Unearthed in Spain: The megalithic complex that could dwarf Stonehenge

[Judi Lynn]

The sheer diversity of structures at the site makes it stand out among its peers.

Alexandru Micu by Alexandru Micu October 3, 2023
Edited and reviewed by Tibi Puiu

In Spain, the site of a soon-to-be avocado plantation bore an incredible surprise: one of the largest collections of standing stones in all of Europe.



Image credits José Antonio Linares-Catela et al., (2022), Trabajos de Prehistoria.

Stonehenge has long captivated the imagination of people around the world. The stacked-stone monument is so impressive to behold, that it led to the coining of a completely new term in the 1850s to describe the massive rocks that our Stone Age ancestors used to erect their monuments -- "megalith".

But it is in no way the only such site in the world. Megalithic complexes come in various forms and levels of complexity and have been found across the continents, from Europe to Africa and Asia to Micronesia. They have been erected for a variety of purposes, from funerary sites to devices for keeping track of the seasons.

And now, archaeologists have found another megalithic complex. Researchers at the Huelva University report on the discovery of a new site, sitting in the Huelva province near the Guadiana River, on the southernmost part of the Spain-Portugal border. Unearthed on a plot of land that was earmarked for a new avocado plantation, the sheer size of this site is impressive to behold. It is one of the largest megalith complexes ever discovered in Europe -- if not the largest.

Megastones

"This is the biggest and most diverse collection of standing stones grouped together in the Iberian peninsula," said Jose Antonio Linares, a researcher at Huelva University and one of the project's three directors.

The discovery was made on a plot of land roughly 600 hectares (1,500 acres) in surface area. An archeological survey of the area was started as a preliminary requirement for local authorities to give the green light for the construction of the avocado plantation, given the site's possible archeological significance.

More:
https://www.zmescience.com/science/megalithic-complex-spain/

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