Great Dolmen of Comenda da Igreja

The Great Dolmen of Comenda da Igreja (Portuguese: Anta Grande de Comenda da Igreja, or alternately Anta Grande da Herdade da Igreja) is a megalithic funerary site in the civil parish of Nossa Senhora do Bispo, in the municipality of Montemor-o-Novo, in the central Alentejo region of continental Portugal.

Great Dolmen of Comenda da Igreja
Location of the dolmen in the municipality of Montemor-o-Novo
Alternative nameGreat Dolmen of the Military Order of the Estate
LocationÉvora, Alentejo Central, Alentejo, Portugal
Coordinates38°45′29″N 8°12′12″W
Altitude180 m (591 ft)
TypeDolmen
Length15.00 m (49.21 ft)
Width4.00 m (13.12 ft)
Site notes
Archaeologistsunknown
OwnershipPortuguese Republic
Public accessPrivate Estrada Nacional EN2 (Montemor-o-Novo-Mora), approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) before São Geraldo, over a small bridge, first left turn: the dolmen is located 400 metres (1,300 ft) from the EN2, along this roadway

History

Between the 4th millennium B.C. and the middle of the 3rd millennium B.C., the site of was occupied by semi-nomadic or sedentary settlement, associated with the communities of ancient Évora.[1][2]

Architecture

The megalithic site, is located in an isolated area of forested brush, situated in an area of plains.[1]

Its form extends longitudinally from west to east, composed of a central polygonal chamber roughly 4 metres (13 ft) wide, with an oblong rectangular corridor 10 metres (33 ft) long.[1][2]

The articulated volumes are oriented horizontally, and covered independently in each section, with the main chamber covered by a granite slab, and the corridor by individual elements.[1] The walls of the chamber are 6 metres (20 ft) in height, while the corridor profile is 180 centimetres (71 in) in height.[1] Of great dimensions, the corridor is still intact and in a state of conservation.[1][2]

References
Notes
  1. Branco, Manuel; Nunes, Castro (1994). SIPA (ed.). "Anta Grande da Comenda da Igreja/Anta Grande da Herdade da Comenda (n.PT040706030007)" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA–Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  2. Martins, A. (2011). IGESPAR (ed.). "Anta grande da Comenda da Igreja" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: IGESPAR-Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
Sources
  • Gonçalves, José Pires (1975), Roteiro de alguns Megálitos da Região de Évora (in Portuguese), Évora, Portugal
  • Leisner, Georg (1949), "Antas dos arredores de Évora", A Cidade de Évora (in Portuguese), Évora, Portugal
  • Leisener, Georg; Leisner, Vera (1956), "Die Megalitgraber der Iberischen Halbinsel I - Der Westen", Madrider Forschungen (in German), I, Madrid, Spain
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