"Sardinia's first megaliths rise in concentric circles from the Gallura granite"
Necropoli di Li Muri
Alzachèna/Arzachena, Sardinia, Italy
On granite landscape near Arzachena, five stone cists surrounded by concentric circles mark the earliest megalithic expression in Sardinia. Li Muri, built in the first half of the 4th millennium BCE, gave its name to the 'culture of the megalithic circles'—a tradition that connected Neolithic Gallura to contemporary sites in Corsica, Provence, and the Pyrenees. Red ochre on the stones speaks of regeneration rituals; grave goods suggest Mediterranean-wide trade networks.
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Quick Facts
Location
Alzachèna/Arzachena, Sardinia, Italy
Tradition
Site Type
Coordinates
41.0811, 9.3875
Last Updated
Jan 31, 2026
Learn More
First megalithic expression in Sardinia. Built first half 4th millennium BCE (Arzachena culture). Individual burials with concentric circles. Red ochre rituals. Mediterranean connections. Discovered 1939.
Origin Story
In the first half of the fourth millennium BCE, Neolithic communities in what is now Gallura created something new in Sardinian prehistory. They built stone circles—concentric rings surrounding cists that held individual burials. Li Muri became the first megalithic expression in Sardinia, establishing patterns that would continue for millennia. The builders used local granite but participated in Mediterranean-wide networks, as grave goods connected to Corsica, Provence, and Crete demonstrate. Red ochre applied to burial elements spoke of regeneration beliefs. When discovered in 1939, Li Muri gave its name to the 'Arzachena culture' or 'culture of the megalithic circles.'
Key Figures
Michele Ruzittu
Salvatore Puglisi
Spiritual Lineage
Built by Arzachena/megalithic circles culture of Neolithic Sardinia. Connected to contemporary sites in Corsica, Provence, Pyrenees. No descendant tradition preserves original practices.
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