Dólmen de Carapito I, também conhecido por «Casa da Moura», Neolithic dolmen in Carapito, Portugal
The Dolmen of Carapito I is a structure standing about five meters tall with a polygonal chamber formed by nine stones arranged in a circle. These stones serve as support walls, and together they enclose an interior space that visitors can enter and explore.
Excavations in 1966 led by Vera Leisner and Leonel Ribeiro revealed that people lived here during the Neolithic period roughly six thousand years ago. Archaeologists uncovered flint tools and pottery that confirm this ancient occupation.
Local people call this monument Casa da Moura, linking it to a folk tale about a Moorish woman who supposedly carried the stones to build it. This story remains part of how the community thinks about and speaks of the place today.
The site is accessible for visitors to walk through, and the surrounding landscape provides straightforward access. It is good to enter the interior space carefully, as the ancient stones are stable and the ground is level inside.
Two of the stones display carved patterns, including shapes that resemble the sun and lines that curve like serpents. These carvings offer insight into how Neolithic people expressed themselves through art.
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