Like many other nuraghi, the Genna Maria nuraghe had a towered bastion known as an antemural. The five-sided perimeter wall is about 150 meters in length and originally there were also five towers connected to it, only four of which are still visible. An entrance with a few steps is located by the south-eastern tower and another entrance would supposedly have been located along the north-western wall. The purpose of the towered enclosure is still unclear. For years now, scholars have abandoned the hypothesis that the nuraghe acted as a fortified structure, as archaeological data do not provide evidence of conflict, either internal or with populations landing from the sea. The bastion was clearly designed to protect the building, along with the agricultural resources stored inside it and the animals kept there. At present, there is no evidence that can help establish the exact period of construction of this structure, but it is plausible that the urgent need to reinforce the walls of the nuraghe led to its demolition and the use of the stones to reinforce the inner structure.
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