Also known as: Anta do Zurrague, Anta do Azurrague 1
This anta (dolmen) is currently (from 2024) being excavated by archaeologists on a project titled MEDICE (Memórias, Dinâmicas e Cenários da Pré-história à Época Romana). There are few known antas in the area, and few published reports of this anta.
The anta has been seriously disturbed. Only a few of the upright stones from the chamber are in situ, many fallen. There are traces of a low entrance corridor, directed to the East. During excavation some stone tools and human and animal bones were recovered.1
The notice, as well as published reports, identifies it as dating to 4,500 to 2000 BC.
Location
The anta is in the district of Santarém, municipality of Ourém, parish of Alburitel. It’s in a vinyard along a dirt road. (It’s just below the IC9 motorway, and can be seen from the eastbound lanes.)
Coordinates: 39.642535263115455, -8.509966657392376
Access
You can reach the anta along dirt roads. It is an active archaeological site. As the sign says, please don’t touch or move anything in the site. “Take care of it as if it was yours.”
Signage
There are no directions or signs leading to the anta. There is a notice posted next to it along the dirt road.
The description says: “The first stone architectures were related to beliefs and cults. This is an example, where the first deposits were in the Neolithic, before 4000 BC. It is a funerary monument, with remains of various individuals, adults and children. Associated with the interment were also placed animals, votive offerings, and other stone artefacts. This site is absolutely important, whether for its antiquity or for its uniqueness (the only known site in the municipality of Ourém).”
Links
- Entry (in English) in the Megalithic Portal
- Information (in Portuguese) from the parish of Alburitel
- Website (in Portuguese) of project MEDICE
- View of the anta from the IC9 motorway on Google StreetView
- Description (in Portuguese) from Archaeologist’s Portal of Directorate-General of Cultural Heritage
Nearby
There are few identified prehistoric sites in the area. The closest would be the complexes of Rego da Murta and Vale de Laje (each about 30km away).
Sources
- Figueiredo, A., Monteiro, C., Silveira Martins, A. A., Alves, D., Cruz, C., Ferreira, J., Peliano, S., & Ferreira, A. (2025). THE AZURRAGUE DOLMEN in the Context of Megalithism in Alto Ribatejo. Em Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium Megalithic monuments and Cult Practices. Editorial Board of South–West University. Bulgary. Preprint. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15252237 ↩︎