Scientists from the University of Seville have found a close connection between the local legend and the history of the Dolmen de Menga burial mound and its unusual location. Legend has it that a Spanish soldier fell in love with the daughter of the King of the Moors. The young lovers were able to escape and together reach the city of Antequera, just as the siege of the city began, and the troops of the ruler of Nazari almost overtook the fugitives. They, unable to escape further, climbed a rocky mountain, from which they rushed down together, before they could be separated. Since then, this mountain has been called the Cliff of Lovers (Peña de los Enamorados). Scientists have solved the mystery of the origin of this legend by examining the burial mound (dolmen), built about 5600-5800 years ago and located six kilometers from that very mountain.
The Dolmen de Menga in Antequera is about 28 meters long and is part of the megalithic complex, declared a World Heritage Site in 2016. The dolmen consists of a courtyard and an interior space with a roof of giant stones. Inside there is a well with a depth of 19.4 meters. The dolmen has a feature that distinguishes it from most of the known megalithic complexes: it is tilted 45 degrees to the north, when a typical structure for this type has a deviation of 55 to 125 degrees.
This fact led scientists to an amazing answer. The entrance to the dolmen is directed towards that very Peña de los Enamorados mountain. The mountain has the shape of a human face looking up into the sky. According to legend, the lovers threw themselves down, standing on their "chins", and their bodies fell on the "neck", towards which the dolmen was directed. A team from the Department of Prehistory and Archeology of the University of Seville decided to study exactly that part of the mountain that looks like the neck. There, they discovered a space with schematic cave paintings and the remains of a megalithic sanctuary that preceded the construction of Dolmen de Menga.
“The location of the dolmen is like the compass of time, because it points to the past, taking us to the ancestors of those who built this great monument. The medieval legend of two lovers, perhaps, unites ancient legends that reflected the worldview of their predecessors,”says University professor Leonardo Garcia Sanjuan. However, the experts were unable to continue the work, because the territory on which the remains of the sanctuary are located is private property. “Its owners were not ready to allow the archaeological excavations that we need for further research,” the professor admits.
After numerous studies of the water from the Dolmen de Menga well, which accumulates at a depth of about 20 meters, chemist Raquel Montero Artus concluded that the water is potable. Its analysis suggests that it will meet all modern quality standards if it is purified from nitrates that get here from farms and the remains of dead animals. Research from the University of Seville confirms that the well was created between 1720 and 1770 AD. In addition, it is one of the few sources of fresh water, while other sources in the area are salty. According to scientists, the groundwater of this well probably comes from an ancient source located about 11 kilometers south of the dolmen. And this source originates from a grotto at the foot of the mountain and ends in the Antequera valley in that zone,from where the great dolmen "looks" to the place where, according to legend, the young lovers committed suicide.