Archaeological Complex of Perdigões

Category: Archaeology > Complex

District: Évora > Reguengos de Monsaraz > Caridade > Bairro dos 14 Fogos

Location

Situated in the tranquil landscape of Alentejo, the Archaeological Complex of Perdigões is located in the area of Bairro dos 14 Fogos, belonging to the locality of Caridade, in the municipality of Reguengos de Monsaraz. The site is situated on a gentle elevation, a kind of natural amphitheatre that opens to the east, providing a comprehensive view over the vast Alentejo plain, where other megalithic remains abound.

The complex is predominantly located within the Herdade dos Perdigões, on olive grove land, which provides it with an isolated and serene rural setting, inviting an immersive experience into the history and ancestral landscape of the region.

A Glimpse into the Most Remote Past

This complex dates back to a fascinating period of Prehistory, encompassing the Neolithic and Chalcolithic eras, between approximately 3400 and 2000 BC. For over a millennium, this site flourished as an important centre for the communities of the region, serving not only as a living space but especially as a hub for rituals and symbolic practices.

Archaeological evidence suggests that the Perdigões Complex was a meeting and worship point, attracting people from various parts of the Iberian Peninsula for celebrations and ceremonies related to life and death. Its historical and cultural importance led to its classification as a National Monument, in recognition of its monumental dimensions, good state of preservation, and the exceptional nature of the materials collected here.

The Millenary Structures

The Perdigões Complex stands out for its remarkable ancient architecture, composed of a set of vast enclosures delimited by ditches of various shapes, some linear and others sinuous, extending over a considerable area. One of the most unique discoveries is a circular structure known as "Woodhenge," more than twenty meters in diameter, formed by concentric circles of large posts or wooden trunks.

This monumental construction, which predates the famous Stonehenge in the United Kingdom, is one of the first examples of its kind in the Iberian Peninsula, and suggests a deep connection of prehistoric populations to celestial cycles, with its entrance possibly aligned with the summer solstice. In addition to these enclosures, the complex includes an elaborate necropolis, with underground and semi-underground funerary monuments, where burials took place, as well as deposits with remains of human cremations, a rarer practice for the time. There are also menhirs, some currently toppled, which were part of an ancient circular alignment, with one of the menhirs featuring a set of cup marks, a peculiar characteristic in regional megalithism.

Testimonies of an Ancient Society

Excavations at Perdigões have revealed an exceptional archaeological collection, offering a detailed glimpse into the life and beliefs of the communities that lived here. Flaked and polished stone tools, such as blades and axes, were found, as well as a large quantity of pottery of various shapes and decorations, including the unique Bell Beaker pottery, and faunal remains that attest to their diet.

However, what is most surprising is the presence of exotic materials, such as marble, amber, gold, and, notably, ivory. The ivory artefacts include anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figurines, the so-called idols, of admirable beauty and naturalism. These finds are a testament to connections with distant trade networks, which extended to the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, and to the cultural sophistication of these prehistoric people of Alentejo. The Perdigões complex holds the largest known concentration of prehistoric ivory in Portugal, underscoring its importance in the European context of the time.

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