
“S’ Ortali ‘e su Monti” summarizes three millennia of prehistory thanks to the substantial prenuragic traces (IV-III millennium B.C.) and the nuragic monuments built between the Middle Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age (XVI-IX century B.C.). The The oldest evidence of the complex dates back to the recent Neolithic and is a domus de janas..Right next to the domus, the nuraghe with a complex plan was erected, alternatively called “S’Ortali ‘e su Monti” or “San Salvatore,” which was built with roughly hewn and stacked granite blocks. The central tower is of the tholos type (false dome), and it has had a long period of use, the most recent of which dates back to historical times.
Today, the nuraghe stands five and a half meters tall, but everything suggests that originally it was nearly twenty meters high, making it even taller than “Su Nuraxi” in Barumini. The diameter is 15 meters, similar to that of “Santu Antine” in Torralba, while the keep is accessible through an entrance topped by a lintel.
Around the tower, a enclosing wall that includes three secondary towers of which that to north appears as the better preserved.
On the outside of the bastion, there are also the remains of about ten huts.
To the north, an area intended for the preservation of foodstuffs, consisting of a plan where ten silos were housed. One of them returned a significant amount of grain. Equally, it was contained in large jars in the huts, which, almost all, were equipped with mills. One is configured as a “hut-mill.” “S’Ortali ‘e su Monti” is the prime example of a granary of nuragic Sardinia.
On the part of the hill most facing the sea, there is a space enclosed by boulders arranged in a circle, with a diameter of almost twelve meters. On the other hill, the nuragic people established a giant’s tomb of the type with rows. The front is formed by slabs set in the ground to create a semicircle (exedra).
To reach the nuraghe, from Tortolì take the road to the beach of Orrì. About 2 km away, near an Enel electrical cabin, there is a tourist sign indicating the archaeological park of San Salvatore. After passing the first turn on the right, continue for about 200 m. Always on the right, there will be another fork to take, and continue for about 100 m. The nuraghe will be on the right side of the road, while the giant’s tomb and the menhirs will be on the left.
(from Ministry of Culture – Idese)
The photos of the archaeological complex S’Ortali ‘e su Monti are by: Nicola Castangia, Francesca Cossu, and ArcheoUri Vagando
