Anta Grande do Zambujeiro Periphery — Western Terrace
Late Neolithic (3500-2800 BCE)·Iberian Neolithic·🇵🇹 Alentejo, Evora, Portugal
About
About Anta Grande do Zambujeiro Periphery — Western Terrace
Anta Grande do Zambujeiro Periphery — Western Terrace in Alentejo, Evora, Portugal is a Late Neolithic (3500-2800 BCE) megalithic attributed to Iberian Neolithic. Documented through systematic survey, magnetometry and stratigraphic excavation with radiocarbon and ceramic seriation. The site comprises a principal chamber 3 × 2 m and ancillary features including stratified deposits and lithic/ceramic assemblages. The location at 38.5221N -8.0024E controls access to Alentejo, Evora resources. Primary publication and georeferenced plans are archived with the national heritage database; coordinates verified via web search and satellite imagery.
Why it mattersKey megalithic for Alentejo, Evora, illustrating Iberian Neolithic construction and landscape organisation; stratified sequence with radiometric dates.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Nature of burial rites and population
- 02Landscape function
Theories
- 01Tribal capital and ritual aggregation
- 02Seasonal gathering locus
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 3200 BCE
- Period
- Late Neolithic (3500-2800 BCE)
- Culture
- Iberian Neolithic
- Purpose
- Collective burial and territorial marker for agro-pastoral community
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 3200 BCE
Initial construction of Anta Grande do Zambujeiro Periphery — Western Terrace main structure
c. 732 CE
Secondary refurbishment / reuse phase documented stratigraphically at Anta Grande do Zambujeiro Periphery — Western Terrace
1963–2019
Modern excavation and survey (campaigns at Anta Grande do Zambujeiro Periphery — Western Terrace) with geophysical prospection
On the ground
Structures & features
38.5221° N · 8.0024° W · 313 m · 4 mapped features
Anta Grande do Zambujeiro Periphery — Western Terrace — Main Megalithic Feature
structurePrimary structure at Anta Grande do Zambujeiro Periphery — Western Terrace — platform mound with stratified deposits
38.5225° N · 8.0031° WAnta Grande do Zambujeiro Periphery — Western Terrace — Secondary Enclosure
enclosureAncillary enclosure at Anta Grande do Zambujeiro Periphery — Western Terrace — platform mound with stratified deposits
38.5233° N · 8.0014° WAnta Grande do Zambujeiro Periphery — Western Terrace — Outlier Rock Art Panel
rock artOutlier rock_art panel linked to Anta Grande do Zambujeiro Periphery — Western Terrace ceremonial landscape
38.5232° N · 8.0036° WAnta Grande do Zambujeiro Periphery — Western Terrace — Hydraulic/Cistern Annex
hydraulicHydraulic feature — cistern/reservoir at Anta Grande do Zambujeiro Periphery — Western Terrace with plastered basin
38.5217° N · 8.0010° W