Menhir of Meada
{{Short description|Phallic monolith in Portugal}}
{{Infobox ancient site
| name = Menhir of Meada
| native_name = Menir da Meada
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| image = MenhirofMeada.jpg
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| coordinates = {{coord|39|29|45.7|N|7|26|44.6|W|display=inline,title}}
| location = Portalegre, Portugal
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| diameter = 1.25 meters
| height = {{convert|7.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}
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| material = Stone
| built = {{circa|5000 BC}}
| abandoned =
| epochs = Chalcolithic
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| discovered = 1965
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| condition = Restored
| ownership = Portuguese Republic
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| public_access = Yes
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The Menhir of Meada is believed to be the largest menhir in the Iberian Peninsula that was entirely carved by humans. It is situated 12 km to the north of Castelo de Vide in the Portalegre District of Portugal and is within the protected area of the Serra de São Mamede Natural Park.{{cite journal |last1=Oliveira |first1=Jorge de |title=Menir da Meada, o mais antigo |journal=National Geographic (Portuguese) |date=4 August 2021 |url=https://nationalgeographic.pt/historia/grandes-reportagens/2725-menir-da-meada-o-mais-antigo |access-date=20 March 2022}}{{cite web |title=Menir da Meada |url=http://www.patrimoniocultural.gov.pt/pt/patrimonio/patrimonio-imovel/pesquisa-do-patrimonio/classificado-ou-em-vias-de-classificacao/geral/view/70245 |website=Património Cultural |access-date=20 March 2022}}{{cite web |title=Menir da Meada |url=http://www.monumentos.gov.pt/Site/APP_PagesUser/SIPA.aspx?id=1756 |website=SIPA - Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitetónico |access-date=20 March 2022}}{{cite web |title=Meada's Menhir |url=https://natural.pt/protected-areas/parque-natural-serra-sao-mamede/points-of-interest/menir-da-meada?locale=en |website=Natural.pt |access-date=20 March 2022}}
Description
The monolith, consisting of coarse-grained porphyroid granite, was discovered in a rural area, now used mainly for cork production, in 1965. Discovered in two pieces, it was restored in the 1990s, when the two parts were joined and the complete stone was replaced in its original location. The menhir's total length is about 7.5 metres, with a maximum diameter of 1.25 metres and a circumference of 3.9 metres at the base. It weighs around 18 tons.
Based on radiocarbon dating of coals discovered underneath the base, the menhir is believed to have been raised around 5000 BCE, in the Neo-Chalcolithic period, approximately the same time as the Coureleiros dolmens, or megalithic tombs, that are found in the same district. If this dating is correct, it would make the menhir the oldest yet discovered anywhere in the world. The stone has a cylindrical configuration, with clear phallic contours, accentuated by a bump similar to a glans enveloping the top. The surface is likely to have been polished, and marks left by the tools used for polishing are visible.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category-inline|Menir da Meada}}
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86E41bUNvCU Largest Menhir in the Iberian Peninsula: Menir da Meada - Alentejo, Portugal 4K 2021, ASMR 60fps], Zen Walks 29 de agosto de 2021
{{European Standing Stones}}
Category:Buildings and structures completed in the 5th millennium BC
Category:1965 archaeological discoveries
Category:Archaeological discoveries in Portugal
Category:National monuments in Portalegre District
Category:Megalithic monuments in Portugal
Category:Prehistoric sites in Portugal