The Dolmen of Pedra Branca is a burial tomb, used in the late Neolithic and, subsequently, in the late Chalcolithic periods. It is situated in the Vale de Figueira in the parish of Melides, which is in the Grândola municipality of Portugal's Setúbal District.[1][2]
Dolmen da Pedra Branca | |
 | |
| Alternative name | Monumento Megalítico da Pedra Branca |
|---|---|
| Location | Grândola, Portugal |
| Coordinates | 38°06′47″N 8°43′27″W / 38.11306°N 8.72417°W |
| Type | Dolmen |
| History | |
| Periods | 1. Late Neolithic; 2. Late Chalcolithic |
| Cultures | 1. Almeri; 2. Campaniform Vase Culture |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1972 and 1975 |
| Archaeologists | O. da Veiga Ferreira |
| Ownership | Public |
| Public access | Yes |
| Property of Public Interest, Decree nº 29/90, DR, 1st series, nº 163 of 17 July 1990 | |
Description
editThe burial chamber's roof (in stone or wooden slabs) was supported in the middle by a large, 2.20m. tall, quartzite pillar, which had the structural function of sharing the weight of the crypt's roof with the other supports. The main polygonal chamber, measuring 3.85m. x 3.40m, reached by an entrance corridor, was covered by transverse slabs. A trapezoidal chamber on the left side was a separate compartment, measuring 3.5m. x 1.5m. Apart from the quartzite pillar, other materials used were sandstone and limestone. In addition to skeletons, many funerary offerings have been discovered. The dolmen is situated high on a hill that visually dominates the surrounding Vale de Figueira area.[1][2][3]
The lower level of the tomb dates from 2500 BCE in the late Neolithic and contains most of the funerary offerings, including an archer's armband, arrowheads, blades, beads, engraved schist plaques, idols, cups, and vases. The upper level from around 2000 BCE in the late Chalcolithic, contains bell-shaped vases, among other artifacts. Dates have been verified by carbon dating.[1][2][3]
Excavation
editDiscovered by L. Trindade and A Rodrigues of the Geological Service of Portugal, the excavation was carried out by O. da Veiga Ferreira and collaborators in 1972 and 1975.[1][3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Dólmen da Pedra Branca". Monumentos. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ a b c "Monumento Megalítico da Pedra Branca". Odyssea. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ a b c Soares, Joaquina. "Dolmen da Pedra Branca e percurso megalítico nas terras baixas de Melides-Cascalheira". Atlas do Sudoeste Portugués. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
Further reading
edit- Ferreira, O. da Veiga (1975). "Le monument mégalithique de Pedra Branca auprès de Montum (Melides)". Comunicações dos Serviços Geológicas Portugueses. 59.
- Silva, Carlos Tavares da; Soares, Joaquina (1983). "Contribuição para o estudo do megalitismo no Alentejo Litoral - a sepultura do Marco Branco (Santiago do Cacém)". O Arqueólogo Português. Series IV, Vol 1.
Media related to Dolmens in Setúbal (district) at Wikimedia Commons