An interesting piece of a bronze situla, i.e a container used for drawing water from the well or to transport liquids, was found on the terrace of Albucciu Nuraghe of Arzachena (figs. 1, 2).

The small fragment is decorated with plant motifs in sequence with a dense line drawing, in oriental style, dating from the Iron Age, and more precisely to the second half of the seventh century B.C. (figs. 3, 4).

Its manufacture is the result of the metallurgical progress achieved in the production of Nuraghic bronze pottery. Since it was found along with a small bronze statuette in a praying position, the vase to which it belonged must certainly have had a particular symbolic meaning, perhaps related to collective rituals.

The artefact is displayed in the Nuraghic hall of the National Museum G.A. Sanna of Sassari, among the finds from the monuments of Arzachena.

Fig. 1 - Nuraghe Albucciu, floor plan of the ground floor and of the upper floor (from ANTONA RUJU, FERRARESE CERUTI 1992, fig. 12, p. 40).

Fig. 2 - View from above of Nuraghe Albucciu (from ANTONA 2013, p. 97).

Fig. 3 - Nuraghe Albucciu: fragment of bronze situla (from ANTONA RUJU, FERRARESE CERUTI 1992, fig. 23, p. 54).

Fig. 4 - Detail of the bronze situla fragment (from ANTONA 2013, p. 103).