Herdade da Candeeira Dolmen

Category: Archaeology > Dolmen

District: Évora > Redondo > Candeeira > Courelas da Arnalha

Location

The Anta da Herdade da Candeeira is integrated into the Alentejo rural landscape, in the area of Courelas da Arnalha, belonging to the locality of Candeeira, in the municipality of Redondo. It is located on a gentle slope, part of the soft plateaus before the steeper ravines of Serra d'Ossa. Its isolated position, overlooking a stream, provides a harmonious setting with the surrounding natural environment, characteristic of Herdade da Candeeira.

Mark of Time

This monument dates back to the Neolithic period, having been erected between the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE, which means it is between 5,000 and 6,000 years old. Its original function was to serve as a funerary structure, a collective burial site for the prehistoric communities that inhabited this region, bearing witness to ritual and social practices from very ancient times.

Megalithic Architecture

Built with large schist slabs, the anta features a typical structure of the region's megalithism. It is composed of a polygonal funerary chamber, which still retains its heavy capstone, and an access corridor, although of the latter only a few more buried orthostats remain visible. The chamber, with a diameter of about 3 meters at the base, reaches approximately 180 cm in height across its seven still-standing orthostats. The complex was originally covered by a mamoa, an artificial mound of earth and stones, whose circular vestiges can still be observed around it, with a diameter of about 5 meters.

The Enigma of the Orifice

One of the most unique elements that sparks the most curiosity in this anta is the small quadrangular opening, approximately 20 by 20 cm, carved into one of the chamber's orthostats. Popularly known as the "Soul's Hole", its exact function is a subject of debate among researchers. While it is speculated that it could be related to rituals or other uses beyond its original funerary purpose, its precise age in relation to the construction of the anta, whether it was made at the same time or later, also constitutes a point of discussion in the archaeological community. This peculiarity made the Anta da Candeeira particularly interesting for the early scholars of megalithism in the region.

Classified Monument

The importance of this anta in the context of Alentejo megalithism was first recognized in the late 19th century by Gabriel Pereira. Due to its archaeological and historical value, the monument received the classification of National Monument in 1910, ensuring its protection and preservation for future generations.

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