Chronology
This monument was constructed between the 4th and 3rd millennia BC, within the chronological framework generally attributed to the so-called “Évora megalithic universe.”
Description
All evidence suggests that this dolmen is part of a larger funerary complex, which also includes four additional attached structures. Notably, the identification of chamber supports and a pile of fallen stones indicates the location of another substantial corridor tomb, in addition to the “Anta 1” or “Great Dolmen of Olival da Pega.” The monument’s scale is reflected in the quantity of funerary artifacts uncovered during study: approximately 134 schist slabs and 200 ceramic vessels, highlighting its use as a large collective necropolis.
Curiosities
Some Portuguese researchers propose that the structures attached to Anta 2 of Olival da Pega may have originated as extensions of this primary funerary monument, which at a certain stage may have been blocked. These extensions would have provided access to other dome-shaped tombs. Taken together, the rich finds within these megalithic tombs suggest a cultural continuity with earlier funerary structures.
Of particular note among the movable artifacts are schist slabs with geometric decoration, including representations interpreted by some researchers as the “Mother Goddess,” deriving from Chalcolithic motifs found in ceramics and certain cylinder idols from the period. In what may be considered the final stylistic phase of these characteristic megalithic artifacts in this region, the “Mother Goddess” appears with engraved eyes, some in the form of a sun.
A significant portion of the artifacts recovered during excavations since 1985 by a team led by UNIARQ (Archaeology Centre of the University of Lisbon) were featured in the major exhibition on the Megalithism of Reguengos de Monsaraz at the National Archaeology Museum in 2000, and have undergone careful conservation and restoration.