Barreira Megalithic Ensemble

Category: Archaeology > Megalithic Monuments

District: Lisboa > Sintra > Barreira > Odrinhas

Location

The Barreira Megalithic Complex is located in a rural and tranquil area, in the locality of Barreira, which is part of the Odrinhas area, in the municipality of Sintra. The site is positioned on top of a small elevation, offering a wide view over the surrounding landscape, from the imposing Serra de Sintra to the maritime horizon.

This positioning, amidst natural vegetation and trees, gives the site a serene atmosphere, inviting an experience of introspection and connection with the most remote past.

A Millennia-Old Legacy in Stone

This complex consists of two main menhirs, which stand out as vertical monoliths, meaning large stones erected in the ground by prehistoric peoples. These structures, predominantly limestone, exhibit remarkable shapes and dimensions, with one of the specimens reaching approximately four meters in height. Their placement in the terrain evokes the presence of ancient communities, who possibly attributed a special meaning to them.

The menhirs have distinct shapes, one with a more prismatic appearance and another more irregular, with rounded tops. Although speculation exists about an initial use for religious purposes or as funerary markers, the precise meaning of these structures still holds many mysteries. There are even investigations that question the purely human origin of some elements, suggesting they may be natural rock outcrops that were, however, utilized and integrated by ancient communities.

Testimonies of Other Eras

The Barreira Megalithic Complex is a fascinating testament to human presence in the region since ancient times. It was classified as an Imóvel de Interesse Público (Property of Public Interest) in 1993, a recognition of its importance for understanding the local prehistory. Its identification as a megalithic site only occurred in the mid-20th century, unveiling a location that, despite its antiquity, remained unknown for a long time.

The presence of older archaeological remains in the vicinity, such as Lower Paleolithic flint tools and Neolithic and Iron Age pottery fragments, indicates that this area was continuously visited and possibly used over millennia. This site thus offers a unique opportunity to observe these ancestral structures and reflect on the ways of life and beliefs of the communities that inhabited here.

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