S’Elighe Entosu

S’Elighe Entosu

The Project was undertaken in 2006 as a collaboration between the University of Sassari and the Usini Town Council, with the intention of promoting and developing local historical and cultural heritage through the financing of a multi-year research project under the direction of Maria Grazia Melis. An interdisciplinary team was appointed for the task, in partnership with a group of specialists from the UMR 6636 Lampea di Aix en Provence, directed by André D'Anna. The objective of the research was a reconstruction of the environment and socio-economic conditions of the human groups that populated the area surrounding the domus de janas necropolis of S'Elighe Entosu in prehistory. Knowledge of the territory was in fact fundamental to the appropriate development of the local cultural heritage. The attention of the researchers was therefore extended to a much larger area and on a wider scale, beyond the confines of the local council. The principal tools of research were the archaeological excavation of the necropolis and systematic field walking of the region. The excavation, yet to be completed, has however made it possible to partially reconstruct the various phases of frequentation and use of the prehistoric necropolis. Furthermore, it brought to light the existence of a later Roman phase in the same necropolis. The study of monumental remains in the field, undertaken through multidisciplinary research directed by Andrè d'Anna, brought together various interlinking themes,: the identification of available natural resources (accessible flint deposits, geological formations, sedimentary dynamics and natural environment), field walking over large areas, which significantly updated maps of known archaeological deposits, the technological study of various materials and the analysis of the provenience of raw materials for stone industry. These activities made it possible to better understand how the territory was occupied following the guidelines provided by regional archaeology and human geography. A census of archaeological sites was updated and presented in 2010 to meet the needs of local and regional planning legislation. 

The analysis of craft production, undertaken with an integrated morphological and technological approach, helped to define the chronological-cultural sequences of the use of the necropolis, throughout the Ozieri, Sub-Ozieri, Bell-Beaker, Middle Bronze Age 1 and 2, Late and Final Bronze Ages, Iron Age, Punic and Roman phases. Concerning the technological characteristics of pottery, a macroscopic examination carried out on diagnostic material of the various cultural phases made it possible to identify a variety of techniques, procedures and instruments involved in the different phases of shaping, finishing and decoration. The study of stone tools, while incomplete, has demonstrated the systems of procurement and the general management of resources, both for the choice of material and type of product required, the existence of which once again proposes the problems related to the significance of their presence in burial contexts both from a symbolical and technological point of view. The analysis of objects in hard animal material was conducted on several ornamental objects made of seashell, attributable to the Bell-Beaker period. As well as throwing light on the origin of some marks caused through wear, the production processes of pendants, beads and simple pierced valves were also reproduced.

With the addition of geographical and architectonical data, together with results from chemical-physical, archaeo-botanical, zooarchaeological, and paleo-anthropological analyses as well as experimental archaeology, the research represents an innovative methodological approach for Sardinia.

Pubblicazioni

  • BAGELLA S. , Un betilino dalla domus de janas IV di S’Elighe Entosu: relazioni e confronti con la piccola produzione betilica dell’architettura funeraria nuragica , in MELIS M. G., a cura di, Usini. Ricostruire il passato. Una ricerca internazionale a S'Elighe Entosu , Sassari , Carlo Delfino ed. , 2010
  • CAPPAI R., D'ANNA A., GUENDON J. L., MANCA L., MELIS M.G., PIRAS S., SOULA F. , Una ricerca internazionale e interdisciplinare nel territorio di Usini (Sassari): la necropoli a domus de janas di S’Elighe Entosu , in Rivista di Scienze Preistoriche, LXI , 2011 , pp. 61-96
  • D'ANNA A., MELIS M. G., TRAMONI P. , Notiziario. S’Elighe Entosu (Usini, prov. di Sassari) , in Rivista di Scienze Preistoriche LVII , 2007 , p. 468
  • D'ANNA A., GUENDON J. L., SOULA F. , La nécropole de S’Elighe Entosu dans son espace , in MELIS M. G., a cura di, Usini. Ricostruire il passato. Una ricerca internazionale a S'Elighe Entosu , Sassari , Carlo Delfino ed. , 2010
  • D'ANNA A., MELIS M. G. , Il progetto Usini - S’Elighe Entosu , in Atti della XLIV Riunione Scientifica dell’Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria La preistoria e la protostoria della Sardegna. Cagliari, Barumini, Sassari, 23-28 novembre 2009 , 2012 , pp. 1345-1350
  • SOULA F., GUENDON J. L. , Examen macroscopique des provenances des matières premières siliceuses et étude technologique du matériel de prospection de la commune d'Usini (Province de Sassari, Sardaigne) , in Usini. Ricostruire il passato. Una ricerca internazionale a S'Elighe Entosu, a cura di, MELIS M. G. , Sassari , Carlo Delfino ed. , 2010 , pp. 73-82
  • MARRAS G., MELIS M.G. , Nuovi dati sull'ipogeismo funerario della Sardegna settentrionale: la necropoli di S'Elighe Entosu a Usini (Sassari) , in 128e Congrès des sociétés historiques et scientifiques, Relations, échanges et coopération en Méditerranée, Bastia, du 14 au 21 avril 2003 , Paris , CTHS , 2007 , pp. 143-151
  • MELIS M.G. , Usini. Ricerche archeologiche presso la necropoli di S’Elighe Entosu , in Aidu Entos. Archeologia e Beni Culturali, 1 , 2007 , pp. 42-43
  • MELIS M.G. , La necropoli di S’Elighe Entosu e il territorio di Usini in età preistorica e protostorica , in MELIS M. G., a cura di, Usini. Ricostruire il passato. Una ricerca internazionale a S'Elighe Entosu , Sassari , Carlo Delfino ed. , 2010
  • MELIS M.G. , Note su un frammento di statuina neolitica della domus de janas III di S’Elighe Entosu , in MELIS M. G., a cura di, Usini. Ricostruire il passato. Una ricerca internazionale a S'Elighe Entosu , Sassari , Carlo Delfino ed. , 2010
  • MELIS M.G. , Le campagne di scavo 2006-2009 a S’Elighe Entosu. Risultati preliminari , in MELIS M. G., a cura di, Usini. Ricostruire il passato. Una ricerca internazionale a S'Elighe Entosu , Sassari , Carlo Delfino ed. , 2010
  • MELIS M.G. , La necropoli di S’Elighe Entosu: aspetti architettonici e topografici , in MELIS M. G., a cura di, Usini. Ricostruire il passato. Una ricerca internazionale a S'Elighe Entosu , Sassari , Carlo Delfino ed. , 2010
  • MELIS M.G. , Simbolismo e arte nei monumenti preistorici e protostorici del territorio di Usini , in MELIS M. G., a cura di, Usini. Ricostruire il passato. Una ricerca internazionale a S'Elighe Entosu , Sassari , Carlo Delfino ed. , 2010
  • MELIS M.G. , Il progetto S’Elighe Entosu , in MELIS M. G., a cura di, Usini. Ricostruire il passato. Una ricerca internazionale a S'Elighe Entosu , Sassari , Carlo Delfino ed. , 2010
  • MELIS M.G. , La dimensione simbolica e sociale della Sardegna preistorica attraverso le manifestazioni funerarie. Alcune osservazioni , in Sardinia, Corsica et Baleares antiqvae IX , 2011 , pp. 13-26
  • MELIS M.G. , Usini, necropoli di S’Elighe Entosu – Relazione di scavo 2011 , in FastiOnlineDocuments&Research (FOLD&R) 242 , 2011