During the excavation of the giants’ tomb of Thomes undertaken in 1977, some pottery fragments, the remains of a rim and a wall were found (figs. 1, 2, 3), which may be associated to a typical Pre-Nuraghic and Nuraghic pottery vessel, i.e. the olla, very common in the funerary contexts of the giants’ tombs and also found in villages and Nuraghe.

The artefacts were decorated by applying vertical rib sculptural motifs.

Figs. 1, 2, 3 - Fragments of the walls of olla from Thomes-Dorgali decorated with a vertical rib pattern in relief under the rim (photo by Unicity S.p.A.).

The term olla indicates a commonly used clay tableware jar which, during the Pre-Nuraghic and Nuraghic period, was moulded by hand, of a closed type, with a usually globular expanded body and a narrow spout, with or without handles, used for storing or cooking food (fig. 4).

Fig. 4 - Biconical brimmed olla from the giants’ tomb 1 of San Cosimo - Gonnosfanadiga, XV/XIV centuries B.C. (from BAGELLA 2014, p. 236, sheet 31).

Another fragment of olla (fig. 5) was also found inside the funerary context of Thomes, of which a portion of rim and wall remain and which belongs to a container with a biconical body, tapered rim, not separate from the wall, and straight walls inclined inwards.

The olla found in Thomes, which corresponds to a type widespread in Northern Sardinia during the Middle Bronze Age (XVII-XIV century B.C.), may have been part of the grave goods laid inside the burial chamber.

Fig. 5 - Fragment of biconical olla from Thomes-Dorgali (from CAMPUS, LEONELLI 2000, table 287 n. 3).

The pottery fragments are on display in the Archaeological Museum of Dorgali.