A journey into one of the most enigmatic periods in the history of the Mediterranean, when at the end of the 2nd millennium BC flourishing civilizations changed course, sometimes to the point of collapse.
This is the goal of the international conference "Apocalypse at the End of the Millennium: Crisis and Decline of Mediterranean Civilizations at the Twilight of the Bronze Age," scheduled for December 5-7, 2025, in Villanovaforru, Siddi, and Villanovafranca.
For three days, Marmilla will be transformed into a laboratory of ideas and discussion, bringing together archaeologists and scholars from all over Italy and several European countries.
The initiative is a collaboration between the participating municipalities, with the support of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, the Fondazione di Sardegna, and with the contribution of the Genna Maria Park and Museum, the Villanovafranca Foundation, and the Villa Silli cooperative, which oversees the organization.
The conference adopts a radical shift in perspective. The end of the Bronze Age is no longer interpreted as a succession of sudden invasions or apocalyptic events, but as the result of complex processes: political crises, economic changes, social transformations, and upheavals in the trade networks linking the East, the Aegean, and the West.
In this reinterpretation, Sardinia occupies a central role. Between the 13th and 12th centuries BC, the island underwent a slow transition: the balance of power shifted, monuments such as Su Mulinu, Nurdole, and Funtana were transformed, and new places of worship emerged. It was a landscape of communities reorganizing, forever abandoning the catastrophic vision of the Nuragic world.
The program unfolds as a journey through three territories and three complementary themes.
Friday, December 5 – Villanovaforru
The first day explores the turbulent Mediterranean: the plural identities of the Phoenicians, the Iberian response to events in the East, and the reshaping landscapes of Sardinia and Crete. In the afternoon, a visit to the Genna Maria Park and Museum takes participants to the heart of one of the region's iconic sites.
Saturday, December 6 – Siddi
The focus shifts to the social systems of Nuragic Sardinia and protohistoric Italy. Architecture, territorial dynamics, and case studies from Corsica and the Terramare open a discussion on the resilience of ancient communities. The day continues with a tour of Pran'e Siddi, between the Sa Fogaia nuraghe and the Sa Domu 'e s'Orcu giants' tomb.
Sunday, December 7 – Villanovafranca
The final event explores the Late Aegean and the trade routes between the Levant, Cyprus, and the West in the years following the "Sea Peoples" crisis. The discussion also focuses on the decline of the great Nuraghe Arrubiu and the conference's guiding question: what does "apocalypse" really mean in Nuragic history? The conference concludes with a visit to the sanctuary of Su Mulinu, one of the most emblematic architectural structures of the Late Bronze Age.
A distinctive feature of the conference is its participatory nature : all guided tours—free upon reservation—will be led by archaeologists and specialized guides. The public will also be able to follow the sessions online, thanks to live broadcasts on the "International Conference on the Bronze Age in the Mediterranean" Facebook page.
