This 5,400-year-old megalithic tomb was found close to a prominent mountain in Spain. Its location shows that it may have been an ancient focus for those who used to prehistorically live in the region.
5,400-year-old Megalithic Tomb
Live Science reports that Antequera city is known for its historic megaliths, which are ancient monuments of huge stone. Now, the recently found megalithic tomb may shed light on some mysteries regarding their alignment.
According to Ground News, the tomb dates to roughly B.C. 3400. It was carefully designed in order to capture the rising midsummer sun's light inside an interior chamber. This is similar to the megalithic tomb in Newgrange in Ireland. Overall, this suggests that these two areas may have had similar notions regarding the afterlife.
While the Newgrange one is more complex and big, both tombs reflect the builders' interest in using sunlight at a specific time. This may have ended up producing a metaphorical effect of some sort, as noted by archaeologist Leonardo García Sanjuán from the University of Seville. Their discovery was detailed in the journal Antiquity.
The study details the team's excavations beside La Peña de los Enamorados, or the Rock of Lovers, which is a prominent mountain made of limestone. The mountain got its name from a legend of two lovers who killed themselves after taking a leap over it.
In late 2020, the tomb was excavated in the mountain's "neck" area, close to the Matacabras rock shelter. The archaeologists think that the tomb was constructed a few hundred years after the making of the rock paintings and that it may have been used as a burial site for more than a millennium.
Several human remains were spotted inside the tomb. These remains date back to three different phases of its use.
Alignment With Summer Soltice
The site's bedrock tilts away from the sunrise's position during the midsummer solstice. Hence, the builders intentionally made a cavity for the light to enter.
García Sanjuán explains that the builders cleverly arranged the stones, which may have been painted and ungraved. Such items were sacred things that were added so that the summer solstice's light would enter the chamber's interior.
Antequera is known for its prominent rock formations, including the megalithic monuments. Among its many formations, the Dolmen of Menga is the most famous one. It is the oldest and largest megalithic structure in Europe.
However, the Menga's passage does not align with the summer solstice. Rather, it faces La Peña de los Enamorados. Such alignment suggests that the mountain was a vital focus of these ancient people. It also sheds light on where Menga was pointing.
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