Dólmen da Matança, Neolithic dolmen near Fornos de Algodres, Portugal
Dólmen da Matança is a Neolithic burial stone structure near Fornos de Algodres built with nine upright stones forming a polygonal chamber topped by a large capstone. Inside, the space held multiple burials and shows the building skills of the people who made it.
This monument was built in the early Bronze Age around 5000 years ago to bury dead community members. Restoration work in the 1980s strengthened the stones and helped archaeologists understand how the original structure stood.
This burial place held multiple people at once, showing that the community had organized rituals for their dead. The objects left inside such as flint tools and jewelry tell us these were valued individuals prepared with care for the afterlife.
This site sits next to the road between Matança and Fornos de Algodres and is fairly easy to reach. Visit on drier days since the ground around it can get muddy and slippery.
Two inner stones carry ancient carvings that likely held spiritual or personal meaning for those who built this grave. These engravings are hard to spot today because time has worn away their surface details.
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