MEGALITHIC MONUMENTS IN ALENTEJO
There are many megalithic sites in Portugal, which rank with those of France and Great Britain for quality, state of preservation, and mysteriousness. The stone circles or enclosures are wonderful, and the dolmens (called "antas" by the Portuguese) can be very impressive.
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. The word megalithic describes structures made of such large stones, utilizing an interlocking system without the use of mortar or concrete.
The construction of these structures took place mainly in the Neolithic (10,000-4,000 BC) and continued into the Bronze Age (3,330-1,100 BC).
Megalithic Itineraries around Camping Rosário
Dolmens (or Antas): they are the most characteristic megalithic monuments, massive tombs consisting of large stones - the studs - forming a chamber covered with a slab - the cap or hat - with access through a narrow corridor formed by aligned stones and sometimes covered. An unusual feature of the dolmens of Alentejo is their entrance orientation, which is very consistently east-southeast. These funerary monuments could house isolated graves or contain several. Next to each corpse were placed objects, small idols belonging to the agro-pastoral tradition of the final Neolithic communities. After corpses were deposited and religious rituals performed, these structures were covered with stones and earth and the entrance closed with a slab – to form the mound (túmulo).
Menhirs: a menhir is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably, but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top.
Cromlechs: a cromlech is a group of diverse menhirs arranged in one or more circles, ellipses, rectangles or semicircle. These monuments have been associated with the cult of the stars and nature, a place of religious rituals and tribal meeting.