Dolmen de Soto: the miracle of the Sun and the enigma of prehistory in Huelva

The privileged natural setting between the Tinto and Odiel rivers, in the province of Huelva, where water flows abundantly, the land is suitable for farming and livestock, and mineral deposits are abundant, reveal the settlement of the area from the 4th to 3rd millennium BC, a period marked by megalithic funerary constructions and solar calendars, inviting visitors to discover and explore these prehistoric treasures.

One of the great prehistoric attractions of Huelva is the Soto Dolmen, in the municipality of Trigueros (N-435), which stands out for its grandiose architecture and exceptional rock art, as well as being a tourist attraction during the spring and autumn equinoxes, when the sun's rays penetrate the dolmen's corridor at dawn to its burial chamber for a few minutes, so the spectacle is guaranteed.

The Soto Dolmen, discovered a century ago in the Triguereño area, is one of the most impressive megalithic monuments in the southern Iberian Peninsula. Built of stone and clay around 6,000 years ago, it belongs to the family of "long corridor" dolmens and is the largest of the more than 200 found in the province of Huelva, forming part of the megalithic constructions of Western Europe.

The megalith was discovered in 1923 by Armando de Soto on his estate La Lobita, specifically at the head of Zancarrón, with the German archaeologist Hugo Obermaier being in charge of carrying out the first scientific study of the discovery in 1924. It was subsequently declared a National Monument in 1931, thus attesting to the importance of the dolmen, which was compared to other similar ones in southern Spain, such as those in Antequera.

Today, this Neolithic monument, dating from between 3000 and 2500 BC, is well preserved. Despite having been looted, eight squatting bodies with their grave goods were found during the excavations. Due to its perimeter ring measuring over 80 meters and its nearly 90 large stones, some weighing over 21 tons, it has been considered one of the largest megaliths in Western Europe.

In the dolmen's corridor, 21.5 meters long and varying in height from 1.45 meters to 3 meters in the final chamber, you shouldn't miss the miracle of the sun. The structure is oriented from east to west, so the sun's rays enter the corridor during the equinox and are projected into the chamber of this funerary structure. The religious significance of this rite points to rebirth thanks to the sun; the deceased were brought back to life.

The cult of death is fundamental in prehistory; venerating ancestors and honoring their memory is the aim of constructing this type of architecture. Before reaching the dolmen, a stone circle with a diameter of 60 meters composed of various blocks and menhirs has been found. It is highly likely, according to experts, that the entire complex was a huge sanctuary, used until the Copper Age.

One of the megalith's most impressive features is the exceptional rock art and paintings that adorn the orthostats (vertical stone blocks) and the megalith's roof slabs, such as simple lines, bowls, "daggers," idols and anthropomorphic figures, among other symbols engraved in the stone by incisions or abrasion, which constitute one of the most important symbolic groups in the Iberian Peninsula.

Information about the enigmatic dolmen is displayed in the visitor reception and interpretation center, a peculiar structure excavated underground 50 meters from the entrance. