Archaeological excavations in the Perdigões complex, in the Évora district, have identified "a unique structure in the Prehistory of the Iberian Peninsula", Era -Arqueologia announced.
Speaking to the Lusa agency, the archaeologist in charge, António Valera, said that it was "a monumental wooden construction, of which the foundations remain, with a circular plan and more than 20 metres in diameter".
It is "a ceremonial construction", a type of structure only known in Central Europe and the British Isles, according to the archaeologist, with the designations as 'Woodhenge', "wooden versions of Stonehenge", or 'Timber Circles' (wooden circles).
The structure now identified is located in the centre of the large complex of ditch enclosures in Perdigões and "articulates with the visibility of the megalithic landscape that extends between the site and the elevation of Monsaraz, located to the east, on the horizon".
"A possible access to the interior of this structure is oriented towards the summer solstice, reinforcing its cosmological character", said Valera, stressing that "this situation is also known in other European countries as 'woodhenges' and 'timber circles', where astronomical alignment entrances are frequent, underlining the close relationship between these architectures and the Neolithic views of the world ".
The archaeologist stressed that "this discovery reinforces the already high scientific importance of the Perdigões enclosure complex in the international context of European Neolithic studies while increasing its heritage relevance", which was recognised in 2019 with the classification as a National Monument.
This site has been excavated for 23 years by the company and has brought together collaborations from various institutions and national and foreign researchers.
The site has a chronology of about 1400 years, since the end of the Middle Neolithic (around 3400 BC) and the beginning of the Bronze Age (around 2000 BC).
It is wonderful that archaeologists have confirmed another European Neolithic site. Most likely this is a proto-Celtic religious site. It is of the utmost importance to preserve this "a unique structure in the Prehistory of the Iberian Peninsula."
By Marc Moniz from USA on 06 Aug 2020, 01:52
As harsh aa droughts are, a dry spell reveals many parch or crop marks that reveal archeological sites. Looking at Google Earth one can see many other interesting looking circles and shapes in the surrounding area.
By Kevin Kearney from USA on 09 Aug 2020, 02:00