Category: Archaeology > Dolmen
District: Évora > Évora > Monte Valeira > Valeira
The Anta da Moita do Gato is integrated into the rural landscape of the Valeira area, in the locality of Monte Valeira, within the municipality of Évora. Situated in a calm and isolated environment, a visit allows for an immersion in the characteristic serenity of the deep Alentejo.
Its rural location, far from more urbanized areas, helps one feel the monument's antiquity and its connection to the surrounding land, offering a peaceful experience in contact with nature and history.
This monument, the Anta da Moita do Gato, dates back to a very ancient era, known as the Megalithic Age, more precisely to the Neo-Chalcolithic period. It was built by communities that inhabited this region thousands of years ago, using large stones as construction materials.
It represents an example of the megalithism phenomenon that developed in the Évora area, serving primarily as a burial and commemoration site for these ancestral populations.
Upon visiting the site, one primarily observes the central chamber, which was intended for burials. This chamber is defined by seven large vertical stones, or "orthostats", arranged in a circle or polygon, which supported a large capstone, the capstone.
Besides the chamber, some of the orthostats that formed the corridor providing access to the monument's interior are visible, giving an idea of the grandeur of the original structure of this ancient funerary construction.
The Anta da Moita do Gato is a fascinating testimony to human presence and its ritual and funerary practices in prehistoric times in the region. It is more than a mere accumulation of stones; it is a cultural and historical landmark embedded in the Alentejo landscape, connecting us to a remote past.
A visit offers an opportunity to contemplate the ingenuity and beliefs of the communities that built these imposing monuments, while enjoying the peaceful and rural atmosphere of the site.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 38.6378166,-8.0038266
Coordinates DMS: 38°38'16.1"N 08°00'13.8"W
Weather Monte Valeira
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