Outline of geology and mineral deposits of Sardinia

The geological history of Sardinia dates from Precambrian to the Present. Sedimentation and diagenetic processes, magmatism, volcanism, metamorphism, and hydrothermal activity developed in such a large span of time, accompanied by the development of three orogenetic cycles: the Caledonian, the Hercynian, and the Alpine. A wide range of mineral deposits occur, bearing the traces of exploitation since the earliest times of the human history: Sardinia was one of the main Mediterranean obsidian producing areas in the Neolithic age, and shows the imprint of a very complex metallogenic province. The most important deposits, now depleted, are given by Pb-Zn-(Ag) ores, with Ba-F, but also minor occurrences of Fe, W, Mo, and Sn minerals, as well as bauxite, talc, and last but not least gold are known.