The two main steps.
1. From X to VI century B.C. (early Iron Age), the first step is contemporary to the Phoenician and Carthaginian conquest. It’s called Middle Nuraghic culture or hypogean culture. It’s a period of great magnificence for the Nuraghic culture, thanks to material and intellectual trades.
2. From VI to II century B.C. (late Iron Age), the second step is contemporary to the Carthaginian domain and to the political Roman settlement in the island. It’s called Last Nuraghic culture. This period’s end is due to the Sardinians’ strong resistance.

Features.
The Nuraghic culture is not classic but “impulsive”, avoiding the perfection and the finished, favouring the lack of harmony and equilibrium, the rough improvisation. The villages have no peculiar planning elements. They’re a sort of blocks (up to six in Serra Orrios) irregularly spread, underling a temporary community, not really felt but accepted only for need not for a common interest.
This sort of “building insularity” is the result of a strong individualist philosophy of the Nuraghic families and clans. In such a cultural context the most common buildings are the following:
• The Nuraghe
• The Giants’ cave (tomba dei giganti)
• The temples with well (templi a pozzo).

The patriarchy.
This patriarchal society was born from this population of shepherds and warriors. The chief was the “pater”: the father for blood and birth. During the Nuraghic Age the matriarchal society of First Metal Age almost disappears.
The Nuraghic patriarchy is organised by tribes, clans and families, all governed by the patriarch.

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In depht
Il periodo del massimo splendore
La fine della civiltà nuragica