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ASKOS

It's impossible to talk about the history of Sardinian wine without mention the ancient Askos.

The Askoid jugs, dated between Bronze and Iron age (11th - 13th century bC) and found in many nuragic sites all over Sardinia, were originally used as containers for wines and oil; there are many kinds, from the beak ones, with the globular base, dognught shaped, made in ceramic or bronze, those shapes in relatively newer times were adopted by the villanovan and etruscan culture.

Recent archaeological investigation attribute Sardinian origin to some askoids jugs found in Knossos (Crete), Cadiz (Spain) and Chartage (Africa).

These original and priceless jugs are a testimony of what the unique nuragic civilization was able to create in his millennial history, and also how important wine was for our ancestors.

 

Legend has it that Dionysus, protector of wine, was abducted by ancient Sardinians in order to exploit his services.

That's what looks like from a 4th century b.C. ceramic, who according the Hesiod's Theogony (history and genealogy of greek gods), represent precisely the Thyrrenyan pirats also known as "thirsenoi" (that means builder of towers - Nuraghes), while abducting and binding the God to the mast of the ship, whom turned the mast into a vine plant from which hang grapes and branches.

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