Tholos de El Romeral

Tholos de El Romeral is one of the most important examples of early Bronze Age architecture in southern Europe. It is a megalithic burial site built circa 1800 BCE. It is one of three tombs in the region, the others being Dolmen de Menga and Dolmen de Viera, both situated to the south west.

In 2016, the dolmens of Menga, Viera, and El Romeral were all inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name 'Antequera Dolmens Site'.

Tholos de El Romeral is a chambered tomb covered by a mound. It consists of a long corridor with drystone walls made of small stones and a ceilings made of megalithic slabs. The corridor culminates with two consecutive round beehive-like chambers. The larger chamber has a diameter of approximately 4.20 metres and has corbelled walls built in the same way as the corridor, projecting inwards and culminating in a megalithic capstone. The floor of the corridor and main chamber are made of packed earth. The second chamber is linked to the first by a rectangular corridor (and is not accessible to the public). It has a diameter of approximately 2 metres, contains a stone slab bier, and the floor of the small room is covered with stone slabs. Bones and grave goods were found within the dolmen.

Although it is believed that these megalithic buildings had different uses (tombs, temples, etc.) the Romeral Dolmen is certainly a burial site because human remains, shells, and two types of ceramics were found within it.

References:

• Wikipedia

Address

Antequera, Spain

Details

Founded: 1800 BCE
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Spain