In reality, they were ossuaries where skeletons of the dead were laid after the flesh had been stripped off. The chambers were excavated from the rock directly using stone picks (clearly harder stone). In Dorgali, there are 54 Domus, the majority excavated in basalt, though examples in granite and limestone can also be found.

Most easily accessible are the domus of Ispotana, Pirischè and Paskedda.