Could these have been the ‘giants’, Nephilim , of the Old Testament?..........
The Nephilim stories probably grew out of fossil forms sticking out of eroded cliffs and during excavations for foundations and the like.
https://www.amazon.com/First-Fossil-Hunters-Paleontology-Times/dp/0691058636
https://freerepublic.com/tag/adriennemayor/index?tab=articles
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/nephilim
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nephilim
https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/hebrew-bible/who-are-the-nephilim/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephilim