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Great Dolmen of Zambujeiro ( pt, Anta Grande do Zambujeiro) is a
megalithic A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea. The ...
monument located in Nossa Senhora da Tourega, near Valverde, in the
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
of
Évora Évora ( , ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. It has 53,591 inhabitants (2021), in an area of 1307.08 km2. It is the historic capital of the Alentejo and serves as the seat of the Évora District. Due to its well-preserved old t ...
, considered one of the biggest such structures in the
Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
.


History

Research has dated this dolmen structure to between 4000-3000 B.C., concurrent with the megalithic construction associated with the region of Évora. It is linked to the dolmen culture of the ''Anta Grande da Comenda da Igreja'' (''Great Dolmen of Comenda da Igreja'' in the municipality of
Montemor-o-Novo Montemor-o-Novo () is a municipality in the District of Évora in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 17,437, in an area of 1232.97 km2. The city itself had a population of 8,928 in 2001. The present Mayor is Olímpio Manuel Vidigal Galvão, ...
. In 1965, there were archaeological excavations completed by Henrique Leonor Pina, resulting in the discovery of a number of artefacts that were transferred to the museum of Évora. These excavations, which created some controversy (due to techniques used to examine the structure), unearthed slate tablets, necklaces,
crosier A crosier or crozier (also known as a paterissa, pastoral staff, or bishop's staff) is a stylized staff that is a symbol of the governing office of a bishop or abbot and is carried by high-ranking prelates of Roman Catholic, Eastern Cathol ...
s, copper objects, ceramics and carinated bowls. Due to its importance, the ''Great Dolmen of Zambujeiro'' ( pt, Anta Grande do Zambujeiro) was declared a
national monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a spec ...
by the Portuguese government in 1971 (Decree-Law No.516/71, 22 November 1971). With fears of deterioration of the archaeological site, a metallic enclosure was constructed to protect the site (1983). A secondary series of excavations were completed between 1989-1990, under the direction of Carlos Tavares da Silva (although there have been no publications on its results).


Architecture

The Great Dolmen is located one kilometre north of the historical Convent of Bom Jesus of Valverde, in the civil parish of Nossa Senhora da Tourega, around ''Herdade da Mitra'' (Valverde). This monument illustrates the organizational and technical capabilities of the Neolithic settlements and cultural groups of the period. Consists of an irregular free-standing plan, composed of a single-chamber, articulated horizontal body with polygonal chamber and rectangular corridor. The funerary chamber and access corridor are covered by size-specific slabs of rock: large granite slabs over the funerary chamber and smaller rock slabs on the entrance corridor. The principal face, orientated towards the east, is constituted by the projection of the corridor over the chamber face. The remaining façades are obstructed by the observation mound, which still covers almost the entire structure except for the eastern side. The polygonal chamber, consisting of seven 8 metre-high pillars, is followed by smaller 2 metre-high slabs forming a 12 metre long (1.5 metre wide) corridor. The 7 metre coverage slab (acting as a roof), lies broken on the mound, with a sag on its western edge. The entrance was marked by a large
menhir A menhir (from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large human-made upright stone, typically dating from the European middle Bronze Age. They can be found ...
, decorated with dimples, which is now lying on the ground.


References

;Notes ;Sources * * *


Related links

*
Almendres Cromlech The Cromlech of the Almendres ( pt, Cromeleque dos Almendres/Cromeleque na Herdade dos Almendres) is a megalithic complex (commonly known as the ''Almendres Cromlech''), located 4.5 road km WSW of the village of Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, in the ...
*
Megalithic A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea. The ...
*
Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several part ...


External links


Anta Grande do Zambujeiro at The Megalithic PortalMegalithomania Ancient-Wisdom: Online Resource CentreGEMA - Grupo de Estudos do Megalitismo Alentejano
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anta Grande Do Zambujeiro Great Dolmen Zambujeira Great Dolmen Zambujeiro Great Dolmen Zambujeiro Great Dolmen Zambujeiro Tourist attractions in Évora District