This Neolithic stone stands again in a park, slightly removed from its original position. Whatever its original purpose, it now stands as a focal point in an urban environment.
(photographs graciously provided by one of our readers)
According to a post from the Museum of Portimão, this menhir was found fractured, lying on its side in the area. An archaeological excavation was undertaken in 2007, and it was then restored and re-erected in the park. This is to the west of where it was originally found.
There are four engraved circles on the menhir.
This is considered one of the two menhirs of Vale de França.1
Location
The menhir is in the Algarve, district of Faro. It’s in the municipality of Portimão, in the city itself. It stands in a small city park in the São Sebastião neighbourhood.
Coordinates: 37.137258, -8.548272
Access
It’s located in a city park.
Signage
There are no signs indicating the significance of the stone.
Links
- Post (in Portuguese) on Facebook by the Museu de Portimão
- Article (in Portuguese) in the Oldgarve blog by archaeologist Ricardo Soares
Nearby
There are many menhirs in the region. There are at least two others within the city of Portimão itself: the Menir de Vale da França, and the Pedra Moirinha. You can find out more about the prehistory of Portimão (including the exceptional megalithic tombs of Alcalar) at the Museum of Portimão.
Sources
- Mateus, Artur, et al. “A Evolução Da Arqueologia Urbana E a Valorização Patrimonial No Barlavento Algarvio: Os Casos de Portimão E Silves.” Arqueologia Em Portugal: 2020 – Estado Da Questão, 2020, pp. 129–144, https://doi.org/10.21747/978-989-8970-25-1/arqa09. ↩︎
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