- Giants' grave
Giants' grave (Italian: " dei giganti", Sardinian: "Tumbas de sos gigantes") is the name given by local people and
archaeologist s to a type ofSardinia nmegalithic gallery grave built during theBronze Age . They can be found throughout Sardinia, and so far 321 have been discovered.A stone
cairn lies over the burial chamber itself. Some examples have a cup-shaped entrance similar to theCourt Cairn tombs ofIreland .There are two general types of giant's 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 (up to 4 m in height) slab and has a doorway cut through it. Thesepulchre s have a characteristic rectangular plan with anapse . The burial chamber is usually 5 to 15 meters long and 1 to 2 meters high. The structures were originally covered by a mound resembling the shape of an overturned ship. Near the entrance was anobelisk ("betile" in Sardinian), which symbolizes the gods or ancestors who watched over the dead.In the more primitive slab-type giant's 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 a more advanced slab-type giant's 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 so-called "block type" is made of rectangular-cut blocks (Bidistili, Madau II, Seleni II, Iloi, Mura Cuata).
There is also a structure similar to a block-type giant's tomb on the island of
Malta .List of major tombs
*"Su Mont'e s'Abe", near
Olbia
*"Sa Dom'è s'Orcu", nearQuartucciu
*Two18th century BC tombs nearLanusei
*"Aiodda", nearNurallao
*"Coddu Vecchju" and "Li Lolghi",Arzachena
*"Sa Dom´e S´Orku",Siddi
*Imbertighe,Borore
*Madau,Fonni
*Muraguada,Bauladu
*Osono, nearTriei
*Tomb of San Cosimo, nearGonnosfanadiga
*"Ena ´e Thomes",Dorgali
*Bainzu,Borore
*"Sa Farch´e S´Artare",Seneghe External links
* [http://www.archeologiasarda.com/tombe_dei_giganti.asp Tomb of the Giants in Sardinian archaeology] it icon
ee also
*
Nuraghe
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