Tapir Pinheiro of Hugs

Category: Archaeology > Dolmen

District: Coimbra > Oliveira do Hospital > Bobadela > Pinheiro dos Abraços

Location

The Anta Pinheiro dos Abraços is located in the area known as Pinheiro dos Abraços, in the locality of Bobadela, belonging to the municipality of Oliveira do Hospital. This monument is set in a predominantly rural environment, characterized by the presence of a tranquil pine forest. Its location offers a serene setting, ideal for those seeking direct contact with history in a natural landscape.

A Prehistoric Legacy

This remarkable megalithic monument dates back to a period of approximately 6,000 years ago, having been erected during the Neolithic period. It served as a collective burial site, where a limited number of individuals were interred. Archaeological findings at the site, such as arrowheads, blades, axes, and necklace beads, along with various ceramic fragments, offer a glimpse into the practices and culture of the communities that inhabited this region in such remote times. There are indications that, after initial use, the monument was sealed and reused centuries later, revealing different phases of its history.

Structure and Remains

The anta consists of a chamber of considerable dimensions and a long access corridor. Originally, the chamber had eight large orthostats that supported it, of which five are still visible. The entire structure was, in the past, enveloped by a mamoa, an artificial mound of stones and earth. Although some of the slabs that once covered its internal structure no longer exist, what remains still allows one to understand the grandeur of this ancestral funerary construction, built mainly of granite.

The Name and the Environment

The name "Pinheiro dos Abraços" has a curious origin, linked to the memory of a gigantic pine tree that existed on the site. It is said that seven men would be needed to embrace it, such was its size. Although this legendary pine tree is no longer present, the designation remains, evoking the ancient connection between the monument and the surrounding nature. The site remains a historical-cultural landmark and is classified as a Property of Public Interest, recognizing its inestimable value for national heritage.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt