Tomb carved in rock.

Category: Archaeology > Grave

District: Portalegre > Castelo de Vide > Castelo de Vide > Santiago Maior

What Are Rock-Cut Graves?

They are very ancient burial sites that were created by digging directly into natural rock. They were not built with loose stones but rather carved into the rocky ground.

This type of grave represents a specific way people in the past buried their dead.

Where to Find Them in the Nisa Area

Traces of rock-cut graves, like the one you are looking for, exist in several parts of the municipality of Nisa.

Generally, they appear in areas where the rock is softer or more accessible for carving.

What Period Do They Belong To?

In the Nisa region, this type of grave is frequently associated with historical periods ranging from the late Roman era to the early Middle Ages.

This includes periods such as the Visigothic or Mozarabic (a period when Christians lived under Muslim rule), showing funerary practices from many centuries ago.

Appearance of the Graves

These graves can vary in their shape. Some have a contour that approximates the human form (they are called anthropomorphic).

Others have simpler shapes, such as rectangular or oval.

Their size varies, but they are generally made to accommodate one or, sometimes, more people.

Why They Are Important

They are important because they give us clues about the populations that lived in the Nisa area in very ancient times.

They reveal the funerary customs and beliefs of these ancient communities.

They constitute an interesting element of the region's archaeological heritage.

By observing these vestiges, it is possible to imagine a little about the life and death of those who inhabited this territory more than a thousand years ago.

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