Sardinian Basalt—an Ancient Georesource Still En Vogue

Commercial basalt that is quarried in Sardinia is a natural resource which is the result of extensive volcanic activity during the Pliocene and Pleistocene ages, following the opening of the Campidano plain and Tyrrhenian sea rift, when large volumes of basalt and andesite rock naturally moulded extensive areas of the Island. An example is provided by the ‘Giare’ tablelands and several other large plateaus located in central Sardinia. Basalt has formed in many other areas of the Island, where a vast array of monuments dating back to the II-I millennium B.C. document the high workability, durability and withstanding to weathering of basalt. The complex of circular defensive towers, known as “Su Nuraxi di Barumini” was included in the World Heritage List by Unesco in 1997. Basalt is currently produced locally and it is used for architectural and ornamental purposes. It is quarried from stone deposits or mined from huge boulders which are mechanically moved and sawn and then transported and manufactured in plants which are located in various sites throughout the Island. The paper begins with a historical introduction and then focusses on the current state of the art of Sardinian basalt quarrying, processing and usage. An analysis of the basalt market has been carried out.