In this presentation, Mattia Lauretti will outline key aspects of his ongoing PhD research project. His study focuses on the so-called “rural sanctuaries” of Sardinia during the Punic and Roman colonization of the island. Intriguingly, these sanctuaries were repurposed prehistoric structures known as nuraghi. Current scholarship often associates these sites with a Demeter cult; however, Mattia’s research seeks to situate the interpretation of these sanctuaries within a broader archaeological framework.

Specifically, he aims to examine the role and influence of Nuragic culture in the context of new colonial dynamics spanning the 4th–1st centuries BCE. By incorporating recent theoretical approaches to imperialism, Mattia’s work addresses questions of continuity, discontinuity, and cultural transformation in relation to these sanctuaries and their associated cultic practices. Through this lens, he hopes to provide a more nuanced understanding of the interplay between indigenous traditions and colonial systems in Sardinia during this transformative period.

Mattia Lauretti is a PhD student at Freie Universitaet Berlin in the Berlin Graduate School of Ancient Studies (BerGSAS) who is participating in IPAMAA this term.

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