Category: Civil Architecture > Museum
District: Lisboa > Mafra > Milharado > Brejos da Roussada
Situated in the town of Milharado, in the municipality of Mafra, the Tholos of Tituaria is located in the Brejos da Roussada area. This location, although close to more urbanized areas, offers an environment for introspection and contact with the landscape, allowing visitors a tranquil experience of discovery. The monument is set within a context that invites reflection on the ancient human presence in this region.
The Tholos of Tituaria is an imposing prehistoric funerary monument that transports us directly to the Chalcolithic period, also known as the Copper Age. This site was conceived as a necropolis, serving as a testament to the burial rituals and beliefs of the communities that inhabited this area thousands of years ago. Its existence represents a fascinating window into the social and spiritual complexity of the peoples who preceded us.
Archaeological investigations conducted at the site, particularly during the 1970s, were fundamental in unraveling the secrets of this collective tomb. The work allowed for a deeper understanding of its structure and its relevance to the history of the region, consolidating its status as a point of interest in Mafra's cultural landscape.
The architecture of the Tholos of Tituaria is characteristic of the megalithic construction type known as tholos, presenting a clear composition: an access atrium, a connecting corridor, and a circular chamber within. The way in which the large stone slabs were arranged to create these spaces demonstrates the remarkable technical knowledge and organizational capacity of the communities of the time, evidencing an ancestral engineering.
One of the most distinctive and enigmatic aspects of this monument are the engraved cup marks on some of the slabs forming the corridor. These small indentations, whose function and meaning are still objects of study and debate among archaeologists, add a unique artistic and symbolic dimension to this millennial construction, inviting careful observation and imagination regarding the intentions of its creators.
The history of the Tholos of Tituaria's use is revealed in two distinct phases of occupation and reuse over time. The first corresponds to the early or middle Chalcolithic, a period of great prehistoric dynamism. Subsequently, the monument was re-utilized by communities associated with the Bell Beaker culture, at the end of the Chalcolithic, attesting to its continuous importance as a place of memory and ritual.
Artifacts recovered from the archaeological excavations at the Tholos of Tituaria offer valuable insight into the lives of its ancient users. Among the finds are various objects, from flaked and polished stone tools to metallurgical elements and diverse pottery, including fragments of the iconic Bell Beaker vessels. These material remains are crucial for understanding the daily practices, exchange networks, and artistic expressions of the prehistoric peoples who marked this site with their presence.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 38.94175,-9.208
Coordinates DMS: 38°56'30.3"N 09°12'28.8"W
Weather Milharado
On-duty Pharmacy Milharado
