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<< Our Photo Pages >> Cueva de Menga - Chambered Cairn in Spain in Andalucía

Submitted by greywether on Thursday, 14 July 2005  Page Views: 23994

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Cueva de Menga
Country: Spain Region: Andalucía Type: Chambered Cairn
Nearest Town: Antequera
Latitude: 37.024132N  Longitude: 4.548342W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
4

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I have visited· I would like to visit

Runemage DrewParsons rrmoser 43559959 would like to visit

Catrinm visited on 22nd Feb 2020 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5 Impressively huge dolmen clearly facing the face-like mountain . Carvings on front left hand side slab. The info on this on MP main page is out of date You can enter here for free now (2020) on an organised path and visitor centre with film and free posters !

Marcia visited on 1st Jan 2018 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 5

XIII visited on 24th Oct 2016 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 3 Access: 4

aangelo visited on 9th Sep 2010 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4 The access is free for all members of European Community. There is a building where you can see an interesting video that explains the construction techniques and buy books and other gadgets. Now the cave is always lighted (not only after request) but there is no guide (but if you have a suitable guide book this is not a problem). Quite interesting also the Dolmen de El Romeral.

HChavez visited - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 5

ShamrockStone MAIGO have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 4.2 Ambience: 4.2 Access: 4.6

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by irundarra : Site in Antequera (Málaga) (Vote or comment on this photo)
The other two great megalithic sites at Antequera lie next to each other in a wooded and fenced enclosure. You may find the gate locked when you arrive. Don't worry. Soon a local guide will emerge from nowhere and show you the hole in the fence which gives access to the sites.

For a few euro, he will then switch on the electric lighting in the cairns and give you a description of the sites - in Spanish dotted with the occasional English noun.

This, at least, was the situation in October 2002.

The Menga site is famous for being the largest "dolmen" in Europe (and maybe the world!). Its chamber measures 25m x 6m at its widest making it about 50% bigger than the Loire Grand Dolmen. What a pity you cannot get into it but there are structural problems which make it unsafe.

The Viera site also has structural problems. On paper, this looks to me to be the most interesting of the three Antequera sites. A 24m long passage leads to a square port-hole stone beyond which is a small square end chamber.

Recently was a well found in the dolmen.
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Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by TimPrevett : Rear interior, well in the foreground. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by MAIGO : Site in Andalucía, Spain (Vote or comment on this photo)

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by TimPrevett : The entrance of the Menga tomb with person standing top centre for scale! (Vote or comment on this photo)

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by rstinghe : Site in Andalucía Spain (Vote or comment on this photo)

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by ShamrockStone : Dolmen de Menga

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by ShamrockStone : Dolmen de Menga

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by ainsloch : Juxtaposition of the modern and the ancient: the statue of "The Traveler" and the Cueva de Menga (2 comments)

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by TimPrevett : Approaching the Menga tomb.

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by TimPrevett : Menga entrance taken on a zoom shot from the Romeral tomb. You can appreciate its relative elevation in the landscape from this angle. (1 comment)

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by TimPrevett : From the entrance, north half of the interior.

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by durhamnature : Drawing from "Der Orient Und Europa" via archive.org Site in Andalucía Spain

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by irundarra : Site in Antequera (Málaga)

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by irundarra

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by Stone_de_croze : The well in Cueva de Menga.

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by greywether : The interior of Menga. Visible is one of the three large pillars in the chamber.

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by greywether : The entrance to Menga. The guide pointed out some art on the two portal stones but the lighting made it impossible to see.

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by dooclay : Site in Andalucía Spain, since TimPrevett says his view of the Pena de los Enamorados is obscured I should include this one from the Cueva de Menga that shows it

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by Flickr : Image from page 479 of "Compte rendu" Site in Andalucía Spain Title: Compte rendu Identifier: compterendu44asso Year: (s) Authors: Association franaise pour l'avancement des sciences Subjects: Science; Science -- Congresses Publisher: Paris, Secretariat de lAssociation Contributing Library: New York Botanical Garden, LuEsther T. Mertz Library Digitizing Sponsor: The LuEsther ...

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by TimPrevett : A hand carved into the tomb, north west interior, if I recall correct.

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by TimPrevett : A socket hole in one of the central orthostats?

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by TimPrevett : Markings near the entrance, southern side. (1 comment)

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by TimPrevett : Peeping out from the entrance, looking towards the obscured face-shaped mountain and Romeral tomb.

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by TimPrevett : A teasing glimpse of the tomb's entrance from the visitor centre.

