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Giants' grave

For other uses, see Giant's Grave (disambiguation).

Giants' tomb (Italian: Tomba dei giganti, Sardinian: Tumba de zigantes / gigantis) is the name given by local people and archaeologists to a type of Sardinian megalithic gallery grave built during the Bronze Age by the Nuragic civilization. They were collective tombs and can be found throughout Sardinia, with 800 being discovered there.^[1]

A stone cairn lies over the burial chambers, with some examples having a cup-shaped entrance similar to the court cairn tombs of Ireland.

There are two general types of giants' tomb. In the so-called "slab type", uncut slabs are buried on end in the ground, and are arranged side-by-side. There is usually a central stele, which is the largest slab (up to 4 m in height) and has a doorway cut through it.

In the more primitive slab-type giants tombs, the central slab is unmodified aside from the entrance that is cut through it at the base, or else there is a crude dolmen-like arrangement of 3 uncut rocks to form the entrance (Osono, Sortali, Lolghi, Pescaredda). In more advanced slab-type giants tombs, the central slab is modified so as to be rounded on top, and has a simple design carved into the front surface (Dorgali, Goronna, Santu Bainzu, Coddu Vecchju).

The sepulchres have a characteristic rectangular plan with an apse. The burial chamber is usually 5 to 15 metres long and 1 to 2 metres high. The structures were originally covered by a mound resembling the shape of an overturned ship. Near the entrance an obelisk (betileinSardinian) is usually found, which symbolizes the gods or ancestors who watched over the dead.

The so-called "block type" tombs are made of rectangular-cut blocks (Bidistili, Madau II, Seleni II, Iloi, Mura Cuata).

There are also structures similar to the block-type giants tombs on the island of Malta, in the United Kingdom^[2] and in Menorca (naveta).^[3]

• Su Mont'e s'Abe, near Olbia
• Sa Dom'è s'Orcu, near Quartucciu
• Two 18th-century BC tombs near Lanusei
• Aiodda, near Nurallao
• Coddu Vecchiu and Li Lolghi, Arzachena
• Sa Dom'è s'Orcu, Siddi
• Imbertighe, Borore
• Madau, Fonni
• Muraguada, Bauladu
• Osono, near Triei
• Tomb of San Cosimo, near Gonnosfanadiga
• S'Ena'e Thomes, Dorgali
• Bainzu, Borore
• Sa Farch'e S'Artare, Seneghe

• Nuraghe
• Naveta

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  Giant's grave of S'Arena, Urzulei
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  Giant's grave of Pascaredda, Calangianus
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  Giant's grave of Is Concias, Quartucciu
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  Giant's grave of Li Lolghi, Arzachena
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  Giant's grave of Madau, Fonni
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  Giant's grave of Barrancu Mannu, Santadi
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  Giant's grave of Lu Brandali, Santa Teresa Gallura
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  Iloi
• 
  Iloi 2
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  Giant's grave of San Cosimo, Gonnosfanadiga

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Giants graves.

• Giants' Tomb in Sardinian archaeology (in Italian)