Monte d'Accoddi Walking Tour | Exploring Sardinia's Ancient Ziggurat
Join us as we explore Monte d'Accoddi, an extraordinary archaeological site in Sardinia, dating back to around 4300 BC. Once home to villages of the Ozieri culture, this sacred place was a center for ritual and religious practices, leaving a powerful legacy.
See other Sardinian Historical and Nuragic Sites here: • Nuragic Civilization
The Stele
Monte d'Accoddi features two anthropomorphic steles. These stone carvings, depicting human figures, hold deep religious significance. The First Stele was found in the debris of the second altar, featuring spirals possibly representing divine cycles. The Second Stele, a replica on-site (with the original in Museo Sanna, Sassari), is a relief of a female figure with exaggerated breasts, symbolizing fertility and divinity.
The Omphalos
The Omphalos, a large semi-spherical stone, represents a sacred center or "navel" of the world. Its texture, created by small hammer-like tools, suggests it held religious importance, possibly as a sun symbol or divine presence. Positioned near the altar, it was a central element in rituals connecting earth and heaven.
The Menhir
The Menhir is a 4.5-meter tall, six-ton standing stone, predating the altar and dating back to the Ozieri culture. Often representing divinity or male power, it was found lying down with evidence of rituals, including burnt stones and animal bones, suggesting it played a role in sacrificial offerings. Nearby sandstone and limestone Menhirs represent male and female divinities, underscoring the site’s spiritual importance in fertility rituals.
The Altar: A Sacred Platform
The altar is Monte d'Accoddi’s most iconic feature, resembling a Mesopotamian ziggurat. It consists of a large rectangular platform with a long ramp, originally used for religious ceremonies and sacrifices.
Phase I: The Red Temple (3020-2860 BC)
The first altar, known as the Red Temple, was a five-meter-high platform with red-painted walls and floors, symbolizing vitality and divine connection. Rituals here likely included sacrificial offerings. A large slab, still in place, was used for these offerings, and a natural drain beneath it channeled fluids into a subterranean cavity, symbolizing the earth’s connection to the divine.
Phase II: Reinforcement and Expansion (2590 BC)
After a fire, the altar was expanded with large stone blocks, encapsulating the earlier structure. The new design included a taller platform and reinforced ramp, marking its significance for ceremonies during the Copper Age. Despite later collapses, the altar remained a site of ritual until its abandonment around 1800 BC.
Religious and Ceremonial Use
The altar likely hosted communal sacrifices and offerings to ensure fertility and prosperity. Animal bones and pottery found around the site suggest frequent feasts, possibly tied to agricultural cycles. The site was a center for worship and ceremonial meals, with its design emphasizing a connection to divine forces.
A Monument to the Divine
Monte d'Accoddi’s design parallels the Mesopotamian ziggurats, symbolizing an ascent toward the gods. Rituals performed at its height would have been visible to all, reinforcing its sacred status. The altar remained active until it was abandoned in the Bronze Age, when a child’s burial marked its final days of use.
Modern Restoration and Legacy
Restoration in the 1980s, including the reconstruction of the steps, allows visitors to experience the grandeur of this sacred site. Irregularities in its geometry and restoration findings point to a more complex design than initially thought. The connection between Monte d'Accoddi and other Mediterranean cultures, particularly Mesopotamia, continues to fascinate scholars.
Monte d'Accoddi remains a testament to the spiritual and ritual practices of Sardinia’s ancient inhabitants, offering a unique glimpse into their beliefs and connection to the divine.
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