DÓLMEN DO RAPIDO III

The Dólmen do Rapido III is part of Rapido megalithic complex, composed by three monuments. Of all of them, only this one has been studied. It is a circular mound of earth, defined by a peripheral lytic ring and a stone armor. Inside of it there is a polygonal funerary chamber made from 9 support stones and a short low corridor.

Inside the mound of earth, in front of and aligned with the corridor (to the east) a large stone structure was identified which, hypothetically, could form the basis for an access ramp to the dolmen.

The artefacts recovered are lithic instruments - millstones, arrowheads, halberd and adze, among others - and ceramic vases (with and without decoration).

ART | The funerary chamber has three support stones with engravings (no. 3, no. 4 and no. 6), with motifs such as squares, rectangles, circles, lines and soliforms. On the support stone no. 3 it is possible to observe some of the engraved motifs, composed of 4 “lines” waving horizontally and parallel to each other, across the support stone width.

CHRONOLOGY | The construction of this monument has been attributed to the 1st half of the 3rd millennium BC.

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