Two new boxer statues discovered at Mont'e Prama in Sardinia

Two new boxer statues, belonging to the Giants of Mont'e Prama group, have been unearthed in Sardinia. The discovery was made during an excavation campaign that began on April 4, 2022, at the Nuragic village in the Sinis area of Cabras. The statues are carved from a single block of gypsum sandstone, like the 38 other sculptures—archers, warriors, and boxers—found since 1974. The new finds were announced by the Italian Ministry of Culture on May 7, 2022. The excavation is led by the Soprintendenza archeologica di Cagliari e Oristano, with a multidisciplinary team including archaeologists Alessandro Usai (scientific director since 2014) and Maura Vargiu, anthropologist Francesca Candilio, restorer Georgia Toreno, and architect Elena Romoli. Superintendent Monica Stochino expressed satisfaction with the results. The research aims to investigate Nuragic and Punic-Roman burial phases and extend excavations southward to confirm the monumental layout, including a funerary road and the sculptural complex of statues, nuraghe models, and betyls. The site dates between the 13th and 9th centuries BCE, though debate continues.