Also known as: Gravuras Rupestres da Matança, Gravuras Rupestres de Suvidade English name: Rock Engravings of Afife Along the wide trail, pilgrims walk determinedly along the Caminho de Santiago. Few pay attention to the stones beside the trail. These stones have lain here for millions of years, and for many thousands of years they held …
Walk along the road through the industrial area of Taco, in the town of Albergaria-a-Velha, and if you keep your eyes peeled you may see something intriguing. Beside a bakery factory, two empty spaces contain low mounds each with a notice board beside them. These are funerary structures that people built here around six thousand …
A fallen and broken stone, originally part of a menhir or standing stone. The stone is broken, and is lying beside the road as part of a stone border. It very likely was originally situated somewhere else, possibly in a field. The museum in Portimão has a display that says this is a “large monolith” …
In Portuguese: Museu de Vila do Bispo, also known as: Celeiro da História (“The Granary of History”) Come into this restored granary, and walk through the history of the region. From dinosaurs to the modern day, a carefully and artistically designed space guides you through the huge spaces of the old warehouses, teaching you and …
Standing alone in a private garden, this stone proudly displays ancient carvings. (photographs graciously provided by one of our readers) This is a cylindrical menir, with the top broken. It is decorated with vertical bands of carved waving lines. (Serpentiform?) The menir was re-erected on the site where it was found by the landowner. Menir …
This little stone stands peacefully in an urban environment. Having been moved from its original location, it now serves as an enigmatic reminder to passers-by that people had lived here and built markers like this many thousands of years ago. (photographs graciously provided by one of our readers) This was apparently found in the area …
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 …
Also known as: Menires da Pedra Escorregadia, Sepultura da Pedra Escorregadia, Necrópole da Pedra Escorregadia Stand on the hilltop, and listen to the cars racing past on the road below. On this hill, the stones have stood still for many thousands of years. Looking around the view, you can see to the ocean in several …
Two groups: Cromeleque de Amantes 1, Cromeleque de Amantes 2 (also known as Menires de Amantes 2) Walking around the field, several large stones stand out. They’re toppled over and broken, but their smoothed cylindrical shape belies their origins: these are shaped stones, made into menires (Portuguese spelling), or standing stones, thousands of years ago. …
Standing sentinel above the fields around Sagres and Vila do Bispo, the conical menir (the common English term is “menhir“) seems the solitary example of prehistoric megalithic construction in the area. But look more closely in the area, and you will find remnants of its original neighbours. Look around again and imagine the area dotted …