The proto-historic site of Brunku S’Omu is situated in the territory of Villa Verde (OR), in central-southern Sardinia, on the eastern slope of Monte Arci, one of the most important obsidian mining centres in the Mediterranean. It may be suggested that the presence of this material, widely used in the Neolithic and Eneolithic periods on the island, favoured occupation in the area which continued into the historical period. The nuragic complex, which includes the remains of a nuraghe and a vast hut village, was excavated between 1982 and 2004 by Dr. Emerenziana Usai of the Archaeological Superintendency for Cagliari and Oristano. The excavations uncovered a large part of the village, identifying at least seventeen circular or sub-oval huts, most of which were excavated. In 2013, the University of Cagliari reopened the excavations, mainly concentrating on digging hut 16 situated in the north-eastern part of the village. A circular structure was uncovered standing to a maximum height of 3.12 m (section of the north wall) with an internal diameter at the base of 5.00/5.15 m. The walls were an average of 1.70 m wide. Unfortunately, the structures were not well-preserved due to the collapse of the summit and localised sagging caused by tree roots. The walls were built in more or less regular horizontal rows of rough-hewn basalt blocks. They presented a curve, in particular the better-preserved northern segment, that inclined noticeably into the room, suggesting the original roof to have been a false vault of stone slabs. A basalt paving of large slabs was identified in the southern part of the room. The top of one slab presented a basin with a carefully sculpted rim. The paving did not seem to be present in the northern part of the structure, but the excavation remains to be completed here. The excavation inside the hut revealed an interesting stratigraphy. The preliminary results show that the hut was used both for the preparation of food and probably for metal working activities. The finds, including necked vases with ‘reverse elbow’ handles and cooking cups, date the period of the hut’s use to the Final Bronze Age (1150-850 B.C.), which is coherent with the rest of the village.

The proto-historic site of Brunku S’omu is situated in the territory of Villa Verde (OR), in central-southern Sardinia, on the east side of Monte Arci. This research project involving excavations and survey began in 2013. During this second campaign, two structures were excavated: structure 16, begun in 2013, situated to the north of structure 1, and structure 18, north-east of hut 5. Students from the University of Cagliari and the Complutense University of Madrid participated in the excavations. In structure 16, partially investigated in 2013, a series of new levels were identified that constituted the hut’s occupation phases. These layers were removed down to natural, formed by large blocks mixed with reddish sterile soil. The hut floor, made up of patches of cobblestones and beaten earth was built over this making use of the tops of the natural boulders. There was a large sub-quadrangular niche in the north-eastern wall and a semi-circular niche in the west wall. The excavation of structure 16 was completed. The layers contained archaeological materials datable to the final phases of the Final Bronze Age. Excavation of the area outside hut 16 continued in the west and north sectors in order to expose the exterior facing of the hut and to check for the presence of a structure, not yet found, but probably existing immediately to its north. A new hut, 18, a few metres east of hut 16, was excavated. In this area, the removal of the surface layers of humus, leaves and small stones exposed the walls of a sub-quadrangular structure (4.70 x 4.40 m), with the entrance to the west. The hut was filled by a large collapse characterised by brown, loose, sterile soil. The collapse was uniform across the structure and contained large stones from the upper levels of the walls. The excavation was halted at -5.70 m where a layer of very compact earth was reached.

The excavations were undertaken with the collaboration of students from the Universities of Cagliari, Roma Tre and Granada, directed by Prof. Riccardo Cicilloni, assisted by Marco Cabras and Giacomo Paglietti. Work continued on several structures in the sector north-east of the excavations undertaken in past decades. The excavation of structure 18 was completed and work on structure 17 began. Structure 18 had a sub-rectangular plan with the entrance to the west, on the same axis as that of Hut 1. It faced onto a central space typical of coeval hut groups. On the north side of the hut there was a niche that had been blocked in antiquity using rough-hewn medium sized boulders. The WE axis measured 4.80 m, the SN axis 4.00 m. The maximum height of the surviving remains was2.60 m, the minimum height 0.85m. The walls were between 0.96 and 1.30 m wide. The entrance corridor had a maximum width of 1.20 m, was 1.64 m long and the maximum residual height was 1.80 m. The excavation of structure 17 (to be finished), revealed a large sub-circular room (SN axis 6.80 m; WE axis 5.40 m), with large facing niches on the NW/SE axis. The west niche had a small niche within it. Another small niche was situated in the wall facing the entrance, and another faced the east niche. A metal ingot and a fragment of lamina, presumably bronze, were found inside the latter. The excavations removed a substantial collapse of large and medium stones mixed with loose reddish-brown soil. A monolith was found close to the entrance, probably belonging to the architrave. The structure was probably situated centrally within a block and seemed to be positioned between two “arms” formed by abutting and adjacent huts to its southwest and southeast. To the southwest, hut 16 and hut 1 had entrances facing onto a central space free of structures. Structure 18 at the southern end of the block and another sector covered by collapses (to be excavated), were situated to the southeast. The entrance to hut 17 faced south. Excavation to the west of hut 17 and north of hut 16 revealed a curvilinear wall, about 13 m long, forming a link between the northwest wall of hut 16 and the north wall of hut 17. The evidence suggests this to have been a “block” of huts, of different types, arranged around a central space.

