A giant circle of megaliths protrudes from a deep seabed after water recedes in a reservoir outside of Peraleda de la Mata, Spain.
Rocks dating from the 2nd and 3rd millennia BC form the Temple of the Sun on the banks of the Tagus. The last time locals saw the stone circle was over 50 years ago, when the area was flooded under a reservoir due to the construction of a dam in 1963.
Many locals eagerly came to see the megalithic rocks that have become local legends. A total of 144 stone blocks, about two meters high and engraved with a snake, are arranged in a circle like the Stonehenge monument in England, but it is not known who erected the rock and for what purpose. According to Angel Castaño, a member of the Raíces de Peralêda cultural association, which seeks to preserve the area, the building born thousands of years ago uses granite transported from the quarry a few kilometers away.
“Like Stonehenge, the rocks form the temple of the Sun and the cemetery. They have not only religious significance but also economic significance, as it is one of the few places on the river that can pass. it’s a kind of shopping center, ”Castaño says.
The rocks started to rise in early summer and are now resting on dry ground. According to Castaño, the area does not rain in summer due to the drought. The drawdown policy to supply Portugal has also helped lower water levels and reveal the rock circle.
Castaño mobilizes people to move the rock to a drier place before the water returns during the rainy season. “If we miss this opportunity, it may take years for the stone circle to reappear. Due to the granite, the rather porous rocks showed signs of erosion and cracking. We need onions. now before it’s too late, ”Castaño said. He hopes the provincial government will help move the structure to a nearby site in the coming weeks and include the rock on the tourist map.
