The first information concerning the archaeological findings of the territory of Dorgali concerns a rectangular bronze tablet of the military diploma awarded to a Sardinian soldier called Tunila Caresius (figs. 1, 2) by Emperor Nerva (A.D. 96-98) on 10th October  96 A.D. This precious epigraphic document was found during the first half of the nineteenth century near the thermal water spring of Monte de Su Anzu or San Giovanni.

Fig. 1 - Front of the military diploma of Tunila (from https://museoarcheocagliari.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/diplomaext.jpg?w=370&h=).

Fig. 2 - Rear of the military diploma (from https://museoarcheocagliari.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/diploma.jpg?w=1000&h=).

Between the middle of the third century and the end of the second century B.C., the Roman conquest of central-eastern Sardinia, inhabited by Civitates Barbariae (the communities of Barbaria) which were predominantly pastoral with prehistoric legacies, was at first difficult. During Roman times, from the second century B.C. up until the fourth century A.D., life in Dorgali was still spent in 53 Nuraghic settlements, where rectangular plan materials and buildings replaced the original circular huts, exploiting however the building material. 24 new agglomerations were also built ex novo (isolated buildings, perhaps farms, but more often villages/settlements), distributed throughout the territory, big or small, variously structured, related to the trade and navigation routes along the east coast of Sardinia and characterised by an economy based on farming the land, sheep farming, exploiting springs and marine resources and on crafts. The settlements were mainly distributed near the Roman road (Iter a Portu Tibulas Karalis) which unwound along the east coast of Sardinia. Other sites have been identified at the two intersecting branches directed inland, towards the valley of Isalle and to inner Barbagia. Some large Roman settlements which overlay the Nuraghic villages, documented at Nuraghe Mannu (fig. 3) and Nuraghe Arvu (Fig. 4), were instead built near the coastline.

Fig. 3 - Nuraghe Mannu-Dorgali (from DELUSSU 2009, fig. 1, p. 1).

Fig. 4 - Nuraghe Arvu-Dorgali (from http://www.archeologia.beniculturali.it/index.php?it/142/scavi/scaviarcheologici_4e048966cfa3a/54).