A team from the University of Cádiz has unearthed one of the most monumental and best-preserved funerary structures in Andalusia in Teba (Málaga): Dolmen I of the La Lentejuela necropolis, a tomb over 5,000 years old. Measuring 13 meters in length and featuring a complex internal layout, the discovery provides key information about burial practices and trade networks in southern Spain during the third millennium BC.

The work has been directed by Dr. Eduardo Vijande and Dr. Serafín Becerra, from the Thalassa research group (HUM-1127) at the UCA, as part of the project Monumentality, Time, and Society: The Megalithic Phenomenon in the La Lentejuela Necropolis, authorized by the Department of Culture and Historical Heritage of the Regional Government of Andalusia.

During four excavation campaigns, archaeologists have been able to document a tomb of great monumentality and exceptional state of preservation. Inside, several ossuaries and prestigious grave goods made from exotic raw materials such as ivory, amber, and seashells have been recorded, as well as sophisticated flint pieces such as arrowheads, large blades, and an exceptional halberd.

According to Professor Serafín Becerra, “we may be talking about one of the most monumental and complete dolmens in the whole of Andalusia.” For his part, the co-director of the project, Eduardo Vijande, highlights that “the real potential of this structure is its extraordinary state of preservation, which will allow us to learn in great detail about the ways of life and beliefs of these communities.”

The team also emphasized the symbolic value of the objects found. As Professor Juan Jesús Cantillo of the University of Cádiz explains, “the presence of seashells in an inland area reflects the importance of the sea as an element of prestige and the existence of long-distance trade networks.”