About the project. What, why and how?
Being recently discovered in field surveys, Anta 4 do Freixo (A4QF) is another shinning star in the constellation of dolmens that fill the Southwest Iberian landscape. In this case, the monument is part of a special cluster of dolmens around the small town of Freixo. Built probably around the mid/late 4ºth milenium, Anta (word for dolmen in Portuguese) 4 do Freixo is a funerary megalithic tomb, that presents some anomalies in the topology of the megalithic architecture from the Neolithic period. It is located in the Municipality of Redondo, in the Alentejo region, Portugal.
From the preliminary works of the first and second season, we concluded that the dolmen is composed of a polygonal chamber with ten standing slabs, wich contrasts with the typical seven standing slabs observed in the great majority of the dolmens in the region. Due to the fact that all of these monuments were covered with a capstone, its plausible to assume that this one had one capstone, removed in an uncertain epoch.
As in some dolmens, it is still possible to notice a passage facing the sun rise (East), this one in particular stands out by the uncommon presence of two different methods of construction. It is composed of two parallel walls, the southern one being built with big stone slabs and a northern wall built with smaller rocks/slabs.
The great majority of the excavated dolmens in Southwest Iberian reveal a mound made out of dirt and stones enclosing the megalithic structure itself, as some also have smaller standing slabs, known as a kerb, circling the monument. In the case of Anta 4 do Freixo, we have already verified a mound composed of a dark gray sediment very distinguishable by the local clay geology, suggesting the intention to create a chromatic contrast.
That being said, this megalithic structure was clearly a funerary tomb, build by neolithic communities of farmers and sheppards that started the long process of taming the landscape. Due to the nature of their lifestyles and perishable materials that composed their settlements, it is difficult to find domestic sites that provide information much useful information about these communities. That way, we hope to achieve a better understanding of these pre-historic communities though their ways of burying/honoring their dead/ancestors.
From the preliminary works of the first and second season, we concluded that the dolmen is composed of a polygonal chamber with ten standing slabs, wich contrasts with the typical seven standing slabs observed in the great majority of the dolmens in the region. Due to the fact that all of these monuments were covered with a capstone, its plausible to assume that this one had one capstone, removed in an uncertain epoch.
As in some dolmens, it is still possible to notice a passage facing the sun rise (East), this one in particular stands out by the uncommon presence of two different methods of construction. It is composed of two parallel walls, the southern one being built with big stone slabs and a northern wall built with smaller rocks/slabs.
The great majority of the excavated dolmens in Southwest Iberian reveal a mound made out of dirt and stones enclosing the megalithic structure itself, as some also have smaller standing slabs, known as a kerb, circling the monument. In the case of Anta 4 do Freixo, we have already verified a mound composed of a dark gray sediment very distinguishable by the local clay geology, suggesting the intention to create a chromatic contrast.
That being said, this megalithic structure was clearly a funerary tomb, build by neolithic communities of farmers and sheppards that started the long process of taming the landscape. Due to the nature of their lifestyles and perishable materials that composed their settlements, it is difficult to find domestic sites that provide information much useful information about these communities. That way, we hope to achieve a better understanding of these pre-historic communities though their ways of burying/honoring their dead/ancestors.