Giants' grave

Giants' grave

Giants' grave (Italian: " dei giganti", Sardinian: "Tumbas de sos gigantes") is the name given by local people and archaeologists to a type of Sardinian megalithic gallery grave built during the Bronze 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 the Court Cairn tombs of Ireland.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. The sepulchres have a characteristic rectangular plan with an apse. 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 an obelisk ("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", near Quartucciu
*Two 18th century BC tombs near Lanusei
*"Aiodda", near Nurallao
*"Coddu Vecchju" and "Li Lolghi", Arzachena
*"Sa Dom´e S´Orku", Siddi
*Imbertighe, Borore
*Madau, Fonni
*Muraguada, Bauladu
*Osono, near Triei
*Tomb of San Cosimo, near Gonnosfanadiga
*"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


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Giants Grave — (spr. Dscheientsgrew, d.i. Riesengrab), Ruinen in der Nähe der Stadt Sligo in der irischen Provinz Connaught …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Giants series — is a series of five science fiction books by author James P. Hogan beginning in 1977. The story follows several scientists who discover how humans originated on a planet named Minerva which orbited the Sol System between the orbits of Mars and… …   Wikipedia

  • Gallery grave — A Gallery grave is a form of Megalithic tomb where there is no size difference between the burial chamber itself and the entrance passage. Two parallel walls of stone slabs were erected to form a corridor and covered with a line of capstones. The …   Wikipedia

  • Standing on the shoulders of giants — For the Oasis album, see Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. Dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants (Latin: nanos gigantium humeris insidentes) is a Western metaphor meaning One who develops future intellectual pursuits by understanding …   Wikipedia

  • Waking Giants — Infobox Album Name = Waking Giants Type = Studio Artist = Life in Your Way Released = Mar 6, 2007 Recorded = Genre = Melodic hardcore Metalcore Length = 41:16 Label = Solid State Records Producer = Reviews = Last album = Ignite and Rebuild (2005) …   Wikipedia

  • Neath and Tennant Canal — The exit from Clun Isaf lock, restored in 2007 Original owner Neath Canal Nav Co, Port Tennant Nav Co Principal engineer …   Wikipedia

  • Neath & District League — Countries  Wales Founded 1931 Number of teams 33 (across three divisions) …   Wikipedia

  • Chamber tomb — A chamber tomb is a tomb for burial used in many different cultures. In the case of individual burials, the chamber is thought to signify a higher status for the interree than a simple grave. Built from rock or sometimes wood, the chambers could… …   Wikipedia

  • Dorgali —   Comune   Comune di Dorgali Dorgali seen from …   Wikipedia

  • Costa Smeralda — Costa Smeralda …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”