Category: Civil Architecture > Museum
District: Aveiro > Albergaria-a-Velha > Taco > Zona Industrial de Albergaria-a-Velha
Situated in the locality of Taco, in the municipality of Albergaria-a-Velha, this site is set within a unique environment. The Mamoas do Taco emerge against the backdrop of an industrial zone, creating a remarkable contrast between modern activity and the ancient nature of these structures.
This location highlights its singularity in Portugal, where megalithic monuments thousands of years old coexist side by side with industrial facilities, inviting reflection on the passage of time.
The Mamoas do Taco represent important vestiges of the Neolithic period, dating back approximately 6000 years. They are ancient collective burial sites, originally formed by stone chambers that were later covered with earth, creating the mounds observed today.
These monuments served as burial places for the communities of that time, preserving the rituals and beliefs of our most remote ancestors and offering a glimpse into their funerary and social practices.
Among the structures that comprise the complex, Mamoa 1 stands out as a notable example of prehistoric funerary architecture in Central-Northern Portugal. Archaeological interventions have allowed its secrets to be unveiled, revealing a simple chamber where it is believed important figures of the community once rested.
Inside, traces of offerings were discovered, such as polished stone axes and flint objects, which provide clues about the rituals practiced there. A particular find was a hand millstone, possibly used to grind a red pigment, perhaps for rituals or paintings that would adorn the orthostats (vertical stones).
The most distinctive aspect of Mamoa 1 are the engravings that adorn the funerary chamber. In this space, which would have been dark and accessible to few, torchlight would reveal a composition of concentric arcs engraved on one of the stones, through careful pecking work, creating a fascinating visual effect. Other, more discreet engravings can also be observed on other surfaces.
These drawings connect the Mamoas do Taco to a current of Atlantic Art, present from the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula to the British Isles, with parallels in places such as the megalithic monument of Gavrinis in Brittany and in Irish dolmens.
Mamoa 3 offers a different perspective, being considered one of the most enigmatic burial sites of the region's prehistory. Recent archaeological studies have allowed a new interpretation of the monument, suggesting a history in two distinct phases.
Initially, in the Late Neolithic, a funerary chamber covered by a large mound was constructed. However, about two millennia later, during the Chalcolithic or early Bronze Age, this chamber was altered by new communities who introduced different funerary rituals, building a small wall in the central space where the chamber had existed. Although no human bones have been identified, it is thought that bodies were deposited in pits opened within this enclosure.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 40.7070726,-8.4952496
Coordinates DMS: 40°42'25.5"N 08°29'42.9"W
Weather Taco
On-duty Pharmacy Taco
