Menhirs of Lavajo

The Menhirs of Lavajo (Menires de Lavajo) are a group of menhirs, located in the civil parish of Alcoutim e Pereiro in the municipality of Alcoutim, Portuguese Algarve.

History


These structures are territorial marks or define sacred spaces from the Late Neolithic or Chalcolithic period (constructed sometime between 3500 and 2800 B.C.).

The first excavations in 1998, revealed the existence of not only the large menhir, but fragments of the two small menhirs. These menhirs raised the possibility that the group was an intentional alignment of these structures. One of these structures were eventually stored in the archaeological museum in Alcoutim.

Architecture
A rural group, located on a small 155 m hilltop, between the Lavajo valley and the ravine of the same name. The area is encircled by fence.

Part of an aligned group of megalithic religious structures. Consists of three carved menhirs, with the largest decorated with carvings and circles. The largest (Lavajo I) is 3.14 m high, dark grey phallic-form structure, with its surface stained in brown. Its carvings combine decoration arranged along a longitudinal groove, with circles and other elements. The other two menhirs (Lavajo II) located 250 m, decorated in a similar fashion, with one decorated by perforated circle.