Cromeleque dos Almendres

Cromlech - Neolithic (624)
The Almendres cromelech is located at the top of a gentle slope, 413 m high, facing east, about 12km west of the city of Évora, in a landscape with a significant presence of megalithic monuments. This monument constitutes one of the largest groups of structured menhirs in the Iberian Peninsula. This enclosure presents a complex blueprint, the result of several stages of construction and redesign. The 95 menhirs that currently compose this monument were carved out in different types of quartzdiorite, presenting diverse morphologies (sub-parallelepiped, cylindrical, stele type, ovoid) and lengths varying between 1,30m and 3,0m, with a predominance of small and medium sized elements. A set of roughly 10 menhirs were decorated with different motifs, namely cups, crosiers, circular, rectangular and trapezoidal geometric shapes, undulating lines, serpentiform and anthropomorphic representations, in some cases, explicit in gender. The Almendres cromlech was partially restored and re-raised at the end of the 20th century. The archaeological complexity of the enclosure, the decorations of the menhirs and the collected archaeological artefacts suggest that the first stages of construction are framed into the Early and Middle Neolithic, with profound refurbishment in the Late Neolithic and eventual re-purposing throughout the Chalcolithic period.

Overview

This cromelech is associated with the Intepretive Centre of Almendres - "Centro Interpretativo dos Almendres - Arqueologia e Natureza", located in Guadalupe. Free Admission. This megalithic monument is integrated in different routes - "Évora, capital do megalitismo Ibérico"; "Évora Imperdível"; "Évora Megalítica" e "Évora Rural Tour".

Visit conditions

Free entrance associated with a museological structure

Timetables

Interpretive Centre: Summer - From May 1st to October 30th 10.00 - 19.00 Winter - From November 1st to April 31st 10.00 -17.00
How to get there? Best practices

Best practices

Good practices when visiting archaeological sites

To visit an archaeological site is to connect with our origins, to understand our path and evolution as a species integrated in the environment, and to respect and safeguard our heritage so that future generations can also visit and enjoy it.

Walking the paths and enjoying the structures and archaeological pieces that survived over time, fosters the understanding of what is different, but also of what is common among different populations: basically, what identifies us as Homo Sapiens.

More than just vestiges and ruins of the past, archaeological sites showcase our capacity for creative thought, adaptation, interconnection, comprehension and resilience. Without these traits we would not have been successful as cultural beings participating in an ongoing evolutionary process. These sites also allow to consider choices made in the past thus contributing for decisions in the present to be made with greater awareness and knowledge.

Archaeological sites are unique and irreplaceable. These sites are fragile resources vulnerable to changes driven by human development. The information they keep, if destroyed, can never be recovered again.

As such, the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage (DGPC) invites all visitors to enjoy the beauty and authenticity of these sites, while helping to preserve them for future generations by adopting the following set of good practices:

  • Respect all signs; 
  • Do not try to access fenced areas; 
  • Do not climb, sit or walk on archaeological structures and remains; 
  • Respect areas where archaeological excavations are being carried out, not disturbing them; 
  • Do not collect materials or sediments;
  • Do not write or make graffiti on archaeological structures; 
  • Put the garbage in appropriate containers. If none exist, take the garbage with you until you find a suitable container; 
  • Leave the archaeological site as you found it; 
  • Do not drive bicycles or motor vehicles over archaeological sites; 
  • Respect and protect the plants and animals that live in the areas surrounding archaeological sites;
  • Report signs of vandalism or destruction to DGPC or Regional Directorates of Culture (DRC);
  • Share the visiting experience and the archaeological sites, as a way of raising awareness to their preservation and making them better known;
  • Do not buy archaeological materials and report to public security authorities, DGPC or DRC, if you suspect that archaeological materials may be for sale.

Further information:

AIA / ATTA (2013) – Guide to best practices for archaeological tourism. 

Raposo, J. (2016) – Código de conduta para uma visita responsável a sítios arqueológicos. In Sítios arqueológicos portugueses revisitados: 500 arqueossítios ou conjuntos em condições de fruição pública responsável. Al-madan, 2ª série, p. 20 – 77. 

DGPC contacts

Phone: +351213614200 | Email: informacaoarqueologica@dgpc.pt

 


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