Whispers from the Stone Age linger here at Dólmen das Meninas do Crasto 3. This isn’t just a pile of rocks. It’s a portal to a time long past. A time when communities marked their presence on the land with monuments that defied the ages.
Dólmen das Meninas do Crasto 3 forms part of the Megalithic Complex of Meninas do Crasto. It lies near a height with a geodetic landmark. This is in the Serra da Aboboreira in Ovil. It is in the Municipality of Baião. Six mamoas from the Neo-Chalcolithic period were identified here.
Mamoa 3 is a tumulus or mamoa in earth. It is covered with a buttress of overlapping slabs. These slabs are well-preserved and tightly knit. Excavation revealed a small polygonal chamber. It had four uprights still in place. One was toppled. Six uprights were found. A seventh likely existed.
The absence of one upright results from the area’s amputation due to road construction. A covering slab was found about 30 meters north of the monument. In 2006, the chamber was determined to be a closed chamber.
A geotextile blanket was then placed inside the chamber. A shoring system was built inside. A simple drainage system was added. Dólmen das Meninas do Crasto 3 dates back to between 3960 and 3630 BC. It probably was enclosed. The eastern tumulus was cut off from the road.
Imagine the hands that carefully placed each stone. Picture the ceremonies performed here. These monuments of a funerary nature were used to bury the most influential people in certain societies. These societies had ritualistic idiosyncrasies and megaliths testify to how our ancestors’ religious beliefs already ran deep. Dólmen das Meninas do Crasto 3 is a testament to the beliefs of our ancient ancestors.