Drought reveals a dolmen millennial in CáceresLa new threat to the dolmen millennium of Cáceres

The dolmen of Guadalperal that was revealed this summer after the descent of the water level in the reservoir of Valdecañas will not be transferred “at this time” because “that would mean an irreversible loss of the historical context-archaeological”, according to the regional government of Extremadura in a note.

The Executive of extremadura and the Ministries of Culture and Sport, and Ecological Transition they have constituted a working group for the design, management and monitoring of the plan of action that will allow the recovery of the dolmen involving the largest Spanish specialists in archaeology megalithic as Rodrigo Balbín and Primitive Good, of the University of Alcalá de Henares, madrid; Enrique Cerrillos, the Centre for Higher Scientific Research (CSIC), and Bartolomé Ruiz, director of the Archaeological site of the Dolmens of Antequera, as well as the technical staff of the Institute of Cultural Heritage of Spain (IPCE).

The Board stresses that the dolmen located in the municipality of El Gordo (Cáceres), is an “outstanding example of megalithic construction”, but said that “all the experts have considered that the transfer of the megalithic group at this time would be an irreversible loss of the historical context-archaeological”.

The dolmen of Guadalperal – Roots of Peraleda

Given the historical value of the enclave and the uniqueness of the set, the working group has designed two phases of action to ensure their conservation and to convert it, at the same time, in a tourist resort for the area.

The first recognition phase, already underway, aims to comprehensive documentation of the megalithic group and its state of preservation . This phase began in August, after the visit to the megalithic group of the technicians of the Junta de Extremadura, in addition to the collaboration of the University of Extremadura.

from this initial work, technical IPCE moved to the site on days 3 and 10 September to take samples of the stones, currently in the laboratory, with the objective of obtaining a comprehensive overview of conditions in the orthostats.

it has Also conducted a scanning laser 3D to provide a flat current of maximum precision, and in the next few days we will begin emergency relief work to provide surveys, intensive work of documentation and basic conservation of the site.

The first steps will be to protect the site with sand bags , stabilize and consolidate the smaller stones desplomadas and mark the area.

Later, in a second phase, it will promote a “comprehensive program of recovery and putting in value of the site “, with the development of applied research projects, which will include analysis of risk and of conservation of the site and of its archaeological context and territorial.

in Parallel to the work of research, we have started the paperwork for the opening of the megalithic group as Well of Cultural Interest (BIC).

at The same time, we are carrying out studies for the presentation of the set to the public as a tourist resort of the area.

“A signature in the water”

Roots of Peraleda, which has been promoting for months the transfer of the dolmen, he complained that the monument “be abandoned to their fate, since that is what will happen if they leave it in the water with no fixed date”. The association points to a geological report published by the Association Geological of Extremadura (AGEx) and that, to his knowledge, “does not leave place to doubts: if the dolmen remains in the water half of the blocks will crumble in a few years, and the rest will be falling into the precipice as the platform to continue falling apart as is happening now.”

“Neither sandbags nor any other measure can prevent this future is insurance if the monument is left in the water,” he adds.

The edge of the dolmen, this Wednesday, September 18, with the water at about 30-40 cm – Roots of Peraleda

According to Roots of Peraleda, the argument that you can’t de-contextualisation of the dolmen “also does not have today sense” because “all the background disappeared when the reservoir submerged the entire valley of the Tagus, and the ford”.

The association applauds that you are going to do more studies and you want to convert the dolmen in a tourist resort in the area but are wondering how you are going to carry it out “if they intend to wrap it in sand and leave it under the water.”

Despite the promises of the future “that would be exciting if you really are true”, the association highlights the fact that “they’re not going to move the dolmen of your site and are going to let the water submerge , despite the clear risk of destruction. Everything else, for the moment, is a signature in the water”.

Ecologists in Action of Extremadura has also shown his support to the initiative of transfer of the dolmen promoted by the Association Roots of Peraleda “before the alarming conclusions of the geological report commissioned on this cultural heritage”.

The dolmen of Guadalperal was excavated and restored in the twenties of the last century by Hugo Obermaier. His works were not published until 1960, by other German researchers, just three years before the site was covered by the waters of the reservoir.