The giants of Monte Prama are sandstone sculptures that were generally 2 to 2.5 meters high. Presumably they were created by the Nuragic civilization between the 11th and 8th century BC, which also left behind many stone round towers (Nuragi).
Nuragic civilization itself is a big mystery for scientists and it is not known exactly where this civilization originated, whether it was the local culture of Sardinia or its carriers sailed from somewhere by sea.
In 1974, large fractured stone sculptures were discovered near the city of Oristano on the west coast of the island. In general, they were warriors, archers and fighters with shields. In total, during the excavation period since 1974, over 5 thousand fragments of statues have been found, including 22 torso and 15 arms.
The statues were immediately called Colossi or Giants. In addition to their very large size, they had unusual eyes in the form of concentric discs.
Experts were convinced that the massive statues symbolized mythological heroes or gods. Some of the massive statues have been found near ancient tombs, so experts believe the statues may have been positioned around them like stone guards. But the statues could also very well belong to a temple that was destroyed or that has not yet been excavated.
In March 2015, after 40 years of study and restoration, the giants were presented to the public at the National Archaeological Museum in Cagliari and the Goat Museum.
Promotional video:
Out of five thousand fragments, 33 stone sculptures were restored. Also in September 2016, two more relatively intact giants were found, which differed from the statues found earlier - they held long shields to the side, and not over their heads. This pose was very similar to that of a small Nuragic bronze statuette found north of Rome. Dating this statuette gave the IX century BC.
If the sculptures of giants were also created at this time, then these giants are the earliest example of the manufacture of figures of colossus (giant statues) in the Mediterranean region. They are several centuries older than the most ancient Greek colossi. They are also the oldest anthropomorphic sculptures in the Mediterranean after Egyptian statues.
But there is another mystery associated with the giants of Sardinia. Some scholars believe that the faces of the giant statues are very similar to the masks that are still used today in traditional Sardinian festivals. It turns out that some of the ancient rituals and traditions have been preserved on this island for more than 3000 years.