The Nuragic civilisation of Sardinia is generally unknown. And yet, it is one of the most mysterious cultures in the Bronze Age. And what about its role in piracy in the Bronze Age?
When one thinks of piracy, we often think of swashbuckling adventures out of a Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Or maybe the hardy and rugged Vikings of Scandinavia. But in fact, we are talking about Sardinia.
But the question is how did a civilisation once teaming with traders, seafarers, and builders of strange and sophisticated sacred wells and strange structures known as nuraghe turn into pirates that would haunt the great nations of the eastern Mediterranean?
First, let us look at the Nuragic people’s culture.
Nuragic Civilisation: Traders, Not Raiders
Emerging into the light of civilisation in 1800 BC and ending around 238 BC, the Nuragic culture was thriving on the island of Sardinia, thanks to its maritime prowess, allowing it to trade with distant lands in the Mediterranean.
Before they voyaged piracy, they were traders and artisans trading in metals, pottery, and other goods. Their reach extended to Italy, Southern France, Spain, Sicily and North Africa. And even had contacts with the Mycenaean Greeks.
Needless to say, the Nuragic people were skilful seafarers.
Nuragic Civilisation: Religion
We don’t think of wells when we think of complex and sophisticated building projects. And yet, spread across Sardinia were complex and well-built wells that were dotted all over Sardinia. Partially dug underground and partially exposed at the top half. It is strange just how much effort was put into building these wells. They were built using large, finely cut stones arranged in a cylindrical or conical shape with great precision.
However, these wells were not just a source of water but also served a religious purpose.
These three images show one well called the Holy Well of Santa Cristina.
The Santa Cristina well is built so that at the equinoxes, the sun would shine down into the well, illuminating and filling the area with light. An event that would probably be religiously significant to the Nuragic people. The roof of the Santa Cristina well has a strange upside-down staircase look.
Scholars believe that water had a spiritual meaning to these ancient people. And there may have been purification rituals that took place. Or that people would gather around for a religious occasion.
Several pools built by the Nuragic people might also play a part in the purification rituals. Both a spiritual and physical purification. The water to fill the pools would have come from rainwater or natural springs.
I have not heard about it anywhere else, so this is just my opinion. But I wonder if the Nuragic people saw water as sacred because of their fondness and reliance on seafaring—just a thought.
The Nuragic Architecture
But aside from traders and building sophisticated and religiously important wells, another iconic part of this culture was the Nuraghe—ancient stone structures of Sardinia featuring a tower or towers. Some were simple structures with one tower about 5-10 meters high. But they became more complex, often featuring more than one room, multiple towers reaching up to 20 meters, and stone walls built around them.
Purpose of The Nuraghe
No one is sure what the purpose of these structures is. The theories for their construction include religious temples, defensive structures, meeting halls, places for leaders, lookout points for the sea and land, or all of the above.
Types of Nuraghe
Protoburaghe: There are many types of Nuraghe. The earliest type is protonuraghe, the most archaic type built between 1700 and 1500 BC. The proto-nuraghe, or “corridor nuraghe”, has small, narrow corridors.
Single-Tower Nuraghe: The next type is the most common. The single tower has a truncated cone shape and contains one or more chambers. And then a corridor leading to the roof.
It is hard to believe anyone would use the smaller types of nuraghe as a living space. They may have had timber structures built on top, and considering they are often built beside villages, it is thought they could be watch towers.
Tancadu Nuraghe: This type of nuraghe is the next step in nuraghe building. These types of nuraghe have more than one tower and have a wall connecting the two or three towers.
Polylobed Nuraghe: These are the least common type of nuraghe. They consisted of multiple towers and were surrounded by walls. They almost look like small castles from the medieval period.
The bigger tancadu Nuraghe and the polylobed Nuraghe, on the other hand, might have had permanent residents due to their size. And certainly, the Polylobed Nuraghe would have been a living space.
Nuraghe Arrubiu was the biggest Nuraghe, built between 1500 and 1401 BC. The main structure has five towers, two walls, and a drainage system, all covering an area of 3000 square meters.
Villages
Remains of villages around the Nuraghe have also been found. I think the larger nuraghe are made for the chiefs and his family. They might have let the villagers in when the village came under attack, thus also serving a defensive purpose.
Meanwhile, the regular people lived in simpler stone roundhouses with straw roofs. These structures became more complex, with multiple rooms over the early Bronze Age and Iron Age. Just as the Nurage grew and became more complex, so did the average home of the villagers.
Nuragic Warrior Culture
Ahhhhhh, more blood for the blood god!
The Nuragic warriors formed a prominent part of Nuragic culture. This is evident by the number of bronze statues portraying Nuragic warriors with various weapons and equipment.
