Dolmen de Alberite

Dolmen de Alberite is an ancient megalithic tomb located in the province of Burgos in northern Spain. It is one of the best-preserved examples of a dolmen in the region and is believed to date back to the Neolithic period, around 4,000 to 5,000 years ago.

The dolmen is situated on a hillside overlooking the valley of the river Tirón and is surrounded by several smaller tombs and burial mounds. It consists of a large stone chamber, or cist, which is covered by a massive capstone weighing several tons. The walls of the chamber are made up of several upright stones, with smaller stones placed in between to fill in the gaps.

The dolmen was likely used as a communal burial site, with multiple individuals interred inside the chamber over a period of time. The presence of several smaller tombs and burial mounds in the surrounding area suggests that the site was an important ritual and religious center for the people who lived in the region during the Neolithic period.

The construction of the dolmen required a great deal of labor and resources, indicating that the people who built it had a strong social and cultural organization. The dolmen was likely used for religious ceremonies and rituals related to death and the afterlife, as well as for social and political gatherings.

In addition to its religious significance, the Dolmen de Alberite is also significant for its unique architecture and artistic value. The massive capstone is adorned with several carvings and engravings, including a spiral motif and several abstract symbols that are thought to represent the sun and other celestial bodies.

The dolmen is also believed to have been aligned with the sun, with the entrance facing east to capture the rays of the rising sun during certain times of the year. This alignment may have been significant for the people who used the site, as it would have been a way of marking the changing of the seasons and the cycles of nature.

Today, the Dolmen de Alberite is a popular tourist attraction and is recognized as an important cultural and historical landmark in Spain. Visitors can explore the dolmen and the surrounding area, which includes several other prehistoric sites of interest. The site is also part of a larger network of megalithic tombs and burial mounds found throughout the Iberian Peninsula, which provides valuable insight into the lives and beliefs of the people who lived in the region during the Neolithic period.