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The
tomb of the giants of Coddu Vecchiu must be considered as part
of a single archaeological unit including both the Prisciona nuraghe,
600m south-west, and the (now hardly visible) Demuro nuraghe,
about 200m away from the tomb, of which. The first is a complex
type of nuraghe, made up of a main tower enclosed within a bastion.
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This
latter contains at least two secondary towers, with a third set
of towers on the surrounding enclosure wall. The tomb develops
from east to west, with an entrance to the east. Initially built
as a covered walkway, it is the result of two different architectural
periods.
At a later stage it was embellished with the monumental facade
and the huge stele. A series of slabs fixed vertically was also
added to mark out the cerimonial area of the exedra.These were
supported from behind by a wall which, being arched, connected
the whole of the facade to the body of the tomb.
Ovelooking the slabs is the majestic central bilithic stele (height
4.40m; width at the base 1.9m) which denotes the entrance to the
burial chamber and which, as in the tomb of Li Longhi, constitutes
the most striking part of the monument.It is made up of two superimposed
parts - rectangular base and arched cover - both decorated along
the perimeter by a flat cornice.
In the lower
part the moulded door opens, leading into a small corridor of
two vertical, slightly oblique slabs. Besides creating a small
gap between the cerimonial and burial areas, this has the main
function of connecting the more recent parts to the older. The
porticoed tomb is 10m long and 3.5/4m wide. It encloses a rectangular
corridor, built, on the inside, with blocks of granite in slightly
overhanging rows, placed on top of slabs laid on edge.
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The
covering is formed from slabs arranged in platband. The outside
is constructed in regular rows, with medium-sized, roughly-hewn
stones. The paved floor follows the natural slope of the ground;
at the end of the corridor it has unfortunately been destroyed
by clandestine excavations. The discovery of an enormous quantity
of smallish stones around the tomb has led to the belief that
the entire structure was originally covered by a tumulus.
DATE
The tomb was initially built in the Early Bronze Age (1800-1600
BC); the subsequent intervention dates from the Middle Bronze
(1600-1300BC).
Text
by Dr. Giovanni Idili translated into English by Laurence
Gambella 
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