Giants' tomb (Italian: ''
Tomba dei giganti'',
Sardinian: ''Tumba de zigantes'' / ''gigantis'') is the name given by
local people
Local may refer to:
Geography and transportation
* Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand
* Local, Missouri, a community in the United States
* Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administrat ...
and
archaeologists to a type of
Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...
n
megalithic gallery grave
A gallery grave is a form of megalithic tomb built primarily during the Neolithic Age in Europe in which the main gallery of the tomb is entered without first passing through an antechamber or hallway. There are at least four major types of ga ...
built during the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...
by the
Nuragic civilization
The Nuragic civilization, also known as the Nuragic culture, was a civilization or culture on Sardinia (Italy), the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, which lasted from the 18th century BC (Middle Bronze Age) (or from t ...
. They were collective tombs and can be found throughout
Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...
, with 800 being discovered there.
[ Aspetti e problematiche del rituale funarario di età nuragica]
/ref>
A stone cairn lies over the burial chambers, with some examples having a cup-shaped entrance similar to the court cairn
The court cairn or court tomb is a megalithic type of chambered cairn or gallery grave. During the period, 3900–3500 BCE, more than 390 court cairns were built in Ireland and over 100 in southwest Scotland. The Neolithic (New Stone ...
tombs of Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
.
Types
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
In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...
. 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
An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by An ...
(''betile'' in Sardinian) 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
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and in Menorca
Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capi ...
(naveta {{No footnotes, date=April 2022
A naveta is a form of megalithic chamber tomb unique to the Balearic island of Menorca. They date to the early Bronze Age.
They have two vertical and two corbelled walls giving them the form of an upturned boat, ...
)[Giovanni Lilliu, La civiltà nuragica, Sassari 1982 p.54]
List of major tombs
*'' Su Mont'e s'Abe'', near Olbia
Olbia (, ; sc, Terranoa; sdn, Tarranoa) is a city and commune of 60,346 inhabitants (May 2018) in the Italian insular province of Sassari in northeastern Sardinia, Italy, in the historical region of Gallura. Called ''Olbia'' in the Roman age ...
*'' Sa Dom'è s'Orcu'', near Quartucciu
*Two 18th-century BC tombs near Lanusei
*''Aiodda'', near Nurallao
Nurallao, Nuradda in sardinian language, is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of South Sardinia in the Italian region Sardinia, located about north of Cagliari.
Nurallao borders the following municipalities: Isili, Laconi
Laconi, ...
*'' Coddu Vecchiu'' and '' Li Lolghi'', Arzachena
*'' Sa Dom'è s'Orcu'', Siddi
*Imbertighe, Borore
*Madau, Fonni
Fonni ( sc, Fonne) is a town and '' comune'' in Sardinia, in the province of Nuoro ( Italy).
It is the highest town in Sardinia, and situated among fine scenery with some chestnut woods. Fonni is a winter sports centre with a ski lift to Monte ...
*Muraguada, Bauladu
Bauladu, ( sc, Baulàu) meaning "wide ford", is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Oristano in the Italian region Sardinia, located about northwest of Cagliari and about northeast of Oristano. As of 31 December 2004, it had a popula ...
*Osono, near Triei
*Tomb of San Cosimo, near Gonnosfanadiga
Gonnosfanadiga, Gonnos or Gonnos-Fanàdiga in Sardinian language, is a town and ''comune'' on the island of Sardinia, in the province of South Sardinia, Italy. It is located between Medio Campidano plain to the northeast and the Monte Linas mass ...
*'' S'Ena'e Thomes'', Dorgali
Dorgali ( sc, Durgali) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Nuoro in the Italian region Sardinia, located about northeast of Cagliari and about east of Nuoro in the Seaside Supramonte mountain area.
Economy is mostly based on th ...
*Bainzu, Borore
*''Sa Farch'e S'Artare'', Seneghe
Seneghe ( sc, Sèneghe) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Oristano in the Italian region Sardinia, located about northwest of Cagliari and about north of Oristano. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,944 and an area ...
See also
*Nuraghe
The nuraghe (, ; plural: Logudorese Sardinian , Campidanese Sardinian , Italian ), or also nurhag in English, is the main type of ancient megalithic edifice found in Sardinia, developed during the Nuragic Age between 1900 and 730 B.C. ...
*Naveta {{No footnotes, date=April 2022
A naveta is a form of megalithic chamber tomb unique to the Balearic island of Menorca. They date to the early Bronze Age.
They have two vertical and two corbelled walls giving them the form of an upturned boat, ...
Image gallery
File:La_protome_taurina.jpg, Giant's grave of S'Arena, Urzulei
File:Calangianus_-_Tomba_dei_giganti_di_Pascaredda_(41).JPG, Giant's grave of Pascaredda, Calangianus
File:Tomba_dei_Giganti_Is_Concias.jpg, Giant's grave of Is Concias, Quartucciu
File:Li Lolghi 11.JPG, Giant's grave of Li Lolghi, Arzachena
File:Madau.JPG, Giant's grave of Madau, Fonni
Fonni ( sc, Fonne) is a town and '' comune'' in Sardinia, in the province of Nuoro ( Italy).
It is the highest town in Sardinia, and situated among fine scenery with some chestnut woods. Fonni is a winter sports centre with a ski lift to Monte ...
File:Tomba dei Giganti Barrancu Mannu.jpg, Giant's grave of Barrancu Mannu, Santadi
Santadi is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of South Sardinia in the Italian region Sardinia, located about southwest of Cagliari and about southeast of Carbonia.
Santadi borders the following municipalities: Assemini, Domus de Mari ...
File:Complesso nuragico.JPG, Giant's grave of Lu Brandali, Santa Teresa Gallura
File:Tomba dei Giganti Iloi 02 B.jpg, Iloi
File:Tomba dei Giganti Iloi 02 - Camera.jpg, Iloi 2
File:Tomba giganti San Cosimo.jpg, Giant's grave of San Cosimo, Gonnosfanadiga
Gonnosfanadiga, Gonnos or Gonnos-Fanàdiga in Sardinian language, is a town and ''comune'' on the island of Sardinia, in the province of South Sardinia, Italy. It is located between Medio Campidano plain to the northeast and the Monte Linas mass ...
References
External links
Giants' Tomb in Sardinian archaeology
{{in lang, it
Buildings and structures in Sardinia
Archaeology of Sardinia
Archaeology of death
Burials in Sardinia
Burial monuments and structures
Megalithic monuments in Italy
Prehistoric sites in Italy
Tourist attractions in Sardinia
Archaeological sites in Sardinia