Giants' Tombs of Sardinia

The most astonishing ancient buildings of Sardinia created centuries ago are no less mysterious than Egyptian pyramids. These towers made of enormous stones were built without the help of any adhesives!

People have always been attracted to the unsolved mysteries of the ancient times: Egyptian pyramids, Stonehenge, lost cities of Incas and numerous other sites.

Sardinia is a place truly rich in archaeological finds. The most stunning of them are the so-called Giants' Tombs. They are dated back to the time of the Nuragic civilization, which ruled in Sardinia for several centuries before the current era.

The Giants' Tombs (1500 BC) are huge stone blocks that are located vertically in the ground. You can find them near the area called Arzachena. In total, about 700 similar sites were discovered. Legend has it that in ancient times, giants 3-5 meters tall lived in Sardinia.

Although such structures are typical of many other places in the Mediterranean region, Sardinian nuraghes are the most astonishing and original. These are round stone structures with a flat roof, built in 18th century BC.

Such flat roofs were probably used as terraces, but some of them have a conical shape. Minimally processed stones form a cylindrical tower. Inside each nuraghe, as a rule, was a corridor and a staircase leading to the top. Some more complex dwellings are equipped with wells and bunkers, presumably for storing liquid or dry food products. The tallest tower known is called Nuraghe Arrubiu with a height of more than 27 meters.

Some nuraghes were used as grain bunkers. The artefacts found in them, including cooking vessels, weaving machines, animal bones, and stone tools indicate that the towers were mainly used as houses.

Some more complex buildings in the settlements had a swimming pool, a room for animals, observation towers. Many structures were destroyed, and stones were later used to build houses and roads.

Professor Carlo Masia came up with the idea that nuraghes served as observatories. However, the legend says that nuraghes are the defensive structures against the Cyclops giants. These local legends have been passed on from generation to generation. Surprisingly, similar structures accompanied with the same legends can be found on Menorca and Gozo Islands as well. Is it a mere coincidence? However, no proof for this hypothesis was found. It is also believed that nuraghes served as a venue for mystical rituals.

Today, most of the scientists adhere to the idea that nuraghes performed a variety of tasks. Scientists also put forward the version that these structures, by analogy with the pyramids of Egypt, were used as tombs of the authorities.

In general, the Nuragic civilization is still insufficiently explored, and leaves more questions than answers. Except the mysterious enigmas of megaliths, the Nuragic civilization left a huge number of objects made of bronze for archaeologists to research.

“There are mysteries, which men can only guess at, which age by age they may solve only in part.” Bram Stoker