The Civic Archaeological Museum of Bonorva is in the middle of the old town, housed in a former Franciscan convent adjacent to the Church of Sant’Antonio (fig. 1).

Fig. 1 - The former convent building that houses the Museum (photo by M.G. Arru).

In four rooms and eight small rooms that were communicating with each other (fig. 2) there is an archaeological collection that is mainly made up of elements in stone (betyls, milestones, sepulchral stones and some stelae) recovered in the municipality of Bonorva starting in the 1950s to date.

Fig. 2 - The Museum interior with a reconstruction of the stone door from XVII century (photo by M.G. Arru).

The museum route follows a chronological order, the presence of man in the territory and enriches the rich heritage of items shown on information panels, that help to include each piece in the monumental context of origin.

Some of the most interesting findings must be the betyls of the giants tomb of Giolve and the milestones of Mura Ispuntones, Mura Menteda, Monte Cujaru and Riu Badu Pedrosu.

For the Nuragic phase (fig. 3) part of the architectural and structural elements of some single-tower nuraghi (Su Sambinzu, Tintinos, Pianu Edra, Giolve) and complex nuraghi (Abba, Puttos de Inza, Tresnuraghes, Portolu) are shown. The monolithic channels for the outflow of water come from Funtana Oghene that show the worship of water (fig. 4), while a bronze statue of a priestess comes from the spring in the grotto at Cantaru Addes.

Fig. 3 - The Nuragic room (photo by M.G. Arru).

Fig. 4 - The canals from Funtana Oghene (photo by M.G. Arru).

There are numerous items from the Roman Era, such as funeral stones (fig. 5), graves, mills and inscriptions (fig. 6) that lead to a number of settlements spread over the hills, plains and along rivers.

Fig. 5 - Decorated stelae coming from the tombs in Su Terranzu (foto di M.G. Arru).

Fig. 6 - Milestone coming from Mura Mentega (photo by M.G. Arru).

There is a true to scale reproduction of the pillar in one of the small rooms, decorated on one side by a low relief work and engravings on which a bull protome and spirals can be seen, present in the “Tomba delle spirali” (domus de janas no. 3) from the domus de janas necropolis at the so-called “Tenuta Mariani di Bonorva” (fig. 7).

Fig. 7 - Copy of bull protome from the “Tomba delle spirali”, “Tenuta Mariani” necropolis. (photo by M.G. Arru).