Beaker culture in Sardinia

The Beaker culture in Sardinia appeared circa 2100 BC during the last phase of the Chalcolithic period. It initially coexisted with and then replaced the previous Monte Claro culture in Sardinia, developing until the ancient Bronze Age circa 1900–1800 BC. Then, the Beaker culture mixed with the related Bonnanaro culture, considered the first stage of the Nuragic civilization.

The European Beaker culture is characterized by the use of classic bell-shaped ceramics. The different styles and decorations of these ceramics allow the Sardinian Beaker culture to be split into three main chronological phases:

The various phases show the succession of two main components: the first "Franco-Iberian" (Catalonia and Southern France) and the second "central European" (throughout the Italian peninsula). Thus, it seems likely that the Beaker culture was brought to the island over a long period of time by different waves of immigrants from different regions of Europe. Sardinia was in turn the intermediary that brought Beaker materials to Sicily.

Beaker finds have been found at about seventy sites in Sardinia; they are concentrated mostly along the western coast of the island, from the Nurra region to Sulcis-Iglesiente, and in Campidano, with some outposts in the east, in Dorgali and in the Sarrabus.

Almost all Beaker finds are from burials (generally in pre-existing domus de janas, but also documented from individual burials within stone cists at Santa Vittoria-Nuraxinieddu near Oristano). The objects found include, besides the ceramics, the characteristic brassards (stone wrist-guards) to protect the forearms of archers, flint arrowheads and various ornaments including necklaces made of shells or tusks and buttons with a V-shaped perforation.

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