A megalithic complex made up of more than 500 menhirs dating back thousands of years has been unearthed in southern Spain, which could make it one of the most important sites in Europe, archaeologists explained on Thursday about the origin of the find.

The archaeological site is located on a 600-hectare plot between Ayamonte and Villablanca, in the province of Huevla (southwest), next to the Guadiana river. It was destined for the production of avocados but its “archaeological potential” motivated a survey that revealed its importance.

“This is the largest concentration with the greatest diversity of menhirs gathered in a single site on the Iberian Peninsula,” says José Antonio Linares, a researcher at the University of Huelva, one of the directors of the project.

It is for him “a great megalithic site in Europe”. It is probable that the first standing stones in this area of ​​La Torre-La Janera were erected during the second half of the 6th and/or 5th century BC.

“Excellent conservation”

The menhirs are the most numerous: 526 have been preserved “in situ” (in the place where they were) or buried and their size varies from one to three meters in length, with different shapes, those responsible for the work explain in an article. published in the magazine “Oeuvres de préhistoire”.

The site of Carnac, in northwestern France, one of the most important in the world, has 3,000 menhirs. The fact that the La Torre-La Janera estate concentrates megalithic elements of great diversity and in a good state of conservation gives it great value, judges Primitiva Bueno, professor of prehistory at the University of Alcalá and co-director of the project.

“That there are alignments and cromlechs in the same place is not so common. Here there is everything: alignments, cromlechs and dolmens and it draws attention”, he analyzes, highlighting its “excellent conservation”.

A cromlech is a monument formed by a series of stones or menhirs that surround a small oval or circular space, a dolmen is a large horizontal stone resting on large vertical stones and a menhir is an elongated stone installed vertically.

The excavation work of these monuments was initially planned until 2026, but in the meantime there will be a part that can be visited, the researcher promised.