Serra d'Aboboreira, Mountain chain and archaeological site in Amarante region, Portugal
Serra d'Aboboreira is a granite mountain range in the Amarante region extending across three municipalities with elevations reaching about 1000 meters. The plateau holds some forty prehistoric burial mounds arranged across its flat sections and connected by walking routes.
The megalithic complex developed during the Neolithic period roughly 4500 years ago when early communities used this plateau as a burial ground. Archaeological excavations beginning in 1978 revealed the structure of this ancient necropolis and showed how burial rituals continued across many generations.
The grouped burial mounds scattered across the plateau reveal how prehistoric communities gathered to honor their dead and reinforce their bonds. These monuments were gathering places for rituals that connected the living to their ancestors.
The plateau is reachable via a road connecting Baião to Mesão Frio, with marked pathways leading to individual monuments from there. Visit during warmer months as mountain weather can change quickly at these higher elevations.
The flat areas across the mountain are called 'chãs' by locals and mark where ancient communities deliberately grouped their burial mounds together. These high plateaus reveal a deliberate system of land use by prehistoric settlers.
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