The open entrance corridor leads to the capstoned section referred to above, which in turn leads to the large funerary chamber, where three unyielding stone pillars support the enormous roof slabs. Whilst the corridor entrance to Menga is unroofed, it is the ‘capstoned’ entry section that has been adopted as the famous brand mark of the dolmens as a whole.
The Menga dolmen is the oldest, believed to have been constructed between 3750 to 3650 BC.
This phenomenom of studied transportation and placement is emphasized when one considers the heaviest stone in the heralded Stone Henge site in the UK, is 40 tons.ĭo watch the video simulation in the Visitor Centre of the studied construction of these tombs to give substance to the information below. One of the roof stones alone, in the Menga dolmen is calculated to weigh 200 tons. The difficulty of building these ancient mausoleums, using enormous stones quarried some distance away, implies a well structured society, with strong leadership and deep rooted religious commitments. They were built by farmers, who lived in the fertile Guadalhorce valley, displaying an almost non credible grasp of architecture and practical engineering for the period. If staying in Antequera, you have them on your doorstep! Background of the Dolmens of AntequeraĬonstruction of the Dolmens occurred during the Neolithic period and Copper Age from around 3750 to 2200 BC. The Dolmens are visited from people all over Spain, and by tourists on day trips from the coast.
#Dolmen construction free#
El Romal is a couple of kilometers car drive further on.Īt time of writing, viewing, amazingly, is free of charge. You can view and absorb the fascinating background to these incredible tombs in the Visitor Centre (see below) on the edge of Antequera on the site of Menga and Viera. There are three dolmen sites, Menga, Viera and El Romal, and they are one of the most important dolmen groups in Europe.Ĭollectively they were UNESCO awarded in 2016. Antequera is the site of the famous Dolmens (ancient megalithic tombs), which date back nearly 6000 years.
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