Antas de Rabuje

Part of Antas de Rabuje was first mentioned in the late 1920s by José Leite de Vasconcelos. This ensemble from the Neolithic / Chalcolithic (4th / 3rd millennium B.C.) is now composed of seven dolmens (Rabuje 1 to Rabuje 7) and a granite outcrop with rock art, namely a panel with “dimples“ (Rabuje 8). 

These are funerary monuments, usually collective, built with large stones (cornerstones or orthostats) and composed of a funerary chamber covered with a large monolithic slab (hat), and could also have a corridor. All the dolmens were covered with an artificial, semi-circular mound made of earth and stone (tumulus), which protected them and made them stand out in the landscape.

Regarding the artistic expression known as “dimples”, in addition to appearing in the rock outcrop of Rabuje 8, it is also present in one of the supports of the chamber of Anta Grande de Rabuje (Rabuje 1). This type of representation is quite common in (but not exclusive of) the Megalithism of Alto Alentejo. Although their meaning is confirmed, they may be related to beliefs associated with death practices when located near (or in) elements of megalithic funerary or geographical landmarks signalling possible natural traffic routes when found in rock outcrops at specific points.