Giants' Grave of Coddu Vecchiu, Arzachena, Italy

Coddu Vecchiu is a Nuragic funerary monument located near Arzachena, dating from the Bronze Age. The site consists of a stele, stone megaliths and a gallery grave, and is one of the larger Nuragic Giants' graves on the island. The Nuraghe La Prisgiona is located nearby.

The site was excavated in 1966 by Editta Castaldi. Among the artifacts recovered were pans, bowls and plates with comb decoration, as well as vases with bent necks, and vase fragments of the early Nuragic Bonnanaro culture, suggesting the monument was constructed early in the Nuragic period c. 1800–1600 BC.

Coddu Vecchiu appears to have originally consisted of a cist, which was expanded during the middle Bronze Age c. 1800–1600 BC and covered with a gallery grave and the ornate stele portal stone and megaliths characteristic of Giants' graves. The stone forecourt consists of eleven granite stones arranged in a semicircle and measures about 12 meters across. It has been hypothesized that the semicircular arrangement of the stones may have been an attempt to harness the telluric current of the granite for rejuvenative purposes. The central stele stands about 4 meters high and contains the entrance into the tomb. The gallery grave extends behind the forecourt, measures about 10 meters long, and was probably once covered by a tumulus.

The upper portion of the stele was once taken by a local farmer and used as a plow, but it was soon recovered and restored to its place in the monument. Coddu Vecchiu is among the most well-preserved of Giants' graves, and continues to be a popular tourist attraction.

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User Reviews

Zdeněk Konopásek (10 months ago)
Good parking, well preserved, nice views.

Connie (2 years ago)
A very interesting visit to this megalithic tomb, which was likely once connected to the Prisgiona nuraghic complex a few meters away, with excavated materials dating to the Bronze Age and the Copper Age. We visited at 6:30pm (the ticket office and site shuts at 7:30pm) and we were the only people there making it very relaxing. Ticket prices to see one monument are €4, or you can book to see more monuments (i.e. 3 monuments for €10) but you have to state at the time of booking which monuments you specifically want to see, as they are then listed on your ticket. It was a nice and short walk to the Giant’s Tomb - approximately 5 mins, and then probably 5 minutes of time walking along the tomb.

Chris Jones (2 years ago)
Impressive Neolithic monument, well restored. Easily accessible. Also visit the remarkable village just 1km down the road

Philipp Jahoda (3 years ago)
Site is very small but still worth visiting.

Eric Berberich (3 years ago)
A small place - but worth to visit - in particular as part of the multi-ticket deal for the archeological sites in Arzachena

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Giants' Grave of Coddu Vecchiu

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