Category: Archaeology > Menhir
District: Viseu > Tondela > Caparrosa > Caparrosa e Silvares
The Caparrosa Menhir Stele stands in the tranquility of the locality of Caparrosa, integrated into the municipality of Tondela. Located in the area of Caparrosa and Silvares, its presence establishes a unique connection between the landscape and the historical legacy. The site invites a moment of observation and contemplation of the surrounding environment, where millennia-old history intersects with the region's present.
This remarkable monolith, an example of a menhir-stele, dates back to the 3rd millennium BC, fitting into the Neolithic period. Discovered in 1975, its study revealed its profound importance as a landmark that accompanied the communities of the region throughout the millennia. Classified as a Property of Public Interest, the Caparrosa Menhir Stele is a unique testimony to human occupation and its oldest beliefs in the territory.
Carved in granite with a parallelepipedal shape, wider at the base and with a rounded top, this ancestral monument is a fascinating element of Portuguese prehistory. Although it appears isolated today, it is believed that this stele was part of a larger megalithic complex, indicating a structural and symbolic complexity that once marked the landscape.
With approximately 2.8 meters of visible height, the Caparrosa Menhir Stele is distinguished by its engraved faces and top, where various motifs can be observed. These records tell the story of seven distinct periods, ranging from Pre and Proto-History to the Historical Era. The engravings include circular figures, rectangular figures, letters, and even a human head, demonstrating the evolution of artistic and symbolic practices over the millennia, performed by percussion and abrasion of the stone.
Initially a sacred landmark for the communities that lived here, the stele transformed, over time, into a territorial reference point. In the Middle Ages, a cross of Christ was engraved on it, and in more recent periods, marks such as the letter "T", which indicated the limits of the municipality of Tondela, and the dates 1801 and 1804 appeared, possibly related to geographical surveys or the delimitation of parishes.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 40.6331875,-8.0855625
Coordinates DMS: 40°37'59.5"N 08°05'8.0"W
Weather Caparrosa
On-duty Pharmacy Caparrosa
