When people think of megaliths, their first thought is often of “standing stones” or menhirs. (In Portuguese: menir) These are large stones, often carved into a cylindrical or conical shape. They can stand individually or in groups, called cromlechs. Many menhirs in Portugal were toppled sometime in antiquity. Menhirs that are seen standing have often been re-erected by archaeologists. Some menhirs have been moved from private land into museums.
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Cromeleque de Vale d’El Rei
Also known as: Cromeleque do Monte da Têra, Cromeleque do Monte das Figueiras, Recinto Megalítico de Vale d’El Rei Walking among these perfectly arranged stones on an Alentejo hilltop, you can almost feel the ancientness of the land. These stones were placed here six or seven thousand years ago, and likely were being used and…
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Cromeleque da Portela de Mogos
Also known as: Cromeleque da Portela de Modos Walk up the small hill, through the Alentejo cork oak forest. The wind blows through the trees, rustling the leaves. Up ahead, stand a group of still grey shapes. These stones have stood here for millennia, both upright and laying down. Once again they stand tall, dwarfed…
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Menires do Alto da Cruz
Also known as: Cruciforme Megalítico do Alto da Cruz, Cromeleque Cruciforme do Alto da Cruz English translation: “Menhirs of Peak of the Cross”, or “Megalithic Cross-Shape…” or “Cross-Shaped Cromlech…” The wind blows gently through the trees and grass on the top of the Alentejan hill. On a cement block stands a tall geodesic marker. The…
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Menir da Meada
Under the bright blue Alentejo sky, the stone pillar points straight up to heaven. Walk around it, feel the solid stone under your fingertips. Realize that multiple millennia ago, people carved this stone into a spear-shaped phallus and planted it upright into the soil. A human erection thrusting to the heavens, it persists and impresses…
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Menir do Padrão
Standing tall on a hillside in the Algarve, this solitary menir bears witness to the vast stretches of time between us and the earliest occupation of this land by people, over seven thousand years ago. This menir is a tall stone of white limestone, the only one standing of a group that originally might have…