Exactly halfway between the Giara di Gesturi, Mount Arci, the Grighine Forest and the Modighina Forest lies a place whose mysterious charm is carved deep into history — and, of course, into the very rock itself.
We are in the territory of the municipality of Senis, in the Upper Marmilla, a land teeming with sweeping volcanic hillscapes. All around these parts, you’ll find outcrops of trachyte — the porous volcanic stone so beloved by the island’s prehistoric peoples, who shaped it, chisel stroke after chisel stroke, into sacred places such as the legendary Domus de Janas (see the nearby and spectacular Necropolis of Genna Salixi).
In this case, however, the volcanic rock was not hollowed out from within, but rather engraved on its surface. The result is a pattern of grooves, basins, cup marks and drainage channels, giving the site the plausible appearance of an ancient olive-processing area and oil-production facility. Fascinating, isn’t it?
A genuine prehistoric olive press, frozen in time, standing just a stone’s throw from the Nuraghe Bidd’e Pedra (barely a few dozen metres away), alongside countless other Nuragic and pre-Nuragic traces scattered across the landscape — all testament to how prosperous this area once was.
The Bidd’e Pedra Engravings are a one-of-a-kind archaeological find, and whether you’re a budding Indiana Jones or simply a lover of history, you’ll find this ancient site utterly captivating.
