Small Anta of the Fanica Path

Category: Archaeology > Dolmen

District: Santarém > Coruche > Couço > Herdade de Água Doce

Location

The Anta Pequena do Caminho da Fanica is situated in the area known as Herdade de Água Doce, near the village of Couço, within the municipality of Coruche. This dolmen is conveniently located right beside National Road 2, making it easily visible and accessible from the roadside. The surrounding environment is typical of the Alentejo landscape, vast and tranquil.

Traces of a Distant Past

This dolmen represents a remarkable trace of a very distant past in the region. It is estimated to have been built approximately 5000 years ago, falling within the Neolithic period, more specifically the 3rd millennium BC. It belongs to the set of megalithic monuments erected in the region, which likely served funerary or ritual functions for the communities that inhabited this territory at that time.

Characteristics and Form

The Anta Pequena stands out for its smaller dimensions compared to other dolmens in the area, measuring approximately 2 meters in diameter and 1.25 meters in height. Originally composed of seven vertical stone pillars, today four of these stones are observed on site, some significantly tilted inwards. Traces of the corridor that provided access to the chamber, oriented towards the east, can be identified, where a stone that would have served as a "door" was prominent. The large slab that once covered the monument is no longer in place. The remains of the barrow, the mound of earth and stone that covered the structure, are now almost imperceptible.

A Glimpse into History

Visiting the Anta Pequena allows for direct contact with this millennial structure and an opportunity to imagine the lives and rituals of the communities that built it thousands of years ago. The site was subject to archaeological excavations in the 1930s, which revealed its historical importance in the context of regional megalithism. Although archaeological findings from this particular dolmen were limited to a few stone tools, its presence and structure continue to tell an important part of the long human history in the municipality of Coruche.

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