All Along the Watchtower: Visibility Analysis on Bronze Age Sardinian Megalithic Landscapes

Abstract

In the present paper, the authors present the results of a GIS based analysis on the relationship between Sardinian nuraghi, megalithic dry stone buildings that represent the most common typology of monuments during the 2 ^nd and the first centuries of the 1^st millennium BC, and their landscape in terms of visibility. The adopted methodology focus on the total viewshed concept, as a basic metric to assess visual properties. Four different Sardinian subregions (Sinis, Siniscola, Marmilla, Dorgali) and their nuraghi have been considered into the analysis, representing a significant – albeit partial – sample of the variability in locational choices found across the island. Results highlight a widespread interested in visibility from and to nuraghi, with the exception of the Sinis Peninsula, where nuraghi do not seem to act as landmarks. Moreover, no significant differences in visibility have been found between simple and complex nuraghi, while visibility data for nuraccheddus (generally considered to be unfinished nuraghi towers) seems to be compatible with a marginal landscape-level role.

Keywords: Geographical Information Systems, Visibility Analysis, Nuragic Sardinia, Nuraghe