Cueva de Menga
Cueva de Menga submitted by durhamnature : Drawing from "Der Orient Und Europa" via archive.org

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 102m SW 220° Cueva de Viera* Chambered Tomb
 180m ESE 103° Dólmenes de Antequera centro de visitantes* Museum
 1.4km WNW 287° Villa Romana de la Estación Ancient Village or Settlement
 1.7km NE 46° Cueva del Romeral* Chambered Cairn
 7.0km NE 46° La Peña de los Enamorados* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature
 7.4km NE 42° Piedras Blancas* Rock Cut Tomb
 7.5km NE 52° Necrópolis de la Angostura* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
 7.7km S 175° El Tornillo Del Torcal* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature
 10.8km N 350° Los Silillos Ancient Village or Settlement
 13.5km SE 135° Aratispi Ancient Village or Settlement
 19.0km NNE 18° Necrópolis de las Cuevas del Alcaide* Rock Cut Tomb
 20.2km SE 135° Peñas de Cabrera* Rock Art
 20.3km SE 134° Dólmen del Tajillo del Moro* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
 21.3km SSE 152° Necrópolis de Las Chaperas Burial Chamber or Dolmen
 24.7km WSW 237° Ruines de Bobastro* Ancient Village or Settlement
 25.7km WSW 250° Necrópolis de las Aguilillas* Rock Cut Tomb
 30.1km SW 236° Cueva de Dona Trinidad* Cave or Rock Shelter
 32.2km SSW 205° Tumbas de Castillejos de Luna Cist
 33.4km ESE 121° Necrópolis de la Peña de Hierro Cist
 36.2km SE 143° Dolmen Cerro de la Corona* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
 37.6km WSW 258° Dólmenes del Guadalteba Burial Chamber or Dolmen
 39.9km S 169° Cerro Del Villar* Ancient Village or Settlement
 39.9km NE 54° Necrópolis de Sierra Martilla* Rock Cut Tomb
 43.6km SW 216° Dólmen de la Cuesta de los Almendrillos* Burial Chamber or Dolmen
 43.9km ESE 101° Dólmen de Llano de Zafarraya Burial Chamber or Dolmen
View more nearby sites and additional images

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"Cueva de Menga" | Login/Create an Account | 15 News and Comments
  
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Re: Cueva de Menga by Catrinm on Saturday, 29 February 2020
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Feb 2020 : Well organised visitor centre and path to Menga and Viera - free entry. lots of useful books and information.
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Re: Cuevas de Menga y Viera by ModernExplorers on Saturday, 13 July 2019
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We visited this site while on holiday in the South of Spain; a massive dolmen with 5 capstones, one of which is 180 tons and a curiously positioned well 19m from the entrance and 19m deep

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Re: Cueva de Menga by davidmorgan on Monday, 18 July 2016
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A UNESCO World Heritage site from 2016 - http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1501
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Prehistoric engineering and astronomy of the great Menga Dolmen by Andy B on Wednesday, 20 November 2013
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Prehistoric engineering and astronomy of the great Menga Dolmen (Málaga, Spain). A geometric and geoarchaeological analysis

José Antonio Lozanoa,

Highlights

• We study one of the largest funeral monuments from recent Prehistory in Europe.
• A geoarcheometric analysis of the structural elements of the dolmen is carried out.
• The asymmetry between both sides of the dolmen is intentional.
• We relate the asymmetry with the orientation of the sun during the summer solstice.

Abstract

The Menga Dolmen in Antequera (Malaga province, Spain), measuring 27.5 m long and composed of 32 large stones, is recognized as possibly the largest megalithic burial monument of Prehistory. However, until now, no studies of Menga have ever been internationally published. This article, while aiming to be the first is also the first geoarchaeological and geometric analysis of this a monument of this kind. The purpose of this analysis is to combine the results of the geological study of Menga (identification and description of the rock used in its constructions) with those of the geometric design survey. The results show a detailed understanding of the architecture and engineering among the dolmen builders, and what is most important, as well as novel, a clear and intentional asymmetry of the dolmen along its longitudinal axis. This asymmetry has a cultural background, evidenced in other similar monuments and may also be related to the orientation of Menga, traditionally set to a nearby geographical feature but also oriented to a certain chamber lighting during the summer solstice.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440313003543
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Menga (Antequera, Málaga, Spain): Biography of an outstanding megalithic monument by Andy B on Tuesday, 11 June 2013
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Menga (Antequera, Málaga, Spain): Biography of an outstanding megalithic monument by Leonardo García Sanjuán
Because of its design and scale, Menga is an outstanding megalithic monument. As such, it has also had a remarkable biography, dating back to the early part of the 4th millennium BC and spanning all prehistoric and historic periods since then. This paper presents, for the first time, a comprehensive review of the evidence available to understand Menga’s journey through time.

The data presented here help understand issues such as the chronology of the building of the monument, its frequentation and use throughout Late Prehistory or its re-use as burial ground in Roman and Medieval times. To date, no other Iberian megalithic monument has proved such pervasiveness as a place filled with long-term ideological significance for memory and identity.

More Info: Co-authored with José Antonio Lozano Rodríguez
Publisher: Oxbow Books
Publication Date: 2014
Publication Name: Scarre, C. & Laporte, L. (eds.): The Megalithic Architectures of Europe. Forthcoming 2014
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Re: Cuevas de Menga y Viera clips on YouTube by TimPrevett on Wednesday, 09 January 2013
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Visited here last week - so amazing. Uploading clips on to YouTube in days ahead. A clip from Menga is here: http://youtu.be/kAybSzvJy4M
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Re: Cuevas de Menga y Viera Visitor Centre by TimPrevett on Wednesday, 07 November 2012
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Tifi - is there a website for the Visitor Centre here? Have looked for one but can't find it! Looks a stunning location.
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Re: Cuevas de Menga y Viera by Runemage on Thursday, 08 April 2010
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I'm absolutely fascinated with the well inside this dolmen and the central pillars in the passageway.

