Cyclopean walls emerged during the 4.2ka drought era. From Sardinia's Nuraghi towers to the Balearic Islands, this style spread from Portugal to Armenia by ~1600 BC 🏛️
Cyclopean Walls Emerged as Adaptive Response to 4.2ka Drought Across Mediterranean
Key facts
- Cyclopean walls were built without mortar to conserve firewood during the drought period
- Sardinia developed the oldest stone walls in Italy and experimented with cyclopean construction
- The Balearic Islands were settled for the first time by people who built spectacular cyclopean works
- Sardinia entered a monumental phase featuring Nuraghi towers and sacred wells dedicated to water cult
- Cyclopean wall construction spread from Portugal to Armenia by a few centuries after initial development
- The period 2200-1600 BC is termed the Middle Bronze Age or Cyclopean Age
- Bronze tool expansion occurred with tin traded across Europe including British Isles and Nordic countries
- Independent trading posts and networks accumulated unprecedented wealth during this period
- Cyclopean cultures practiced excarnation burial, avoided pottery production, and followed animistic religions
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