ROUGH STONE MONUMENTS 



a man, and, on the left, a winding staircase in 

 the wall (d) leading to an upper storey. The 

 passage itself leads into the chamber (a), which is 

 circular, often with two or three side-niches (b b), 

 and roofed by corbelling, i.e. by making each of 

 the upper courses of stones in its wall project 

 inwards over the last. The upper chamber, 

 which is rarely preserved, is similar in form to the 

 lower. 



Considerable speculation has been indulged 

 in concerning the purpose of the nuraghi. For 

 many years they were regarded as tombs, a view 

 which was first combated by Nissardi at the 

 International Congress in Rome in 1903. Further 

 exploration since that time has placed it beyond 

 all doubt that the nuraghi were fortified dwellings. 

 The form of the building itself is almost conclusive. 

 The lowness of the door would at once put an 

 enemy at a disadvantage in attempting to enter ; 

 it is significant that in the nuraghe of Su Cadalanu, 

 where the doorway was over 6 feet in height, its 

 breadth was so much reduced that it was necessary 

 to enter sideways. Arrangements were made 

 for the closing of the entrance from inside by a 

 heavy slab of stone, often fitted into grooves. 

 The niche on the right of the passage clearly 

 served to hold a man, who would command the 

 passage itself and the staircase to the upper floor ; 

 he would, moreover, be able to attack the un- 

 defended flank of an enemy entering with his 



S 4 



