Altare prenuragico di Monte d’Accoddi

The prenuragic altar of Monte d'Accoddi , which rises in a flat area not far from the sea,  is a unique monument not only in Sardinia but in the whole of the western Mediterranean area. Today it appears as an imposing structure, reminiscent of the ziqqurat of Mesopotamia (3rd millennium B.C.), originally shaped like a truncated pyramid with a long access ramp.The altar was built over a pre-existing structure, the so-called "Red Temple" which has  a rectangular sacellum plastered and painted in red ochre on the top of the terrace. Its floor and part of the perimeter wall are still visible. This  structure was built during the late phase of the Ozieri culture (3000 B.C.); it was superimposed upon a pre-existing village, connected to a sacred megalithic area dating back to the second half of the 4th millennium  B.C..   After the destruction of the building, possibly due to fire, a new structure was built around 2800 B.C., which is what we see today. The second temple, characterised by a stepped profile, is surrounded by a wide village; of particular note here is the "Sorcerer's Hut".As to its significance, the monument is to be considered a "hight place", where perhaps the prenuragic communities would meet to perform rituals associated with fertility.  The building had a religious function over the centuries until it was abandoned, as testified by the finding of a child's burial, which has been attributed to the Bonnanaro culture (1800 B.C.). Partially accessible to disabled people.