Dólmen from Areita

The Dólmen of Areita is located next to the municipal road that connects Paredes da Beira with Riodades near Penedono in the Viseu district in Portugal . It was part of a necropolis that consisted of five megalithic monuments . The dolmens , called Antas in Portugal, are late Neolithic collective graves. Based on the artifacts found , the Anta can date to the end of the 4th millennium BC. To be dated.

The Areita dolmen consists of a polygonal chamber with seven bearing stones, a remains of a capstone and a lower, wide remnant of a passage with a preserved capstone in front of the chamber. Several engravings have been identified on stones 4 and 7 of the chamber, highlighting the motif present on the central plate.

Based on the radiocarbon data of the osteological traces, the presence of a minimum of six individuals was identified. Inside the chamber was a structure for depositing offerings.

The archaeological work carried out between 1996 and 1998 yielded a wide range of exhibits on display in the Eduardo Tavares Museum.

literature

• LFC Gomes et al .: O Dólmen de Areita (S. João da Pesqueira, Viseu), Prehistoric Studies 6, Viseu, CEPBA 1998, pp. 33-93.

Coordinates: 41 ° 2 ′ 47.7 "  N , 7 ° 28 ′ 16.4"  W.