History of the research

The history of research at Monte d’Accoddi begins in the 1950s, when the archaeologist Ercole Contu was called to investigate a hill on land owned by the future President of the Republic, Antonio Segni, beneath which it was believed one of the many nuraghi of Sardinia stood.

The excavations revealed the monument visible today, and at its base two stone slabs, the menhir, and the remains of the village. Contu interpreted the monument as a Copper Age sanctuary, without parallels and therefore unique of its kind. In the 1980s and 1990s, excavations by the University of Genoa led by Santo Tinè brought to light the older structures, including the smaller monument known as the “red temple.”

The most recent research was conducted by Alberto Moravetti in the early 2000s, while studies of the materials carried out by Maria Grazia Melis helped to better define the chronological sequence of the site.