A estela-menir do monte da Ribeira (Reguengos de Monsaraz, Alentejo, Portugal)

Resumen

Near Monte da Ribeira (Reguengos de Monsaraz, Alentejo, Portugal) is to be found the ste1ae-menhir of Monte da Ribeira, which was dragged from its original site when a vineyard was planted. Close by, there is a small cromlech which menhirs have been also moved. The ste1ae-menhir is 4,7 m high and a maximum of 1 m wide. It's a SO cm thick at one end and narrows down into a sort of "blade" at the other. Like other menhirs at Reguengos, the ste1ae-menhir of Monte da Ribeira is engraved on both sides, and also bears a number of motifs on the longest edge. The technique used to record the symbolic images was engraving: themes are depicted by means of long U-section grooves, and in the form of bas-reliejand plain fine1y incised lines. The combination of these techniques is the same on the two main faces of the menhir. In the upper parr, which is rounded and thinner than the base, there is a degree of fragmentation caused when it was moved from its originallocation to the place where it now stands.