Antas de Olival da Pega
Olival da Pega Dolmen Complex · Anta 1 and Anta 2 Olival da Pega · Reguengos Antas
Early Neolithic – Chalcolithic (c.3500–2800 BCE)·Alentejo Megalithic (Almendres tradition)·🇵🇹 Alentejo, Évora District (Reguengos de Monsaraz), Portugal
About
About Antas de Olival da Pega
Most celebrated antas (dolmens) pair in Alentejo's Reguengos plain, core of Alentejo megalithic densest cluster. Anta 1: large polygonal chamber 4 m diameter with 8 orthostats and massive capstone, plus 16 m corridor with lateral chamber and extensive schist engravings; Anta 2: slightly smaller oval chamber with 14 m corridor. Built c.3500–3300 BCE (Alentejo Early Neolithic) within shared mound. Excavated by Georg and Vera Leisner 1951 revealing Neolithic pottery, schist plaques, idol figurines and arrowheads. Finds of schist plaques (phases I–IV) make Olival da Pega reference for Alentejo chronology. Anta 1's capstone among Alentejo's largest.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Why two antae shared single mound — sequential lineage vs contemporary twins
- 02Chronology of schist plaque typology between Anta 1 and 2
Theories
- 01Olival da Pega as lineage cemetery where second chamber added as family branch separated
- 02Long corridors reflect processional ritual before entering ancestral chamber
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. 3500–3300 BCE
- Period
- Early Neolithic – Chalcolithic (c.3500–2800 BCE)
- Culture
- Alentejo Megalithic (Almendres tradition)
- Purpose
- Pair of collective passage dolmens with art and long corridors for extended lineages
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 3500–3300 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1177 CE
Abandonment
On the ground
Structures & features
38.4525° N · 7.3980° W · 200 m · 3 mapped features
Anta 1 (Large Polygonal Chamber)
chamber8-orthostat polygonal chamber 4 m across with massive capstone and 16 m corridor
38.4525° N · 7.3980° WAnta 2 (Oval Chamber)
chamberSecond chamber 30 m northwest with 14 m corridor, oval plan
38.4527° N · 7.3983° WShared Elongated Mound
tumulusEarth mound covering both antae, originally ~40 m long
38.4526° N · 7.3981° W
Gallery