Barreira Megalithic Complex

Category: Nature > Reserva natural

District: Lisboa > Sintra > Odrinhas > Barreira

Location

The Barreira Megalithic Complex is located in a rural area of the Sintra municipality, in the locality of Odrinhas. It is situated on top of a small hill, a spot that offers a broad perspective of the surrounding landscape, encompassing the Sintra Mountains and the coastline.

Its integration into a natural environment, amidst shrubs and some vegetation, gives it a sense of discovery, almost like a treasure untouched by the passage of time.

Ancestral Stones

This millennia-old site is composed of about two dozen monoliths, large stones erected vertically in the ground. Made of limestone, these stones have diverse shapes, from the more prismatic to the cylindrical, and their heights vary, with some reaching approximately four meters.

The arrangement of these elements on the terrain is apparently irregular, although some formations suggest possible alignments or even circular configurations, inviting careful observation and imagination about their original purpose.

Mystery and Meaning

The exact origin and purpose of the Barreira Megalithic Complex remain shrouded in some mystery. These monoliths, dating back to the megalithic period, were initially associated with religious purposes or a type of ancient sanctuary. Although most are considered human creations, there is archaeological debate as to whether some of the elements might be natural rock outcrops that were utilized by prehistoric communities for their imposing presence in the landscape.

One of the few observable features on the stones are small circular cavities, which some interpret as representations of eyes, adding a layer of symbolism to these ancestral structures and their connection to the cosmos of the civilizations that erected them.

Testimony of Remote Eras

The area surrounding the Barreira Megalithic Complex has revealed evidence of continuous human presence over millennia. Archaeological findings in the vicinity, such as Lower Paleolithic flint artefacts and ceramic fragments from the Neolithic and Iron Age, suggest that this site was of lasting importance to various communities that inhabited here, evidencing a reuse of the site over time.

Recognizing its inestimable value, the Barreira Megalithic Complex was classified as a Property of Public Interest in 1993, a testament to its cultural and historical relevance in the Portuguese archaeological landscape. Currently, the complex is recognized as a historical-cultural landmark, inviting reflection on the civilizations that preceded us and their relationship with the land and the cosmos.

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