Nuraghi, menhirs and a Roman bronze tablet
Ogliastra is a layered land: the Nuragic civilisation, Phoenicians, Romans and medieval judges have all left traces everywhere. But here archaeology is not in museums — it's in wheat fields, along pastoral trails and in the caves where shepherds still shelter their flocks today among walls built 3,500 years ago.
The nuragic complex of S'Ortali 'e su Monti is one of the most complete on the eastern coast: a nuraghe, giants' tombs and domus de janas all in one site, just steps from the sea. An entire civilisation in a few hectares.
The site is freely accessible and often deserted. The late afternoon light is perfect for photography.
The Nuraghe Scerì of Ilbono is one of the best preserved in the area. But the real treasure is strolling through the old town centre during the traditional carnival — wooden masks and rites that hark directly back to the pre-Christian world.
Pranu Muttedu is the "Sardinian Stonehenge": 60 menhirs arranged in astronomical alignments dating back 4,500 years. It is the largest megalithic complex in Sardinia and one of the most important in the western Mediterranean.
Go at dawn or dusk: the menhirs cast long shadows and the site is deserted. A mystical experience.
The Tavola di Esterzili (69 AD) is one of the most important Roman epigraphic documents found in Sardinia. Engraved on bronze, it resolves a territorial dispute between shepherds and farmers — an issue that remains relevant in this land.
The original is at the Archaeological Museum in Cagliari, but Esterzili has a reproduction and a small museum that contextualises the discovery.