Toledo cromlech measuring 12 metres in diameter discovered

The excavations, led by archaeologist Arturo Ruiz Taboada of the Complutense University of Madrid, has placed the site "on the map of peninsular megalithic archaeology".

The excavation work has made it possible to precisely outline a structure which, during initial investigations, was identified as a burial mound with a double ring of megaliths and which is now revealed to be "something far more complex: a place of gathering and ritual that the prehistoric peoples of the surrounding plateau frequented for centuries".

Of the 24 orthostats that originally made up the cromlech circle, only five remain, although their arrangement has been sufficient for the archaeological team to reconstruct the complete layout.

"A second ring of stones surrounded the cromlech, delineating what may have served as an access corridor to the central monument and reinforcing the interpretation of the complex as a structured and planned space, rather than a haphazard accumulation of stones," Ruiz Taboada explained.

The team have also documented several rows of menhirs, all oriented towards the central stone of the cromlech, at a site which still preserves four rock shelters featuring schematic cave paintings.

The site dates back some 6,000 years. The area was in use until the Iron Age. According to Ruiz Taboada, the team "have managed to identify a complex megalithic landscape centred on the Algodor Valley, with the La Chorrera site at its heart, which encompasses several historical periods".

"This will, in future, enable us to understand the way of life of the society in this area during prehistory," he said.

According to him, the prolonged use of La Chorrera demonstrates how successive generations reinterpreted the same site according to their own needs and beliefs. It was not merely a permanent settlement, but rather a meeting place and a symbolic and religious landmark within the region.

Work will be suspended until next year. The excavated areas remain covered to protect them from inclement weather and possible looting until the team resume work in the summer of 2027.

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