Lanusei, Archaeological Park of the Seleni Forest. Giants' Tomb
Lanusei, Archaeological Park of the Seleni Forest. Giants' Tomb - © Ivo Piras

Lanusei
Archaeological Park of the Seleni Forest

The archaeological park of the Seleni Forest is in the heart of Ogliastra, about six kilometres from Lanusei.

Lanusei, nuraghe Gennacili
Lanusei, nuraghe Gennacili - © Ivo Piras

The extraordinary beauty of the forest, filled with holm oak, Italian oak, chestnut and poplar, is alone worth the trip. But what makes it even more incredible is the impressive nuraghic complex built up around the Gennacili nuragh, complete with huts, fortifications and funerary sites.

Lanusei, archaeological Park of the Seleni Forest. Giants’ tomb
Lanusei, archaeological Park of the Seleni Forest. Giants’ tomb - CC BY-SA 4.0 Francesco1108, Commons Wikimedia - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seleni_1.jpg

The archaeological site, which has not yet been fully excavated, comprises about 200 huts, three sacred wells and two Giants’ Tombs, attesting to the existence, between the Bronze Age (1400 BCE) and the Iron Age (500 BCE), of a large, well-organised community in contact with other populations, as we know from the discovery of objects from the Near East at the site.

Lanusei, archaeological Park of the Seleni Forest. Giants’ tomb and cupels
Lanusei, archaeological Park of the Seleni Forest. Giants’ tomb and cupels - CC BY-SA 4.0 Francesco1108, Commons Wikimedia - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seleni_2.jpg

The two Giants’ Tombs, which are now open to visitors, were built of massive, squared blocks of granite, arranged in the classic shape that looks like the head of a bull when seen from above. In the larger one, there are rooms where an incubation ritual was performed: according to the Latin sources, the ancient inhabitants of Sardinia used to sleep near the tombs of their loved ones on special occasions in order to meet them in their sleep.

An outdoor space for fun and learning recently opened a short distance from the archaeological area: the Nur Archeopark, with reproductions of the buildings and monuments of prehistoric Sardinia, supported by illustrative panels in Sardinian, Italian and English. Through guided tours and workshops led by expert staff, adults and children can learn about the history and ways of life of the island’s ancient inhabitants.

Contact

Address:
Località Bosco Seleni, 08045 Lanusei NU. Italia
Phone:
+39 078241051
Website:
http://www.tombedeigiganti.it