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Menhir and dolmen2/27/2023 Seen from the cromlech, the menhir indicates the sunrise in the summer solstice (the longest day of the year). Almendres Cromlech Evora (Photo Phillip Caper)Īlmendres Menhir is located very close to the Almendres Cromlech and they are both intimately connected. It is shaped like an elongated egg and has a crosier (staff) engraved in bas-relief on the top, clearly representing the importance of nature in neolithic times, especially in what the domestication of animals was concerned. The menhir in Monte dos Almendres is one of the many menhirs in Evora region. Don’t forget to respect the location, which has a striking magical aura. Have a picnic close by an enjoy the view over Evora. The place is very quiet and beautiful, surrounded by oak tree forests. It is extremely easy to find if you follow the road signs from the small village of Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe. Throughout the ages, there has been some remodelling and adding to the original horseshoe shaped blueprint. Nowadays, Almendres Cromlech, very close to Evora, has approximately 100 monoliths. Everybody has heard about the grand Stonehenge, in Britain… The Almendres monument is 2000 years older! It was built about 7000 years ago, when mankind in Western Europe was making the transition from hunter-gatherers to herders and farmers. The Almendres Megalithic settlement (or cromlech) is the biggest megalithic monument in the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest in the world. Megalithic Circuit in EvoraĪmong many other megalithic monuments around Evora, a few stand out for their importance and greatness. It also took into account astronomical phenomena related with the annual movement of Sun and Moon. The megalithic monuments (made up with big rocks) were then placed in Evora region because the plains in Alentejo were perfect for the last communities of hunter-gatherers to practise their way of living.īut the location of the prehistoric monuments, such as the Almendres Cromlech, was chosen not only because of the water network. That is why the region was an essential crossing point. The size and number of megalithic monuments in Evora are associated with the fact that this region is the only place where the hydrographical basins of Tagus, Sado and Guadiana touch each other (these are the longest rivers in the south of Portugal). Why so many megalithic monuments in Evora? In addition to these, there are about 100 rocks with dimples (their functionality is still a mystery). In Evora district alone, more than 10 megalithic enclosures, more than 100 isolated menhirs, about 800 dolmens and close to 450 megalithic settlements. So, it makes sense to talk about a Megalithic Circuit in Evora and consider this city as the capital of Iberian megalithic.Īfter you quietly sleep in a hotel in Evora, go for a drive through the fields around the city and discover some of the oldest monuments in Europe, up until Early Neolithic (5500-4500 BC). This prehistoric riches in Alentejo is one of the most important in the Iberian Peninsula and even in Europe. There are many megalithic monuments on the outskirts of Evora and throughout central Alentejo.
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