The Domus de Janas of Cheremule

Cheremule - In Cheremule, in Sardinia, there is a vast prehistoric necropolis that extends south of the town. There are tombs that date back to the Neolithic and others more recent, from the late Roman or medieval period. The most interesting are certainly the first, the so-called Domus de Janas. These are underground structures that were carved out of limestone, which is a very malleable rock.

Their arrangement is not homogeneous, probably because those who built them have adapted to the natural conformation of the place and above all of the rocks present. Some of these tombs are very simple, with a single environment. Others have a more complex structure. The most famous tomb is also the one to which we owe the name of the necropolis of Cheremule, called 'Park of the petroglyphs'. In the structure known as Tomba Branca there are in fact numerous engravings, which depict men and animals. Nobody can explain with certainty what those figures mean, but it is thought that they illustrate rituals related to the entombment of the dead.