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REALY EASY STAR / TONI SPAGONE / ALAMY

WARRIOR CULTURE. A chance discovery in 1974 brought to light a series of monumental statues at the site of Mont’e Prama in western Sardinia. Erected atop an ancient burial ground, the statues, some of which stand close to 7 feet tall, depict various types of armed figures. One restored warrior statue wore a vertically banded breastplate over a fringed tunic along with a crested helmet that once featured two protruding horns. He also carried the distinctive round shield of Shardanu warriors (above) and, though no longer preserved, a longsword once rested on his shoulder. Dating to the last few centuries of Sardinia’s Nuragic period (c. 1700–700 BCE), the statues likely represented heroic ancestors or the enduring values of a warrior society.