The oldest stone statues of the western Mediterranean
In March 1974, two farmers ploughing a field at Mont'e Prama, in the Sinis near Cabras, struck a large carved stone: it was the head of a statue. The excavations that followed brought to light thousands of fragments of large limestone statues, about two metres high, representing warriors, archers and boxers, together with models of nuraghi and sacred stones, which had been deliberately broken and buried over a necropolis of the nuragic period. Restored and reassembled over many years, they are known as the Giants of Mont'e Prama.
Dating back to between the tenth and eighth centuries BC, they are considered the oldest anthropomorphic statues of the western Mediterranean, older than the Greek kouroi. Their large, round, staring eyes made of concentric circles, their geometric faces and their weapons and shields give them an impressive, almost modern appearance, and they probably represented heroic ancestors or champions guarding the tombs. Many of the reassembled giants are displayed in the Civic Museum Giovanni Marongiu of Cabras, which has been expanded for them, while others are in the National Archaeological Museum of Cagliari. Excavations at Mont'e Prama are still continuing, and new statues have been found in recent years.
Tip: the Cabras museum also displays finds from Tharros and the underwater archaeology of the Sinis; the excavation area can sometimes be visited with a guide.
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