A few kilometers from the town of Goni, along the provincial road to Cagliari-just half an hour’s drive from the capital city-you can admire the park of Pranu Muttedu, which represents one of the most striking archaeological sites in inland Sardinia. The area of the park is divided into two parts, with a total extension of about 20 hectares, is affected by one of the most important monumental compendiums of Sardinian prehistory. Excavations, carried out in the early 1980s, brought to light numerous artifacts of different types and workmanship, referable to settled communities of the “Ozieri” culture dating back to the Recent Neolithic (3200 – 2800 B.C.). The presence of numerous tombs and menhirs suggests that the site was used for burial and religious rites related to ancestor worship. The complex has the highest concentration of menhirs known in Sardinia (about sixty, variously distributed in pairs, alignments or groups). The entire monumental complex stands on an area thickly covered with centuries-old oaks and other typical Mediterranean maquis. The combination of such a rich and rare monumental heritage with the woodland and environmental heritage, the variety of colors and scents of the numerous essences in perpetual bloom give the site original and particularly striking features. Reception in the Archaeological Park is provided by a local
refreshment room adjoining an exhibition hall.
