Tholos tomb da Roça do Casal do Meio
The Tholos grave da Roça do Casal do Meio is located on a completely overgrown slope of the Quinta do Calhariz, in the Arrábida Natural Park in Portugal . The site is located in the municipality of Castelo , east of the district of Sesimbra , in the Setúbal district in the southern part of the historical Estremadura region .
The local limestone Tholos tomb was built between the 11th and 9th centuries BC. Erected in the late Bronze Age . It was discovered in the early 1960s by Octavio da Veiga Ferreira and Georges Zbyszewski while surveying for the Geological Map of Portugal. In 1972 the complex was excavated by Konrad Spindler and Veiga Ferreira and classified as a cultural heritage in 1984 (Imóvel de Interest Público). The monument contained two burials. The bodies were lying on their back and side, one as a stool with legs drawn up.
A number of grave goods were associated with the burials. The focus was on some bronzes (a belt buckle, some tweezers, and a ring). In addition, an ivory comb and ceramic vessels were found, some of which have a high-contrast decorative burnished ornament known in Portugal as the Ornatos Brunidos.
The architecture approaches similar structures in the Mediterranean area, with parallels to the Mycenaean tholo type or some of the Nuraghi of Sardinia . It consists of a non-circular chamber with a dome and a low entrance. It was originally covered by a tumulus that was bordered on the outside by a curb circle reinforced by large limestone blocks. Between the outer wall and the chamber there was a continuous corridor with no recognizable access.
Web links
- Description Engl. and pictures
- Entry on the Monumento megalítico da Roça do Casal do Meio / Menir do Vale da Palha in the Portuguese list of monuments SIPA (Portuguese, including photos and a map with GPS data)
Coordinates: 38 ° 27 '46.2 " N , 9 ° 2' 12.8" W.