Mentioned in the literature since the 19th century, the remains of the monumental complex of Santu Antine, in the municipal territory of Genoni, were excavated between 1980 and 1995. The buildings unearthed at this site revealed a nuraghic settlement followed by a Punic settlement. However the details of its occupation are still uncertain (in both the pre-historic and historic periods). In the nuraghic village, a public role was played by a large stone hut, with a bench set alongside the round wall. This shows it was used as a meeting hut: another indication is the betyl in the form of a nuraghe found in its interior: originally it was set in a niche in the wall.
The most significant findings of nuraghic objects come from a cylindrical well, almost 40 m deep, dug by the nuraghic people and reused in Roman times. Constructed in carefully-shaped trachyte blocks to a depth of 6.5 m and in limestone in its lower portion, this exceptional hydraulic work has a diameter at the opening of 75 cm. The many objects found at its bottom, many of them whole or in re-composable fragments, suggest that the well had a sacred use, at least in the nuraghic period. A number of bronze figurines have been found here – including the figure of a naked man with a stick and coiled necklace around his neck – and many water vessels made of pottery.
The well was presumably constructed in the Late Bronze Age and remained in use until the Early Iron Age.