A Neolithic dolmen hidden between dry stone walls in the heart of Cap de Creus

GironaThe Alt Empordà is the region with the largest number of prehistoric sites in Catalonia. Hundreds of dolmens and megalithic remains, used as burial sites by primitive civilizations, are preserved, scattered throughout the natural surroundings of the Albera region and the Empordà plain. Now, a new discovery of great historical value has been discovered: the Bufadors dolmen, in the heart of the Cap de Creus Natural Park, just over an hour's walk from Port de la Selva, towards Cadaqués. It measures about four meters long by one and a half meters high and dates from the late Neolithic period, around 2700 BC.

This dolmen had remained hidden among bushes and brambles, so, unlike many other sites in the region, which have suffered all kinds of looting and deterioration over the years, the stones and their interior have been excavated in good condition. Remains of pottery, flint, and grave goods have been found that certify that this is a prehistoric funerary tomb. However, it has not remained completely intact since the Neolithic period, since, as is usual, centuries ago some shepherd from the area took advantage of this cavity to convert it into a hut, adding some stone walls around it. dry stone. This megalith, moreover, does not have the classic structure of vertical slabs and a roof, but rather uses the arch of a natural cave as a ledge. For this reason, archaeologists have officially classified it as a paradolmen.

The main driving forces behind the discovery are Pere Toro and Vicenç Armangué, two historians by vocation, passionate about ancient stones, who had been following the trail of this dolmen along separate paths until, three years ago, they met and began working together. Armangué learned about it through Jenar Fèlix, a photographer specializing in dry-stone constructions in the area, who notified him in 2014 that he had found some stones with a curious arrangement.

"300 canas in Sopletes mistral, a table under a manhole"

Toro's case, on the other hand, is much more bizarre: his great-grandfather, passionate about nature and history, used to explore the area with a camera and a wooden suitcase, taking notes on maps and archaeological sites. One of his notes, from 1905—written on cigarette paper with charcoal—came to Toro's attention with an enigmatic note: "300 cañas in the Sopletes mistral, a table under a small box."

Toro, intrigued by the content of the indication, like someone searching for treasure in an adventure movie, consulted neighbors and experts such as local historian Isidre Corominas, who were familiar with the Selvatan vocabulary of the time, until he was able to unravel the phrase. Table It referred to a dolmen (like the well-known Thieves' Table), casket It meant dry stone hut, Blowers is a toponym of the area (which in this case referred to a farmhouse with that name) and mistral indicated the northwest direction. "Thanks to this I found the hut," explains Toro, "but the problem was getting in: there was a thicket of brambles and gorse, and since it was a natural park, I couldn't clear it. So with a wooden stick selfie and a flashlight, I managed to take some pictures of the interior, I took them to the Port de la Selva Town Hall and, with their permission, I was able to access, photograph and document it well." Toro also found the remains of a stone in the shape of an axe, so he immediately contacted the authorities and specialized archaeologists.

Two weeks of excavations

Then, professionals from the Department of Culture came into play, who went to visit him in 2022. in situ and in the spring of 2023, they carried out excavations for two weeks. The archaeologist in charge was Rafael Rosillo: "Diagnostic materials from the period appeared—ceramic fragments, a small greenish stone necklace dena, a flint blade, and a small boat-shaped mill used for grinding grain. No bone remains were found, as the bones have not been preserved." The prehistorian archaeologist highlights the importance of this site, which appears in the Generalitat inventory under the name Barraca de Vellanero: "Any megalithic structure is already of great importance, but in this case, in addition, it is a monument that has been little altered by ancient excavations or by erosion, something unusual in the area."

Megalithism arouses passions

The first written reference to the dolmen's existence was published by Jenar Fèlix in 2023 in a book on dry stone, but it has undoubtedly been thanks to the passionate work of Armangué and Toro that the excavations and studies have been carried out up to the official presentation this October. The talks and excursions about the discovery have sparked great interest in the municipality, as megalithic sites certainly attract groups of hikers and curious people who visit and document these sites, fascinated by the history and all the popular mythology of occult and druid forces surrounding these stones. "I remember my grandfather always saying they were going to have a snack at the Mesa de los Ladrones dolmen, where the entire roof is covered in engravings. He explained to me that I amused myself by following them with my finger, and I suppose that's where my passion for stones comes from," Pere Toro recalls.

And Vicenç Armangué concludes: "I became hooked on the world of megalithism in 2008, and it's almost an addiction. Knowledge makes you love things, and the megalithism of Alt Empordà is a true paradise. This heritage has to be disseminated, made known, made known with wonder."