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The archaeological park
of Selene, situated
inside an enchanting wood,
consists of a nuraghe (of
which only the base remains)
surrounded by about 200 huts
that formed the village, and
2 giants’ tombs located
about 500 m away. The
village is being excavated
at present.
Both of the tombs were
constructed in blocks of
local granite. The smaller
one dates back to the XV
century B.C., it has an
exedra façade consisting of
slabs embedded vertically
into the ground, originally
it had a central stele with
a small doorway at the base,
unfortunately no longer
visible. The rest of the
construction is in stone
courses forming a
rectangular chamber where
the dead were buried. The
second tomb (XIV century
B.C.) is built in block
courses, more characteristic
of the Nuraghic Age. In the
area in front of the tomb
are 3 particular stones with
holes in them called “conci
a cappelle”, they were moved
to their present position
some time in history, but
originally they would have
been at the entrance of the
tomb, preventing access to
the sepulchral chamber. In
the 3 holes, according to
archaeologists, small betyls
were inserted during
religious rites, which in
the Nuraghic Age symbolised
the divinity of fertility.
The stones that form the
exedra are square, set very
regularly and the funeral
chamber still has its paved
floor of granite slabs.
The Selene wood is a
beautiful evergreen oak
woodland easily visited
along its many pathways
either on foot or by bike.
There are also chestnut
trees, poplars and many
species of Mediterranean
bush, from holly to heather,
from strawberry trees to
different varieties of
rock-rose and broom The
foxglove (digitalis purpurea)
with its pretty purple
flowers also grows here, in
the past it was used as a
heart-stimulant, but now it
is a protected species. |