There's a short video here which shows quite a bit of the dolmen's interior and intriguingly, the notched mountain opposite its entrance. Sun/moon rise and set and a line to the dolmen perhaps? Beam of light going into the well?

Also, it looks as though there's some carving on the roof, look at the top left at 31 seconds in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS_QolVJwAM&feature=related

What a fascinating place, I'd love to visit.
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    Re: Cuevas de Menga y Viera by Runemage on Tuesday, 19 March 2019
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    The orientation of the dolmen can possibly be described by local legend.
    It overlooks the site where star-crossed lovers Tello and Tagzona leaped to their death rather than spend their lives apart.

    "The legend that solved the mystery of Menga's dolmen.
    The University of Seville finds in an oral tradition the answer to why the megalithic ensemble of Málaga in Antequera is not oriented towards the sun.
    "Legend has it that Tello, soldier of Ferdinand the Catholic and imprisoned in the dungeons of Granada, fell in love with Tagzona, the daughter of the Moorish king. Both young men managed to reach Antequera, just as the Christians had begun the siege of the city and the Nazari king's troops were about to reach the fugitives. These, unable to continue fleeing, climbed a high cliff (known since then as the Peña de los Enamorados), from which they threw themselves into the void before being separated.

    "The University of Seville has now resolved the possible origin of this oral tradition, whose solution passes through a Neolithic dolmen built between 5,600 and 5,800 years ago, located six kilometers away, and a sanctuary with rock art and, possibly, menhirs."


    "The dolmen also has a characteristic that differentiates it from most known megaliths: its orientation is offset 45 degrees north, when the normal in this type of construction is an orientation that goes from 55 to 125 degrees."

    "The reason for this orientation has brought the experts to their heads, who in recent investigations have found a possible answer. Your entrance goes directly to the distant Peña de los Enamorados. This cliff has the shape of the face of a human being on its back, and it can be seen from all points of the plain of Antequera as it reaches a height of 880 meters above the flat terrain that surrounds it. According to the legend, the lovers took to the void from the "chin" and their bodies fell on the "neck", just where the dolmen points."

    "The team of the Department of Prehistory and Archeology of the University of Seville , has directed its efforts precisely towards the "neck" of the mountain. There they discovered a sanctuary with schematic rock art and the possible remains of a megalithic sanctuary prior to the construction of the Menga dolmen, which would explain that it does not point towards the sun as is usual. "Menga's orientation is like a compass of time, because it transports us directly to the environment of the past and the ancestors of those who built this great monument. It is possible that the medieval legend of the two dead youths pick up older oral traditions that placed La Peña on the axis of the worldview of its predecessors, "says Professor Leonardo García Sanjuán."
    Extract from article in El País https://elpais.com/cultura/2019/02/08/actualidad/1549642720_147548.html?rel=mas
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Re: Cuevas de Menga y Viera by Tifi on Friday, 08 January 2010
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Condition:3
Ambience:4
Access:4
Accuracy:0
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Re: Cuevas de Menga y Viera by Tifi on Friday, 08 January 2010
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Visited in January 2010.
There is now a swish new visitors centre and the sites are free to EU citizens. There is plenty of parking.
Paths are being laid around the site and moody/subdued lighting has been used in the dolmens.
The visitors centre has an interesting video to watch in English and an information leaflet.
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Re: Cuevas de Menga y Viera by davidmorgan on Tuesday, 13 January 2009
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3rd millennium BCE and one of the stones weighs 180 tonnes. Wow!
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Re: Cuevas de Menga y Viera by Anonymous on Wednesday, 16 January 2008
many thanks for your pictures, the carvings on the stone look to be added afterwards. possibly in the fear of pagan demons or spirits.Common practice on any takeover of old buildings/temples by Christians. I have recently found out that the dolmen is facing la peña de los enamorados, an unusual small mountain a few km eastwards. Apparently on this mountain they have found to date three petroglyph's. For some reason the dolmens doorway faces these directly.Personaly I believe dolmens form a kind of network and that they are carefully located.There is a well know spanish saying "may the sun rise in Antequera" Could this be a reflection of some ancient Iberian belief.
if you need any more local photos dont doubt to ask.
best wishes
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Re: Cuevas de Menga y Viera by Anonymous on Friday, 29 June 2007
Dolmen de Menga is often called a grave.
In my mind it is a faillure.
De Menga is build to serve as a habitation.
Why these conclusion.
1). In the end of the dolmen is a well. You do not make a well in a grave.
2). On the wall and ond the pillar the is small recess more places just against another. They can have been used to fixation of partition. On these way more families have lived and got there security, integrity.

The skelleton find later is then from a time long after the original person is away and people has forgot why the dolmen was build for.
jens v bruun'http://www.megalith.dk
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