Lunamatrona, Tomb of Giants Su Cuaddu 'e Nixìas

The tomb is located in a fertile flat marble-limestone area of the Marmilla, a region of central-southern Sardinia.
The monument is of particular interest, constituting a rare example of a giant's tomb with steles hanging in the center-south of the island. This type is in fact characteristic of the central-northern area of Sardinia.
The burial is built with local limestone and is the result of two different construction phases.
Initially, a rectangular lithic cist (about 1.00 x 0.50 m) was built, bounded by four plates on each side and covered with a flat surface. Inside the cist, which is still visible, some finds of the Monte Claro culture (recent Eneolithic, 2400-2100 BC) were found.
Later, a room with a dolmenic corridor (10.30 m long) and an exedra front with a monumental curved stele in the center were added to the cist. The exedra, consisting of plates fixed with knives, had an arc of 13.90 m. The curved stele, heavily modified, mutilates almost the entire section and the top, has a remaining height of 2.90 m and a width of 2.70 m.
In the room and in the space of the exedra, the accompanying elements were found in fragments: among them a biconic vase with brim and shoulder decorated with wolf teeth and chess filled with dotted and engraved lines, dating back to Middle Bronze (16th-14th century BC).

History of excavations
It was excavated in the 70s of the twentieth century.

Bibliography
G. Lilliu, The civilization of the Sardinians from the Paleolithic to the Age of the Nuraghi, Turin 1988; D. Mureddu-G.
Murru, Discovering the Monuments of Marmilla, Cagliari, CRES, 2000, p. 26;
M.C. Locci, “Tomb of Giants by Su Cuaddu de Nixias-Lunamatrona”, in Inside the Marmilla, environment, history and culture: Collinas, Gonnostramatza, Lunamatrona, Pauli Arbarei, Siddi, Ussaramanna, Villamar, Villanovaforru, Lunamatrona, Sa Corona Arrubia, 2000.

How to get there
From the center of Lunamatrona, follow the signs for the Tomb of Giants and the Naturalistic Museum. After less than a km, before arriving at the Museum, you come to an intersection; turn south to Villanovaforru and follow the roadway to the site, visible on the S. side of the road.