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'The Iberian
Mesopotamia'. 'World Heritage City'.
The concentration of megaliths around Evora have given the region the
title of the 'Iberian Mesopotamia'. The area contains a diverse
selection of megaliths, and boasts cave-art (Arte Rupeste),
dating back to the Palaeolithic period in the
Gruta do Escoural.
As well as having one
of the oldest and largest stone-circles in Europe (Almendres), and the passage-mound
with the largest stones in Europe (Zambujeiro),
the region around Evora includes some of the best examples of megaliths
in Portugal, if not all Iberia.
Evora has been continuously occupied for
the last
20,000 years (1),
with some of the sites showing signs of re-use (such as at Almendres). The
significance of Evora is evident through its continued use over such a
long period of time, proving it to be one of the most important
megalithic locations in Iberia.
As with many of the European
megalithic complexes, the location of Evora is astronomically
significant.
In the case of Evora, it can be seen that
it is located on one of only two latitudes in the world at which, in
some nights of the year, you get the full moon on the zenith. The other
latitude is 51° 10' 42" N, the same as
Stonehenge.
(Click
here for map of the site)
Significant megaliths in the region:
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 Almendres (Stone Circle
and Menhir) - The site of one of the oldest stone circles
in Europe. With 92 remaining stones and several astronomical
associations, it is also one of the most significant stone
circles in Europe and a
site of natural beauty and presence.
The Almendres stone circle
has been shown to have both Equinoctial and Solstice
orientations and alignments, involving the nearby Menhir dos
Almendres and other sites. It is dated from the 5th to the 4th
Millennium B.C. (Ref: Site Plaque), and still has
visible engravings and designs visible on some of the stones.
(More about Almendres) |
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 The
'Anta Grande do Zambujeiro' - This
amazing passage mound rivals any in Europe. Although it has
been quarried heavily over the years, this has resulted in the
exposure of the inside structure, giving it the unique
appearance it has today.
The seven smoothed upright stones inside the Zambujeiro passage mound are the
largest in all Europe. The enormous cap-stone, now lies in pieces at the top and
has the appearance of either having been removed and broken, or having been
broken in the process of construction. Many of the artefacts discovered here are
now on view at the Museum of Evora.
The stones extend over 7m above ground
and the whole construction was covered by with a mound on-par with
Maes-howe or the Irish passage-mounds at
the Boyne Valley. The style of the
structure is unique to central Portugal and can be found at at least another
two sites Anta de San-Gens and Anta do Tapadao.
Zambujeiro is one of Portugal's treasures and a must for all lovers
of megaliths.
(Click here for
more about Zumbujeiro) |
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Gruta do Escoural -
Re-discovered in 1963, the earliest date of occupation in this
natural cave system is at around 50,000 years ago in the
middle Paleolithic. It was used repeatedly between 35,000 -
8,000 BC, and again in the Neolithic as a funerary chamber
(3).
There are
over 100 engravings and paintings in the caves from the
Palaeolithic period making it one of the most significant cave
systems in Portugal. There are two different types of images
in the caves;
some of a zoomorphic nature such as bovines and horses, and
the others abstract and geometric. |
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Anta Capela de Sao Brissos
- Constructed between the 3rd and 4th millenniums B.C.
This dolmen was converted in the XVII century into a chapel to
' Nossa Senhora do Livramento' or 'Anta-Capela de
Nossa Senhora do Livramento'.
The paint job on the dolmen adds to the eccentricity of the
monument, but the christianisation of this dolmen has
incidentally led to the protection of the site. A feature also
seen at the São Dinis dolmen in Pavia, Alentejo.
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Alignments - Three significant sites are aligned over 9 km
's : Gruta do Escoural, the Christianised 'Anta
Capela de S. Brissos', and the 'Necrópole de Vale Rodrigo'.
Astronomy -
The latitude is significant as it is only at this particular latitude
and one other (i.e. Stonehenge) at which the full moon can be seen on
the zenith at certain nights of the year. The specific location of two
of the largest Stone-circles in Europe at both of the latitudes where
this is possible suggests an element of deliberation on the part of
the builders.
Cromleque dos
Almendres: Apart from being orientated to mark the Equinoxes, a
line from the upper edge of the circle to the nearby Menhir dos
Almendres,
follows the same path as the winter solstice sun. It is also suggested that the number of stones in the
original circle (91) may have been used to measure the number of days
between solstices (182). (2)
(Other Portuguese sites)
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