On the basis of current knowledge, in the territory of Villagrande Strisaili, the oldest human traces are dated starting from Recent neolithic time to the times of the culture of San Michele di Ozieri (end of 4th-1st half of 3rd millennium B.C.), almost witnessed by religious sepulchral monuments.

The dominating funeral type is the domus de janas, i.e. The cave dug artificially in the rock, destined to hold several burials, spread out in small groups (Cuile Bruxiau), or isolated (S'Orciada, Su Strumpu, Corte de Maceddu, Genna Ardeletti, Funtana ’e Jana), with a simple, mono-cell or bi-cell layout, i.e. made up of one or two rooms (fig. 1).

Fig. 1 - Domus de janas S’Orciada, valle del rio Bau Mandara (from http://www.ogliastraadventure.it/show.php?IDF=145).

The simplicity and poverty of the typical constructions of these tombs may be linked to the geo-morphological aspect of the areas they were dug in, largely characterised by granite formations that make the dig difficult, and prevented large, sophisticated tombs being built.

The phenomenon of megalithism is exclusively associated with the menhir, known locally as perdas fittas (set stones), made in granite and found isolated (fig. 2) or in groups, in association with domus de janas (fig. 3) or even reused in the walls of the Nuragic huts, in the areas of Cortes de Maceddu (Perda ’e S’Orcu), Funtana ’e Jana, Su Strumpu, Genna Ardeletti and Bruncu ’e Cuili Abruxiau/S’Orciada.

Fig. 2 - Villagrande, località Corte de Maceddu, menhir known as Sa Pedra’e S’Orku (From LILLIU 1957, p. 48, fig. 14.3).

Fig. 3 - Domus de janas Su Strumpu, valle del rio Bau Mandara (from http://www.ogliastraadventure.it/show.php?IDF=146).