About
Ancient cave tombs known as the "houses of fairies."
Built by the ancient Ozieri culture between 3400 and 2700 BC, the Domus de Janas tombs on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia were the sites of elaborate funerary rituals. They got their nickname as the “houses of fairies” from later generations who imagined the mysterious square openings to be the homes of magical creatures. Jana is derived from Diana, the Roman goddess of hunting. Although now mainly used by shepherds as sheep pens, the caves cut into the rock faces of the mountains were once sealed and elaborately adorned with red paint and bulls’ heads, representing male fertility and regeneration. The Domus de Janas tombs have remained undisturbed since Roman times, save for a few instances where they were used for burial.
