Dolmen de Menga

The Menga dolmen is a megalithic monument recognized as a World Heritage Site and an Asset of Cultural Interest, located in Antequera and forming part of the Antequera Dolmens Site.

It is located in the first enclosure, next to the dolmen of Viera, in the area called Campo de los Túmulos. This funerary structure, which follows the Atlantic tradition, is built with large vertical and horizontal stones that form a corridor tomb. In its plan there is an atrium, a corridor and a large burial chamber 6 m wide and 3.5 m high. The dimensions of the whole are colossal, since it reaches a total length of 27.5 m, the chamber at the bottom maintains those dimensions, and the last shelter is estimated at about 180 tons, highlighting also the rare presence in Europe of intermediate pillars. Inside, there is a deep and narrow shaft at the bottom of the chamber, and the first orthostat of the corridor exhibits engravings with anthropomorphic shapes reminiscent of a cross and a star. The structure is covered with a 50 m diameter tumulus, similar to that of the dolmen of Viera.

Built approximately between 3750 and 3650 B.C. during the Neolithic, its first mention is found in a license of the Bishop of Malaga in 1530, when the construction of a small place of prayer in its vicinity was authorized. Over the centuries, it has been cited in various historical publications, and in 1847 the first scientific monograph was written about it. The conservation and museum interventions carried out since the mid-20th century have preserved its original structure and appearance, keeping it intact. Its exceptional cultural value is based on its monumentality and its peculiar orientation towards the Peña de los Enamorados, a characteristic observed by the archaeoastronomer Michael Hoskin after studying more than 2000 dolmens in the Mediterranean. In addition, its axis is aligned with a shelter that houses cave paintings, the Matacabras shelter, and, together with the tholos of El Romeral, is a unique example of integration between natural and built elements, where natural landmarks acquire the character of monuments and buildings are presented as part of the landscape.

Article obtained from Wikipedia article Wikipedia in his version of 30/03/2025, by various authors under the license Licencia de Documentación Libre GNU.

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