Anta da Vidigueira

About

The Anta da Vidigueira is a megalithic dolmen or burial chamber located southwest of the village of Freixo, in Redondo municipality in the Évora district of the Alentejo region of Portugal. The dolmen was probably constructed between the Neolithic and the Chalcolithic (between the end of the fourth Millennium BCE and the first half of the third Millennium). It has been classified as a National Monument since 1910.

The Anta da Vidigueira is situated in an area with many megalithic remains, and is typical of the style of the area. About 50 such monuments have been identified throughout the municipality of Redondo, of which 30 are around the village of Freixo. It consists of a polygonal chamber of seven granite pillars of about 2.2 meters in height, with a slightly damaged capstone that has several engraved “dimples”.

The tomb formed by the pillars has a diameter of about three meters. The entrance corridor, with four of the original pillars still visible, is about four meters long. Remains of a tumulus of earth and stone, which would have covered the tomb, are recognizable.

The tumulus had a diameter of about eight meters. Excavations have led to finds of ceramics, blades and arrowheads...