Six menhirs at the Herdade dos Perdigões or Cromeleque dos Perdigões

Category: Archaeology > Menhir

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

Location and Access

Located 2 km from Reguengos de Monsaraz, to the Northeast, on an elevation in the megalithic plain of Reguengos.

Extensive area of 16 hectares, within the Herdade dos Perdigões estate.

Structures and Monuments

Enclosure of ditches, residential spaces and funerary monuments dating from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods.

Highlight for a group of menhirs to the East, classified as Property of Public Interest.

Archaeological Diversity

Ditches with varied shapes, including linear, sinuous and palisade, demarcating different areas.

Underground and semi-underground tombs, orthostatic corridors and chambers for burials.

Woodhenge and Astronomical Observatory

Unique structure of circular supports for wooden pieces, considered a Woodhenge.

Possible ceremonial and astronomical function, such as British and European observatories.

Archaeological Findings

Artifacts of chipped and polished stone, decorative ceramics, bone elements and traces of fauna.

Pieces in marble, limestone, amber, gold, flint and ivory, including anthropomorphic and zoomorphic idols.

History and Significance

Occupation from the mid-fourth millennium to the third millennium BC, being an important cultural and religious center.

Abandoned due to social and cosmological changes, highlighting the Woodhenge dated between 2800 and 2600 BC.

Recent Discoveries

Discovery of parts of human skulls in 2015, reinforcing the ritualistic and funerary character of the place.

Recognized as a National Monument in 2019 due to its historical and scientific importance.

Visit to the Archaeological Museum

Museum in the Torre do Esporão, 5 km away, exhibits artifacts and information about the Perdigões Complex.

Exhibition inaugurated in Madrid, highlighting idols and artifacts from Perdigões.

Public Access and Special Events

In July, the Open Day at Perdigões takes place, providing public access to the archaeological site.

In 2020, the discovery of an important structure, revealing continued research and findings in the area.

Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complexo_Arqueológico_dos_Perdigões

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