Broad Ingoldisthorpe Standing Stones
Mississippian (800–1600 CE)·Mississippian·🇵🇹 Alentejo, Portugal
About
About Broad Ingoldisthorpe Standing Stones
Broad Ingoldisthorpe Standing Stones in Alentejo, Portugal is a Mississippian (800–1600 CE) megalithic attributed to Mississippian culture. Systematically investigated through systematic survey and coring, it presents a principal enclosure with ancillary settlement. Construction employs ashlar with clamp and demonstrates distinct phasing. Peer-reviewed reports and georeferenced plans verify location and chronology.
Why it mattersKey Mississippian megalithic with stratified sequence and regional significance.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Construction labor organization and logistics
- 02Astronomical alignment and orientation
Theories
- 01Ritual landscape and ancestral veneration
- 02Territorial marker and boundary statement
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. 1095 CE
- Period
- Mississippian (800–1600 CE)
- Culture
- Mississippian
- Purpose
- Agricultural and hydraulic
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 1095 CE
Initial construction and primary occupation
c. 1259 CE
Major enlargement and wall circuit added
c. 1314 CE
Peak occupation and regional prominence
1995
Scientific excavation and conservation
On the ground
Structures & features
38.8092° N · 8.9690° W · 220 m · 4 mapped features
Hydraulic Channel
chamberBurial zone — cists
38.8096° N · 8.9677° WHydraulic Channel 2
rampartBurial zone — rock-cut chambers
38.8070° N · 8.9712° WBurial Cluster
structurePrimary megalithic at Broad Ingoldisthorpe Standing Stones — platform mound
38.8110° N · 8.9672° WHydraulic Channel 4
ditchBurial zone — tumuli
38.8094° N · 8.9691° W