Megalithic complex with over 500 standing stones discovered in Spain

A massive megalithic complex with over 500 standing stones has been uncovered in Huelva, southern Spain, on a 600-hectare avocado plantation near the Guadiana River bordering Portugal. The site, called La Torre-La Janera, includes 526 menhirs, dolmens, cromlechs, alignments, tumuli, cists, and enclosures, all exceptionally well-preserved according to satellite and LiDAR analysis. Project co-director Primitiva Bueno-Ramírez of the University of Alcalá stated that no such compact concentration of megalithic sites with similar archaeological potential exists elsewhere in Europe. José Antonio Linares, researcher at the University of Huelva and co-director, called it the largest and most diverse collection of standing stones in the Iberian Peninsula. The oldest menhirs, standing 1–3 meters tall, likely date to the second half of the 6th or 5th millennium BCE. The site likely served astronomical purposes: most menhirs are grouped in 26 alignments and two cromlechs on hilltops with clear eastern views, allowing observation of sunrise during solstices and equinoxes. Excavations are planned through 2026, with parts of the site open to the public after this year's campaign.