Cromeleque das Fontainhas
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 Interactive map of Cromeleque das Fontainhas | |
| Location | Mora, Évora District, Portugal |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°55′52″N 8°07′16″W / 38.931°N 8.1211°W |
| Type | Cromlech |
| History | |
| Founded | c. 4000 BCE |
| Periods | Middle Neolithic; |
| Site notes | |
| Discovered | 1970s |
| Excavation dates | 2005 |
| Condition | Restored |
| Public access | Yes |
The Cromeleque das Fontainhas, or Cromeleque do Monte das Fontaínhas Velhas is a megalithic stone circle, situated close to the village of Pavia in the municipality of Mora in the Évora District of Portugal. The cromlech dates between the early-4th and mid-3rd millennium BC. It was classified as a monument of public interest on 7 July 1990.[1]
The horseshoe-shaped cromlech is located on a hillside overlooking the River Raia. It was identified as a cromlech in the 1970s, with this discovery being published in 1977. It presently consists of six barrel-shaped standing stones, or menhirs, made of polished, coarse-grained granite but lacking engravings or indentations. The stones are not consistent with the geology of the location, but it is likely that they originated from a site just 1.5 km away. At the time of its discovery, three smaller standing stones of varying sizes were already in place, although inclined to various degrees, and a large stone, of approximately 4.0 meters in length, was found broken near its base, with the its lower part still in place. Two more stones were found in the 1990s. Today, all of the identified standing stones have been re-erected in their original positions.[1][2][3][4][5]