Melriça Dolmen

Category: Archaeology > Dolmen

District: Portalegre > Castelo de Vide > Santiago Maior

Location

Located in Santiago Maior, on the outskirts of Castelo de Vide, the Anta da Melriça (Melriça Dolmen) is set in a broad, rural landscape. It is situated on a plateau, in open terrain, offering a sense of space and tranquility. In a way, it allows for observation of the surrounding landscape, including views of the village.

The site is integrated into the Serra de São Mamede Protected Area, which contributes to the preservation of its natural environment.

A Vestige of Megalithism

This dolmen dates back to the Megalithic Era, a very ancient period of prehistory. It is estimated to have been built between 3500 and 2000 BC, during the Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods. Its original function was funerary, serving as a collective burial site for the communities that inhabited the region at that time.

Due to its importance as a testament to this distant past, the Anta da Melriça has been recognized and protected as a National Monument since 1910.

The Imposing Nature of the Stones

The structure of the Anta da Melriça is impressive due to the size of the stones used. It is formed by large granite blocks, called orthostats, which delimit the burial chamber. Although there are currently four larger orthostats forming part of the chamber and two lower ones at the entrance, it is known that originally there would have been seven.

A massive triangular slab serves as the chamber's capstone. Around the structure, smaller stones are observed, suggesting the original existence of a 'mamoa' (a mound of stones and earth) that would have covered the dolmen, a characteristic that makes it unique and distinguishes it from other dolmens in the region.

A Millennia-Old Testimony in the Landscape

Visiting the Anta da Melriça is an opportunity to observe a physical testament to very distant times. The stones, placed there thousands of years ago, remain as a historical and cultural landmark in the Alentejo landscape.

Feeling the scale of the monument and imagining who built it and for what purpose, allows for a connection with the region's prehistory. It is a place that invites reflection on the passage of time and the marks that ancient communities left on this territory.

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