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The Anta do Monte Abraão was a 
Apart from the visit by Da Fonseca, Ribeiro’s findings attracted little interest in the dolmen until the 1960s, when archaeologists became concerned about the possible destruction of the Antas de Belas as a result of urban expansion and highway construction. In addition, the Anta do Monte Abrãao was threatened by the activity of a quarry located in its vicinity. The present condition of the stones is poor and extensive graffiti is visible.
megalithic
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea.
The ...
dolmen
A dolmen () or portal tomb is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the early Neolithic (40003000 BCE) and were somet ...
located in the parish of Monte Abraão, in Queluz, Sintra Municipality
Sintra (, ) is a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. The population of the municipality in 2011 was 377,835, in an area of . Sintra is one of the most urbanized and densely populated ...
, Lisbon District
Lisbon District ( pt, Distrito de Lisboa, ) is a district located along the western coast of Portugal. The district capital is the city of Lisbon, which is also the national capital. From its creation until 1926, it included the area of the cur ...
, Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
. The dolmen was first identified in 1876, by Carlos Ribeiro
Carlos Ribeiro (21 December 1813, in Lisbon – 13 November 1882, in Lisbon) was a pioneering geologist and archaeologist who inaugurated the concept of fieldwork in Portugal, and was responsible for the discovery and excavation of many Neolithic ...
, who carried out excavations until 1878 and published his results in 1880. Excavations suggest that it served as a tomb for about 80 individuals and that it dates back to the middle to end of the Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
period (4000-2500 BC). The Anta do Monte Abraão and the nearby Anta da Pedra dos Mouros (also known as the Anta do Senhor da Serra) and Anta da Estria
The Anta da Estria is a megalithic dolmen situated between Belas and Queluz in the Lisbon District of Portugal. Based on datings of human remains, it is believed to date back to the late-Neolithic and early-Chalcolithic eras (4000-2500 BC). The ...
are collectively known as the Antas de Belas.
The burial chamber of the Anta do Monte Abraão had an east-west orientation. It had at least six upright limestone supporting stones or orthostats
This article describes several characteristic architectural elements typical of European megalithic (Stone Age) structures.
Forecourt
In archaeology, a forecourt is the name given to the area in front of certain types of chamber tomb. Forecourts ...
and three of these were found in situ by Ribeiro. The polygonal chamber had a diameter of 3.6 metres, approached by an 8 metre corridor that was 2 metres wide. Subsequent work by Vergílio Correia Pinto da Fonseca identified limited drawings on some stones. Despite the destruction of the tomb, excavations have yielded numerous finds, including stone axes, flint tools and blades, flint arrowheads, club heads, pottery ceramics, clay vessels and objects of adornment. These are exhibited at the Portuguese Geological Museum in Lisbon.
Apart from the visit by Da Fonseca, Ribeiro’s findings attracted little interest in the dolmen until the 1960s, when archaeologists became concerned about the possible destruction of the Antas de Belas as a result of urban expansion and highway construction. In addition, the Anta do Monte Abrãao was threatened by the activity of a quarry located in its vicinity. The present condition of the stones is poor and extensive graffiti is visible.
References
{{European Standing Stones National monuments in Lisbon District Megalithic monuments in Portugal Prehistoric sites in Portugal Dolmens in Portugal