While much remains veiled in mystery due to the absence of written records, archaeological excavations across Sardinia have uncovered artefacts, weapons, and burial sites, shedding light on the Nuragic warrior culture.
Elaborate bronze swords, intricate horned helmets, and the impressive scale of the “Giant’s Graves” – monumental collective tombs – hint at the significance of these warriors in Nuragic society. These members of the Nuragic civilisation would play a pivotal role in piracy in the Bronze Age
Equipment:
- Armour: Nuragic armour and helmets use natural materials such as leather. But bronze metal would also be used in the armour. As you can see from the images of warriors, most warriors have horns on their helmets. The horns may have had a cultural aspect, but it is unknown. Also, almost all statues and representations of Nuragic warriors have armour and very similar-looking armour. I am only guessing, but I wonder if a military uniform existed for their warriors. Or perhaps only a type of warrior.
- Shields: Nuragic warriors use round shields that use wood and are enforced with bronze fittings. Unlike many shields used by the Mycenaean warriors, Nuragic shields were smaller and more portable. However, larger, more rectangular shields are also present.
- Weapons: Besides having armour, they have various weapons, such as daggers, swords, spears, and axes. Many depictions of warriors also show them as archers.
Again, the lighter leather armour and helmets, smaller shields, and the weapons mainly focused on close combat (swords and daggers), and the wide representation of archers makes me wonder if these people preferred warfare focused on speed and shock.
Piracy
There are many reasons why the Nuragic civilisation would turn to piracy in the Bronze Age.
- Geographical Location: Sardinia’s strategic position in the Mediterranean Sea made it an essential hub for maritime trade routes. With access to the sea, the Nuragic people might have resorted to piracy due to their advantageous location for intercepting trade ships passing through those routes.
- Economic Motivations: The scarcity of resources or disruptions in local trade might have led some Nuragic communities to resort to piracy to acquire goods, resources, or wealth.
- Conflict and Competition: Rivalries or conflicts with neighbouring civilisations or city-states in the Mediterranean could have instigated Nuragic involvement in piracy as a form of retaliation or competition for dominance in trade.
- Technological Advancements: The Nuragic people were skilled in maritime activities and possessed advanced shipbuilding techniques. Their proficiency in navigating the seas and constructing sturdy vessels might have facilitated their engagement in piracy.
- Cultural and Social Factors: There might have been cultural or social factors within Nuragic society that glorified maritime activities, including piracy, viewing it as a means of demonstrating valour or prowess. While not particularly warlike, they still held warriors in high regard, as proven by their widespread depiction in Nuragic art.
- Political Instability: Political instability or breakdown in centralised authority might have led to lawlessness, encouraging some groups to resort to piracy for survival or power. Of course, instability was occurring all over the Mediterranean, so they should have also taken advantage of that.
The short of it is because they could. And they were damn good at it.
Sherden The Nuragic Warriors Turn to Piracy In The Bronze Age
An inscription by Ramesses II on a stele from Tanis:
“The unruly Sherden whom no one had ever known how to combat, they came boldly sailing in their warships from the midst of the sea, none being able to withstand them.”
There is a hypothesis that the Sherden mentioned as one of the sea peoples are the Nuragics of Sardinia.
One of the most compelling reasons is the Egyptian art left by the Sherden warriors.
But simultaneously, after Ramses II defeated them, he made them his guard. Again, this would show the strong martial prowess of the Nuragic people.
The Egyptians had great respect for and valued these Sherden Nuragic warriors.
However, it is unlikely that the Bronze Age Nuragic civilisation just turned to piracy. Many people see the whole Nuragic civilisation as going rogue and destroying cities.
The Nuragic Civilisation Holds On
Even after the collapse of the Bronze Age, which, by the way, did not seem to affect Sardinia much, unsuccessful attempts by the Carthaginians to set up colonies ended in political outrage in Carthage. Finally, they could take the coastal areas of Sardinia, but the interior remained heavily under the influence of the Nuragic people. Even when the Romans ruled it to the imperial age, the Greek historian Strabo mentions certain aspects of Sardinian culture that remained.
There are plenty of reconstructions of Nuragic villages and warriors on the internet that I would check out if you have the time.
Although this civilisation is not well known, anyone who loves mysterious and strange cultures should look into this more thoroughly. I find this culture one of my favourites. I never even thought about Sardinia that much, but after reading its history, I constantly look back on YouTube for more videos.
Meanwhile, I would recommend the video by YouTuber Dan Davis, who introduced me to this culture.
There are many other videos out there, so look them up if you are as interested as I was in the Nuragic civilisation.