The temenos
The temple is enclosed inside a large temenos, i.e. a sub-elliptical perimeter, with a bench built at the base of the perimeter wall that showed the boundary of the sacred area, as worshippers were not allowed to enter the inside of the temple (fig. 1).
This open space incorporates one of the huts within it that are part of the oldest building phase of the site. Inside, to the west, was a circular service building with a trapezoid-shape entrance, used as the custodian’s home, and as a storeroom for votive materials brought by worshippers during religious events, that can be defined as a multi-use structure for the temple’s use (fig. 2).
Bases for offers, still found on the two sides of the entrance, held the remains of votive swords fixed by molten lead (fig. 3)
Bibliografia
- CAMPUS F., Villagrande Strisaili. Il complesso cultuale di S’Arcu’e Is Forros, in CAMPUS F., LEONELLI V. (a cura di), Simbolo di un simbolo. I modelli di un nuraghe, Catalogo mostra, Monteriggioni 2012, pp. 234-239.
- FADDA M.A., Antichi sardi purificati, in Archeologia Viva, 57, Firenze 1995, pp. 78-83.
- FADDA M.A., Antichi sardi purificati. Atto secondo, in Archeologia Viva, Firenze gennaio 2011.
- FADDA M.A., Il villaggio santuario di S'Arcu 'e Is Forros, Sardegna archeologica. Guide e itinerari , 48, Sassari 2012.
- FADDA M.A., S’Arcu’e Is Forros: Nuragici, Filistei e Fenici fra i monti della Sardegna, in Archeologia Viva, 155, XXXI, Firenze 2012, pp. 46-57.
- FADDA M.A., Villagrande Strisaili. Il santuario nuragico di S'Arcu 'e Is Forros e le insulae degli artigiani fusori, in Nel segno dell’acqua. Santuari e bronzi votivi della Sardegna nuragica, Sassari 2014, pp. 199-227.
- NIEDDU C., Complesso archeologico di S'Arcu 'e is Forros, in C. Nieddu (a cura di), Siti archeologici d'Ogliastra, Tortolì 2006, pp. 64-65.
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