The Megalithic Dolmen of Menga in Spain. 3750-3650 BCE. Am…

The Megalithic Dolmen of Menga in Spain. 3750-3650 BCE.

Among the many incredible sites located in Spain, the Dolmen of Menga (Spanish: Dolmen de Menga) is none the less one of the most important ancient structures of this very interesting world. It is a megalithic burial mound called a tumulus, a long barrow form of dolmen, dating from 3750-3650 BCE. It lies near Antequera, Málaga.

This ancient Dolmen is one of the largest known ancient megalithic structures in Europe. It is 27.5 metres (90 ft) long, 6 metres (20 ft) wide and 3.5 metres (11 ft) high, and was built with thirty-two megaliths, the largest weighing about 180 tonnes (200 tons).

After the chamber was completed (which probably served as a grave for the ruling families) and the path leading into the center, the stone structure was covered with soil and built up into the hill that can be seen today. When the grave was examined in the 19th century, archaeologists found the skeletons of several hundred people inside.

The Abrigo (shelter) of Matacabras, located at the foot of the northwest face of the Peña de los Enamorados, is closely linked with the Dolmen of Menga whose central axis points directly to it. The tomb is orientated to the northeast, north of the sunrise on the summer solstice, and is the only known tomb so oriented in Europe in this cultural context.