The history of Sardinia has always been disregarded by historians, who considered it less important compared to the big coeval Mediterranean civilizations.
The history of Sardinia was and still is considered regional, especially during the centuries when our Island was “dominated by foreign powers", as it lost its own sovereignty and was subject to an external power.
The events that took place in Sardinia belonged to the history of Carthage, Rome, Byzantium, and so on, not to Sardinia itself.
Is it correct though to label the Island as “dominated” by this or that tyrant?
Since prehistory Sardinia suffered the immigration of different populations, who contributed to create an ethnic layer which over the centuries developed and differentiated to form the present nation (a people sharing the same traditions, language and art).
The first “visitor”, who settled in the Island, arrived in the Palaeolithic Age (around 150,000 BC). The two ruins of Perfugas and the Corbeddu Cave (Oliena) back up this theory and prove the presence of the humans since then, in contrast with what was believed until a few years ago.
Man found the Island by chance following the animals, which by instinct migrated from the harsh climate, caused by glaciations, to the south warmer lands.
In the Neolithic Age, instead, migrations were encouraged by the need for lands suitable for farming, the newly discovered activity.
The demographic explosion of that age, as a result of sedentariness and better life standards, motivated Anatolia’s populations to migrate and look for new places where they could farm and build their hamlets.
Thus, around 6000 BC crowds of people travelled about the Mediterranean Basin and got to the Italian Peninsula, reaching Sardinia with rudimentary boats pushed by favourable winds (mistral) from the South of France or using the Tuscany islands as a bridge.
The Neolithic men joint the local Palaeolithic populations and evolved together forming the civilizations of Ozieri and Bonu Ighinu, which are considered native of the Island, even though created with different contributions.
In this way, the national layer started to develop, combining elements belonging to the different ethnic groups, which had settled there, and creating a new one that we can call “Sardinian”.
Needs changed continually, so populations adapted making the most of the new technologies and of the newly imported ideas.
Cultures overlapped, treasuring the previous ones and differentiating arts, language and life style which were now shifting towards “modernity”.
Ceramics, houses and religion evolved continually, as a sign of technical and spiritual development, which gave life to the Island.
Despite the lack of written documents, the Early Neolithic Age doesn’t show any signs of dominations. Populations were busy looking for living spaces and joined together peacefully.
With M. Claro and Campaniforme civilizations (2700 BC), the benefits of immigrant populations’ ideas started to be experienced more clearly and the Sardinian civilization started to take a more definite shape.
The first external threats and perhaps the first internal political divisions, which led to the building of fortresses and the creation of defence forces, date back to this period. Anyway the Island’s independence seemed to be unquestionable.
In 1800 BC the so called Nuragic Age started to develop, reaching remarkable technical and spiritual expressions. In spite of the external influences, it maintained its Sardinian character. It can be defined as a real dynamic and independent nation, with all the classic features.
With the arrival of the Phoenicians in the X century the Island started to be part of history, increasing contacts and trade with the external world.
Initially, Phoenicians created a colonial community, closed up in their coastline settlements, so at this stage they never threatened the independence and freedom of the Nuragic people.
Only in the VI century BC this Semite population, then deep-rooted in the Island, tried an inland expansion, aimed at defending their own towns more than conquering new lands. The Nuragic constituted themselves a sovereign people.
With the arrival of the Carthaginians, there was a partial domination of the Island, as half of it was still totally free and independent.
The Romans, Byzantines and Vandals continued to dominate two thirds of the Island territory, unable to conquer the inland.
Two Sardinias existed at that time, with two different histories and nations, whose populations were settled in separate territories.
History of Sardinia 
