Name: Antas do Barrocal
Address: PT

Overview

The Antas do Barrocal, also known as the Antas Herdade do Barrocal, are a set of Neolithic dolmens, or megalithic funeral chambers, at Monte do Barrocal, in the parish of Nossa Senhora da Tourega, Évora District, in the Alentejo region of Portugal. They lie in an area with a high concentration of megalithic sites and have been classified as a National Monument since 1910.

Nine dolmens have been identified, but only two (Numbers 1 and 2) are more than remnants, and only Number 1 can be visited.

Anta do Barrocal 1 was constructed between the beginning of the fourth and the middle of the third millennium BC. It is a dolmen built with seven coarse-grained granite pillars, of which five are in their original position, each just over 2 metres high. They create a polygonal burial chamber with a diameter of about three metres, covered by an almost intact capstone. There is an access chamber, although it has been destroyed and only two broken stones remain. No remains survive of the tumulus that is likely to have covered the chamber. The dolmen is oriented east-west.

Anta do Barrocal 2 lies one hundred metres west of Anta 1, on private land with no access. It was originally essentially identical to Anta 1. Its capstone is no longer in place, having fallen off quite recently.

Antas do Barrocal

Overview

The site's dated range, placed against world reference points.