MÉGALITHES

The surroundings of Évora have remarkable megalithic sites that testify to the practice of the last hunting and gathering communities of the Neolithic period. There were therefore two very dynamic basins on the Atlantic coast at that time: Brittany and Évora! There are some 800 dolmens in the region.

Menhir dos Almendres, alone and isolated, measures 1.20 m high, with an elongated ovoid shape characteristic of the region. A stick is engraved at the top. Aligned with the Chrolmech dos Almendres a little further away, it points towards sunrise on the day of the summer solstice. Mystical!

Cromlech dos Almendres. After a track through a cork oak wood, we end up with a surprising arrangement in two semi-circles facing each other of 95 granite monoliths. It is the most important Celtic site in the entire Iberian Peninsula. This place was surprisingly discovered in 1964 when the geological map of Portugal was drawn up. Since then, excavations have been carried out, ceramic fragments, a polished stone axe and traces of a small chalcolithic village have been found. Built between 5000 and 2000 BC, the first stones were laid more than 7,000 years ago. The western enclosure of the cromlech dates from the Early Middle Neolithic and consists of three concentric circles of 24 monoliths. The second enclosure, further east, in the shape of an oval, dates from the Middle Neolithic and is made of two ellipses of 56 menhirs. Finally, in the final Neolithic period, a new oval enclosure was added. One menhir has thirteen sticks carved on one side, while another has an anthropomorphic silhouette surrounded and associated with sticks. You will only see traces of engraved circles on the spot.

Dolmen of Zambuleiro. One of the highest dolmens in the world, nearly 6 m high. According to researchers, it was built at the end of the Neolithic period, nearly 6,000 years ago. A bedroom is delimited inside by the massive stones that make up the walls.

Escoural Cave. This cave, discovered less than 50 years ago, contains engravings dating back to the time of Cro Magnon's man, between 18,000 and 13,000 BC. From Tuesday to Sunday, the visit can be made by contacting +351 266 857 000 or [email protected] Hurry before - to protect artifacts that degrade due to pollutants brought by visitors - the authorities take the decision to prohibit visits, as was the case in Lascaux.