These excavations are undertaken by the University of Cagliari with collaboration from the universities of Granada (Spain) and Aarhus (Denmark). This campaign continued the investigation of the northern block in the village, with the excavation of hut 17, begun in 2015. This block appeared to be arranged around a sub-circular courtyard, on the sides of which there were at least four hut structures, already identified and excavated (1, la 16, 17 and 18) and others that were only just recognisable following removal of the surface layer. Hut 17, is a sub-circular hut (SN 6.80 m; WE 5.40 m) with large and small niches, and the entrance to the south. Some of the standing remains reached a height of over 2.5 m. The removal of the collapse was completed, which revealed a complex stratigraphy, with the remains (already compromised) of floors made of small stones. In the SW sector a natural rocky substrata was identified. There were two large niches in the back wall between which there was a stone bench 60 cm deep, partially created from the bedrock and in part using medium to small stones. This bench can be compared to an example in hut 5 of the same village. Immediately west of the entrance, there was a stone slab fixed transversely and abutting the wall: this element has also been documented in other huts in the village. The finds were numerous and varied: numerous Final Bronze Age ceramics, similar to those found in adjacent hut 16, some metal ingots, terracotta spindle whorls, bovine and deer bones. Of note, the discovery of a fragmentary quadrangular stone basin.

This season, the excavation of the interior of hut 17 was completed. This was a large sub-circular hut (SN 6.80 m; WE 5.40 m) with two large facing niches on the NW/SE axis and three small niches in the N and E wall and inside the W niche. On the east side of the hut, which was on the highest level of the entire village, the standing wall survives to the exceptional height of almost 4 m. The stratigraphy was formed by ashy layers with inclusions of loose stones and conglomerates of cobblestones, probably relating to the use of fire, and a chalk layer only present in some parts of the room. To the west of the entrance several stone slabs appeared to constitute a floor. AT the end of the excavation, the bedrock, exposed throughout, showed some interesting geological “cord-like” conformations. In the spaces in the natural rock had been filled with stones and sterile soil to level the surface for the creation of the floor. Excavation also took place south of the entrance where several collapses were removed and numerous marlstone and basalt slabs were found, the nature of which will be clarified by the coming campaigns. There were numerous interesting finds: the remains of deer antlers, mainly found close to the niches and the bench up against the north wall, good quality lithics and pottery and a large light grey impasto vase. _Sondages_ were opened in the area SE of hut 17, which revealed an external wall of a sub-circular structure apparently laterally abutting hut 17. this new structure will provide further data about the layout of the eastern part of the village’s northern sector.

During this campaign, excavation continued in the north block of the village, where in the past huts 1, 16, 17 and 18 were investigated. In particular, excavation took place in the NW sector situated between the exterior NE wall of hut 16 and the SW wall of hut 17. This space, denominated room 21, was delimited to the NW by a sub-circular wall that connected huts 16 and 17. The zone was completely covered by a substantial layer of collapse, excavation of which began in 2014 at a level of -0.30 m. The collapse was covered by a thin layer of humus. The collapse was characterised by the presence of loose reddish soil and large, medium, small stones, from the walls, beginning at -0.90 m, where the 2014 excavations halted. The collapse layer was excavated down to an average of -1.50 m where a new layer began to appear. The latter was characterised by light brown soil and slab-shaped stones that were smaller than those in the overlying collapse. This layer was excavated down to -1.70 m and work will be continued next season. There was little material in the two layers, mainly undiagnostic pottery, and obsidian flakes. However, a new stretch of wall linking the exteriors of hut 16 and 17 was uncovered on the SE side of the room. It had an opening at the centre, which formed the entrance to the room itself. Room 21, which has yet to be fully excavated, was therefore a hut structure with a sub-trapezoidal plan created between huts 16 and 17, which used both the external facings of these two huts and the two walls, the first curving (NW), the second sub-rectilinear (SE), which define the space of the room. The continuation of the excavations will clarify the plan, chronology, and function of this room.