Arzachena, Tomb of the Giants by Coddu 'Ecchju

The Tomb of Giants by Coddu Vecchiu or Capichera is one of the most suggestive monuments in Nuragic Sardinia. Located in the hinterland of Gallura, about 10 km from the Gulf of Arzachena, it stands on a slope at the foot of a hilly area cultivated with vineyards.
Built with local granite, oriented along the E-O axis, with the entrance to E, it is the product of the renovation of an older gallery tomb (or 'allée couverte').
The tunnel burial (length m. 10.50; width m. 3.50-4.00) includes a rectangular funerary corridor (length m. 9.00; width m. 1.05/1.10) with an inner wall built with basic slabs fixed to a knife and an exterior made of blocks arranged in rows in a light object. The roof of the room is made of plates arranged in a flat pattern, while the paved floor, partly destroyed by clandestine excavations, follows the natural slope of the ground.
To this burial, the semicircular exedra delimited by orthostats was added later, through a small connecting corridor consisting of two sections of walls resting on two granite blocks. The plates, at a height sloping down to the sides, also had the practical purpose of containing the small and medium-sized mound of earth and stones that protected the burial corridor. At the center of the exedra stands the hunched star (alt. Overall 4.04 m; width m. 1.90), the largest of its kind so far found in Sardinia. It consists of two superimposed elements; a lower frame and the upper bezel, both adorned with a flat relief frame. In the lower part, the arched door opens (height 0.67 m; width 0.45 m) with recessed frame.
The materials returned from the excavation (pans, floors, fairing bowls, pots), linked to the funerary offerings and ceremonies in honor of the ancestors that took place in the exedra, make it possible to date the first phase of the tomb to the culture of Bonnanaro (ancient bronze, 2100-1800 BC) and its renovation to the initial Middle Bronze (1800-1600 BC).
The tomb was probably relevant to the nearby Nuraghe di La Prisgiona. A short distance away, the remains of two other nuraghi and giant tombs were surveyed.

History of excavations
Excavated in 1966 by Editta Castaldi, it has been restored in recent times.

Bibliography
E. Castaldi, “Tombs of Giants in the Sassari area”, in Origini, III, 1969, pp. 14-25, 28-29, 32-33, 36-38, 46-50, 119-274;
E. Contu, “Nuragic Architecture”, in Ichnussa: Sardinia from its origins to the classical age, Milan, Scheiwiller, 1981, p. 145, table. XII;
G. Lilliu, The Nuragic Civilization, Sassari, Carlo Delfino, 1982, pp. 28, 106;
M.L. Ferrarese, Arzachena. Archaeological monuments. Short itineraries, Sassari, Carlo Delfino, 1984, pp. 44-48;
A. Moravetti, “The Tomb and the Funerary Ideology”, in The Nuragic Civilization, Milan, Electa, 1985, pp. 120, 128, 130, 165; L. Usai-S. Pirisinu, Gallura: dolmens, nuraghi, castles. Archaeological itineraries in the province of Sassari, Cagliari, Editrice Democratica Sarda, 1991, pp. 43-44;
A. Antona Ruju, “Coddu Vecchiu”, in A. Antona-M. L. Ferrarese Ceruti, The Nuraghe Albucciu and the monuments of Arzachena, series “Archaeological Sardinia. Guides and Itineraries”, Sassari, Carlo Delfino, 1992, pp. 80-84.

How to get there
The archaeological site of Coddu 'Ecchju is located in Capichera, about 6 kilometers from the town of Arzachena. It can be reached by taking the provincial road to Luogosanto (SP14). The Nuragic complex of La Prisgiona is located about 1 km away.

Tag

Structure category: archaeological area or park

Content type: Archaeological monument
Archaeology

Usability: Open

Province: Sassari

Common: Arzachena

Macro Territorial Area: Northern Sardinia

POSTAL CODE: 07021

Address: SP 14 - località Coddu Ecchju

Telephone: +39 345 5760643 +39 345 7200094 +39 0789 83401

E-mail: archeologia@gesecoarzachena.it

Website: www.gesecoarzachena.it

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10:00 AM - 7:30 PM

October - April

Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday - Friday - Saturday - Sunday

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Information on tickets and access:

The schedules may change: we recommend that you always consult the website of the managing body. For always updated information on tickets, given the variety of visit combinations and cumulative offers, please refer to the dedicated web-ticket page on the manager's website.

Access mode: For a fee

Services information: Guided tours are included in the ticket price, upon reservation, or by asking the ticket office for departure times. Audio guides are also available.

Other services: WI-FI

Update

19/4/2024 - 13:44

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