The Truncu Reale Necropolis 0 Comments

By Daniela Toti

Who would have imagined that beneath an industrial area of Sassari, hidden under meters of fill and concrete, a 5,000-year-old necropolis lay sleeping?

Yet this is exactly what happened at Truncu Reale-Sant'Agostino, just a few kilometers from the city and only a short drive from the famous prehistoric altar and ziggurat of Monte D'Accoddi.

The discovery was made in 2024 during preventive archaeological monitoring. While work was underway on a photovoltaic plant, someone was also keeping an eye on what lay beneath the ground.

The necropolis consists of several Domus De Janas, the famous "Fairies' Houses" carved into the rock between the Late Neolithic and the Copper Age. Archaeologists have identified at least four distinct sectors, designated A, B, C, and D, suggesting that the funerary complex may be far larger than currently known.

What makes the site exceptional is not only its size but also the remarkable state of preservation of the tombs and the presence of decorative elements never before documented in Sardinian archaeology.

Among the tombs discovered, the most striking is probably the so-called Tomb of the Decorated Doorways. The main chamber features five carved doorways adorned with complex symbolic motifs. According to researchers, some of these decorations have no parallels among the known Domus de Janas of Sardinia. Engraved zigzags, architectural patterns, and sculpted symbols reveal a ritual language that remains largely undeciphered.

Even more fascinating is the Golden Tomb, named after the vivid yellow ochre that still covers part of its main chamber. After five thousand years, the color remains surprisingly visible. The ceiling reproduces architectural elements of the houses of the living, with beams and structural details carved directly into the rock. On the entrance doorway appear horn-shaped motifs and symbols, probably connected to fertility and regeneration cults.

Truncu Reale lies within one of the richest archaeological landscapes on the island, along ancient routes that were frequented for millennia and close to Monte d'Accoddi, the only prehistoric monument in the western Mediterranean whose structure can be compared to a Mesopotamian ziggurat. Nearby are several other important burial complexes, including the Necropolis Of Su Crucifissu Mannu.

In 2025, the Italian Ministry of Culture officially declared the necropolis a site of cultural interest, ensuring its legal protection. Meanwhile, delicate restoration and conservation work is underway to preserve the paintings and carved decorations. The site will be ready to be visited by 2026.

The story of Truncu Reale teaches us something important. While the modern world was seeking energy from the sun through a photovoltaic installation, the underground returned another form of energy: memory. 

These monumental tombs remind us that, for the communities who lived here five thousand years ago, the relationship between life and death was far too important to be entrusted to oblivion.

And perhaps that is the true fascination of Sardinia: every stone can still tell a story that no one knew had been forgotten.

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Discover the Truncu Reale Necropolis in Sassari: the Golden Tomb, the Tomb of the Decorated Doorways, and the extraordinary archaeological discovery brought to light during work on a photovoltaic plant.