In the bosom of the Earth: a new megalithic monument at the Antequera World Heritage Site

Antequera in southern Spain is widely recognised as an outstanding example of the European megalithic phenomenon. One of its most remarkable features is the evident relationship between conspicuous natural formations and human-built monuments. Here, the authors report the results of their investigat...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: García Sanjuán, Leonardo, Wheatley, David W., Lozano Rodríguez, José Antonio, Shaw Evangelista, Lucy, González García, Antonio César, Cintas Peña, Marta, Díaz-Guardamino, Marta, Balsera Nieto, Verónica, Montero Artús, Raquel, Kanz, Fabian, Rebay-Salisbury, Katharina, Jiménez Espejo, Francisco José, Rivera Jiménez, Timoteo
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/144569
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/144569
https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2023.35
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Iberia
Neolithic
Copper Age
Bronze Age
Megalithic architecture
Geological formations
Burial practices
Descripción
Sumario:Antequera in southern Spain is widely recognised as an outstanding example of the European megalithic phenomenon. One of its most remarkable features is the evident relationship between conspicuous natural formations and human-built monuments. Here, the authors report the results of their investigation of a tomb newly discovered at the site of Piedras Blancas at the foot of La Peña de los Enamorados, a limestone massif that dominates the Antequera plain. Excavation and multidisciplinary study, including geological, architectural and archaeoastronomical investigations, have revealed a complex funerary monument that is part natural, part built, part hypogeum, part megalith. The results emphasise the centrality of La Peña in the Neolithicworldviewand encourage wider investigation of prehistoric place-making.