Giants Tombs (Tombe di Giganti)

Exluding the income stelae and the circulars exedras, the Giants Tombs has one analogous conformation of the British Islands Long Barrows. They have been verified, in some cases, their astronomical bearings, but is still difficult to give a total appraisal.

The table introduces a carried out elaboration of deducing data in: Lilliu, La civiltà nuragica, Sassari 1982.

	Name	Site	Bearing	Azimut	Age	Astral alignments
1	Goronna	Paulilàtino (OR)	E	87	Bronze Age	Aldebaran (F.B.)
2	Baddu Pirastru	Thiesi (SS)	E	88	Bronze Age	Aldebaran (F.B.)
3	Li Mezzani	Palau (SS)	E	95	Bronze Age	Sunrise at the equinoxes
4	Coddu Vecchiu	Arzachena (SS)	E	95	Bronze Age	Sunrise at the equinoxes
5	Li Lolghi	Arzachena (SS)	SE	112	Bronze Age
6	Muraguada	Baudadu (OR)	SE	113	Bronze Age
7	Làssie	Birori (NU)	SE	121	Bronze Age	Winter solstice sunrise
8	Su Monte de s’Aspe	Olbia (SS)	SE	133	Bronze Age
9	Domu s’Orku	Siddi (CA)	SE	137	Bronze Age
10	Tumuli	Macomèr (NU)	SE	145	Bronze Age
11	Sa Domu ‘e s’Orku	Maracalagonis (CA)	S	180	Bronze Age	Noon at the equinoxes (F.B.)

Like it has remarked, we have a bearing of the constructions included between east and south directions (100% of the considered structures is turned in an arc of 93° over 360° of the horizon), with preference towards south-east direction. This is that one of winter solstice sunrise and that could be reconnected also in this case to the religious cult of the resurrection. However in the first two millenia b.C. the azimut of  winter  solstice sunrise has been maintained constant about 122° SE; therefore, only one of the structures examined (over 11), and just the  Làssie Tomb at Birori (NU), nearly seems turned exactly such back direction. Others two (Li Lolghi at Arzachena and Muraguada at Baudadu) nearly introduce an azimut coinciding around 112-113° SE, of which it has not been still assumed the target.

Arzachena (OT) - Li Lolghi Giant's Tomb
In east direction the sun rises in the period of the equinoxes, and exactly with an azimut of 95°. It is the case of  two Tombs of Li Mezzani (Palau) and Coddu Vecchiu (Arzachena), both in Gallura. Here the “fans” of the megalithic cultures have uncovered for a long time the property of the two structures, that allow the light of the sunrise, in the day of the equinoxes, perfectly entering in the narrow hatch of the income stele, going to illuminate the burial corridor. To deepen the cases of  three tombs turned in direction south (noon at the equinoxes). L.Marchisio, A.Manara and A.Gaspani, of the National Institute of Astrophysics of the Astronomical Observatory of Brera, have assumed a stellar target,  just the Aldebaran star, for the most famous Giants Tomb: S' Ena e Tomes at Dorgali (NU). The astronomic azimuth of bearing of the axis of S' Ena e Tomes (87,5°) is identical to that one of  Tomba Goronna at Paulilatino (OR)  and of Baddu Pirastu at Thiesi (SS); also for these last ones therefore, a bearing is hypothetical towards Taurus Aldebaran star. The connection of some Giants Tombs with the constellation of Taurus could be a confirmation for the supporters that the arc of  Tomb exedras represents some taurine horns. The three studious of the Observatory of Brera have moreover uncovered that, in the bronze age, placing in the center of the curving of the exedra of S' Ena e Tomes, it was possible to observe the sunset at the summer solstice  on the northern end of the arc of the same exedra and the sunset at the winter solstice, on the southern end of it.



Giant's Tomb ideal reconstruction