University of Cádiz archaeologists have discovered one of the greatest megalithic discoveries of recent decades: a monumental dolmen in the town of Teba, in Málaga province. The tomb, located in the La Lentejuela necropolis, is more than 5,000 years old and has been described as one of the largest and best-preserved funerary monuments in Andalusia.
5,000-year-old stone tomb discovered in Spain containing multiple prehistoric burials. Credit: University of Cádiz
Measuring nearly 13 meters (43 feet) in length, the structure is built from gigantic slabs of stone, some over two meters tall, which were used to build walls and compartments within the chamber. Its excellent state of preservation allowed scientists to identify the dimensions of its construction, its design, and the practices of the communities that built and reused it. Archaeologists are certain that the dolmen was first built in the late Neolithic or early Copper Age, in the fourth millennium BCE, and later reused by groups during the Bronze Age.
Inside, the team discovered many ossuaries containing human remains, confirming its role as a collective burial site. The burial also yielded an outstanding collection of grave goods, including flint arrowheads, huge stone blades, a high-quality halberd, and ornaments of exotic materials like amber, ivory, and seashells. The marine shells found in this inland location have been used as evidence of a long-distance trade network, and highlight the symbolic significance of the sea as a status and prestige marker.
Directed by archaeologists Eduardo Vijande and Serafín Becerra of the Thalᴀssa research group at the University of Cádiz, the project, Monumentality, Time, and Society: The Megalithic Phenomenon in the La Lentejuela Necropolis, has unfolded over four excavation campaigns.
The project has also served as a valuable training ground for university students. Young archaeologists directly participated in the excavations, gaining experience with prehistoric material culture and excavation techniques. This educational aspect underscores the project’s broader contribution to advancing academic research and heritage preservation in Andalusia.
Researchers highlight that the worth of the monument is not merely in its magnitude and preservation but also in its value as source material for understanding the symbolic and social systems of prehistoric Iberian societies. Dolmens were multifunctional structures across Europe, and while they were originally tombs, they may have also been used as ritual centers, territorial markers, or land ownership symbols in early agricultural societies. Their ᴀssociation with celestial events, such as solstices, also suggests they were involved in ritual or cosmological activities.
Dolmen of Guadalperal, a 7,000-year-old stone circle known as “Spanish Stonehenge.” Credit: Pleonr / CC BY-SA 4.0
Spain has a particularly rich prehistory of megalithic monuments, ranging from small dolmens to vast complexes like the Dolmen of Guadalperal, an ancient stone circle dated to 7,000 years ago and called “Spanish Stonehenge.” The newly excavated La Lentejuela dolmen now joins this cultural heritage as one of the best prehistoric monuments on the Iberian Peninsula.
As additional research is conducted, archaeologists are excited to continue refining their understanding of the communities that built the monument, how they participated in broader exchange networks, and the symbolic meaning of the grave goods accompanying their ᴅᴇᴀᴅ.
More information: University of Cádiz
