Geomorphological evidences, landscape evolution and pre-roman settlements in the Monte Acuto Discrict (Northern Sardinia, Italy): A Rewiew

The paper focuses on relationship between landscape characteristics and social and economic factors of the pre-Roman peopling in the Monte Acuto discrict (northern Sardinia,Italy). The discrict is geologically quite complex and schematically made up of a recently infilled plain (the Chilivani plain) that during the Plio-Pleistocene tectonic phases covered the ancient Oligo-Miocene structures. The tectonic plain is bordered by shoulders made up of Paleozoic basement. The distribution of the pre-Nuragic to Nuragic sites show a clear relationship with lithological and geomorphological features, as well as with the resources of the territory that enable us to understand the settlement scheme and assume a megalithic defence system here interpreted as a possible border zone between different peoples. Despite of the commonly observed distribution of the pre-Nuragic sites in the whole of Sardinia, in the investigated district, they are preferentially distributed on hilltops, preferentially located at low altitude on calcareous areas of Miocene age. Surprisingly, pre-Nuragic settlement are lacking on the fluvial deposits of Pleistocene age (here localized at an altitude in the range of 100-200 m).