Strategic Symbolism: Miniature Nuraghi of Sardinia

Abstract

From Sardinia's later Nuragic period, there are found miniature stone and bronze representations of the nuraghi, the island's distinctive stone towers. These distinguish themselves from the building models of the eastern Mediterranean, in that they are not found in habitations as foundation offerings, nor are they from mortuary contexts, but rather from ritual sites. Traditionally, these models have been amassed into a single archaeological category, and then read as evidence of a shift in ritual practices reflecting broader social changes. This paper closely examines the individual models and the category as a whole and suggests that rather than being an expression of ideological uniformity in the period, differences among the models may correspond to conflicts within society.