The Giants' Tomb of Osono

Osono preserves evidence of transformation from burial site to tomb-sanctuary, with documented use spanning over two thousand years from the Bronze Age into the Roman Imperial period.

The Giants' Tomb of Osono was built during the Early Bronze Age as a collective burial site for the Nuragic community of the Ogliastra region. Like other Giants' Tombs, it featured the curved exedra and corridor tomb that characterized Nuragic funerary architecture.

At some point, transformation occurred. The site evolved from burial ground to tomb-sanctuary—a sacred location where funerary rites continued to be practiced even after bodies were no longer interred. This second phase demonstrates sophisticated Nuragic understanding of how sacred places function.

Archaeologist Mario Sanges's 1989-1990 excavation documented this two-phase history. Evidence showed use extending from the Bronze Age through the third century AD—remarkable continuity that transcended the end of Nuragic civilization and continued into the Roman Imperial period.

The 1993 restoration repositioned the exedra and orthostats, making the tomb one of the most comprehensible Giants' Tombs to visit. The work respected archaeological documentation while enabling contemporary visitors to understand the original architecture.

Local tradition preserved awareness of the site's significance through the name 's'ischisorgeddu'—hiding place of treasure. While no material treasure was found, the name correctly identified Osono as a place where something valuable lay concealed.