Category: Archaeology > Dolmen
District: Évora > Montemor-o-Novo > São Geraldo > Nossa Senhora da Vila, Nossa Senhora do Bispo e Silveiras
The Anta do Estanque is located in the small village of São Geraldo, part of the municipality of Montemor-o-Novo, in Alentejo. This prehistoric monument is situated in a very peculiar way, as it is built against a more recently constructed house, creating an interesting superposition of eras and structures in the heart of the village.
Its presence amidst the houses of São Geraldo is a testament to the long history of human occupation in this region, where the distant past unexpectedly manifests itself in daily life.
This site is a remnant of the Megalithic era, a remote period of prehistory. The Anta do Estanque was erected between 4000 BC and 3000 BC, originally functioning as a funerary monument.
It was a place intended for collective burial, demonstrating the practices and beliefs of the communities that inhabited this area thousands of years ago. Its construction with large stone blocks, or orthostats, reflects the technical capacity and social organization of these ancient peoples.
The particularity of the Anta do Estanque lies in its unusual integration with a later construction. Parts of the original dolmen were incorporated into the structure of a house built in the 19th century.
This superposition of times makes the Anta do Estanque a remarkable example of how ancestral monuments can coexist and even be adapted or absorbed by the life and constructions of much more recent eras.
The dolmen is composed of a polygonal-plan funerary chamber. It is still possible to observe seven of its original orthostats, some of which are currently integrated into the walls of the 19th-century house attached to it.
The capstone, the large stone that would originally have covered the chamber, remains in place. Although the tumulus (the mound of earth and stones that usually covered these structures) is not preserved, one of the orthostats that belonged to the corridor giving access to the chamber still survives.
Due to its antiquity, its historical significance as a testament to megalithism, and its unique integration into the built environment, the Anta do Estanque is recognized as a site of relevance. It is classified as a Site of Public Interest, which underscores its importance for cultural heritage.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 38.76493302868865, -8.194104328312083
Coordinates DMS: 38°45'53.8"N 08°11'38.8"W
On-duty Pharmacy São Geraldo
