Also known as: Anta de Vilarinho da Castanheira Picnic tables invite you to sit, rest, and refresh yourself. The pine trees sway and whisper softly in the breeze. Meanwhile, the ancient stone construction reminds you that people were here thousands of years ago, making their own special place. Look closely: what secrets might it hold? …
ALSO IDENTIFIED AS: Dólmen 2 (or Anta 2) de Chão Redondo, or Monumentos Megalíticos do Chão de Redondo From a distance, it doesn’t seem very extraordinary. There’s a remnant of the large mound of stone and earth which originally covered the prehistoric tomb. The tomb itself looks fairly typical of an average-sized neo-chalcolithic chamber tomb. …
Also known as: Anta da Herdade das Comendas It’s not a famous site, or one particularly noteworthy for archaeological artefacts. The farmer’s fence keeps you from walking in and around the stones. It’s easy to overlook while rushing down the road. But, if you take the time to stop and walk along the edge of …
Also known as: Anta de Vale Beiró & Antas (Grande & Pequeno) de Caminho da Fanica Driving along the N2, Portugal’s iconic “National Road #2,” you experience the richness of the country’s geography and history. Driving along the long stretches of Alentejo countryside, you might be tempted to speed up and get to the next …
Also known as: Anta do Outeiro de Santa Clara An anta (or dolmen) with a polygonal chamber, seven uprights and an intact capstone. Its corridor has two existing uprights and a covering stone to the side. It’s on private land the capstone is lined with small stones, probably from the nearby field. Perhaps the most …
Also known as: Antas da Tapada As you drive out of Pavia, heading towards Estremoz, it’s tempting to put the boot down and save time. But slow down and look to your left. Less than a kilometer out of town, lies a beautiful example of prehistoric architecture. Nestled under a tree, on a small hill, …
Also known as: Cromeleque do Monte das Fontainhas Velhas Standing above the flat sandy soil, the stones aim for the sky, pointing the way to heaven. Walking among them, feeling their smooth shapes and measuring their arrangement, one can only ponder their construction and purpose. Was this a temple? An astronomical marker? A social gathering …
In the quiet countryside of the Alto Alentejo, the water of the Santa Margarida stream flows slowly down to the Montargil reservoir. Along its banks, if you look carefully among the trees and bushes, lie two prehistoric tombs made of schist. They’ve endured some rough handling through the ages since they were built, both by …
ALSO KNOWN AS: Dólmen de Antelas, or in English: the painted dolmen of Antelas On a small dirt road, in the deep interior of central Portugal, rises a small hill. Go around to the back and you find that this is no normal hill: it is an artificial mound. A tumulus, or (in Portuguese) a …
ALSO: Anta da Cerca da Francisquinha There’s little left of the original construction of this tomb. It’s somewhat forlorn and tattered from age and raiding. However, it has been recently refurbished and it seems to sit a little more upright and enjoy its place on the top of a hill in the Algarve sunshine. It’s …