Menhir Pedra Alta da Antela

‘A Pedra Alta de Antela’ is a granite menhir almost 3.50 metres high located in the parish of Cortegada, in the municipality of Sarreaus. It dates from between IV and III BC, although its exact chronology is unknown. It gives its name to the Antela Lagoon.

It was used as a dividing mark between parishes and also between the municipalities of Xunqueira de Ambía, Vilar de Santos and Sarreaus. Apart from these attributes, it is a prehistoric megalithic monument containing engravings from the 9th and 11th centuries.

Tall or long stones used to be considered funerary symbols protecting the souls of the deceased. Such elements are not unique to the area but many of them have not survived to the present day.

The crosses contained in this menhir may be evidence of the Christianisation of the stone. The specific function of the High Stone of Antela is unknown. It could be a funerary rite, a phallic symbol related to fertility and life or related to magic, resurrection or otherworldly life.

It has different states of preservation between the upper and lower parts, so it can be deduced that the stone was buried in the ground.

Its exact height of 3.47 metres is surprising and raises many questions. The visit is free and it is recommended to be careful with the traffic.