New Prehistoric “Fairy Houses” Discovered in Sardinia Reveal Ancient Burial Secrets!
In a fascinating new discovery, archaeologists have uncovered three previously unknown domus de janas, or “fairy houses”, at the Sant’Andrea Priu archaeological site in Bonorva, Sardinia.
These ancient rock-carved tombs, officially recorded as Tombs XVIII, XIX, and XX, raise the total number of known burial chambers at the site to twenty. This remarkable find offers fresh insights into Neolithic burial traditions and the lives of prehistoric communities in the Meilogu region.
Photo Credit: Regional Secretariat of the Ministry of Culture for Sardinia
The discovery was made during a wider excavation and conservation project led by the Ministry of Culture for Sardinia. Interestingly, the three newly found tombs are arranged in a dramatic fan shape, radiating outwards from the already-excavated Tomb XIII, also known as the “Tomb of the Hearth.”
Set near a distinctive rock formation called the “Campanile” or “Toro,” which dominates the surrounding landscape, the location further suggests that ancient people may have selected their burial sites based on both the natural landscape and symbolic meaning.
Each of the newly discovered tombs has its own architectural identity and artefacts:
Photo Credit: Regional Secretariat of the Ministry of Culture for Sardinia
Tomb XVIII was the first to be found. It features a sharply cut entrance corridor (known as a dromos) leading into a square chamber with a carved hearth at its centre. The hearth, with a depression in the middle, likely symbolised the importance of home and family life, even in death. From this chamber, the layout extends into a larger rectangular room and a third, smaller space off to the side. Among the finds here were stone pickaxes, a greenstone axe, a spindle whorl, and fragments of obsidian.
Tomb XIX is more compact but no less significant. It begins with a small external area and leads into a rectangular chamber, which in turn opens into a rounded niche. This tomb contained pieces of obsidian and pottery, including a small ritual vase, perhaps used in ceremonies or offerings.
Tomb XX is the most elaborate, made up of seven separate chambers connected to a central entrance room. One chamber still bears the remains of a painted decorative band, offering a rare glimpse of ancient artistry. Nicknamed “The Tomb of the Roman Vases,” it held over 30 intact ceramic pieces from the Roman era, including pitchers, oil lamps, and plates. This remarkable find shows that the tomb continued to be used long after the Neolithic period, well into the Roman Empire, highlighting a long-lasting cultural continuity at the site.
All artefacts from the three tombs have now been transferred to the Restoration and Conservation Centre in Li Punti for careful analysis and preservation.
Meanwhile, excavation continues in the lower parts of the site, where remains of Roman and early medieval settlements suggest that this location held spiritual and cultural significance across many centuries. The Sant’Andrea Priu site continues to reveal its secrets, each discovery deepening our understanding of the people who lived and died there thousands of years ago.