Protohistoric Landscapes in Sardinia (Italy): Territorial Control and Exploitation of Natural Resources in the Middle and Late Bronze Ages

During the Middle to Late Bronze Age (XVIII-XII centuries BC), Sardinia's Nuragic culture developed sophisticated territorial control systems, primarily through fortified structures like nuraghi—cyclopean towers—positioned strategically across the island. These monuments, analyzed via GIS techniques including least-cost path analysis, reveal a network designed to surveil and exploit key natural resources while controlling transit routes. The study demonstrates how these systems reflected growing social complexity, hierarchy, and potential militarization, with implications for understanding Protohistoric landscapes in the Western Mediterranean.

Cicilloni, R., Cabras, M., Porcedda, F., & Cámara Serrano, J. A. (2021). Protohistoric Landscapes in Sardinia (Italy): Territorial Control and Exploitation of Natural Resources in the Middle and Late Bronze Ages. Cuadernos de Prehistoria Y Arqueología de La Universidad de Granada, 31, 159–179. https://doi.org/10.30827/cpag.v31i0.15281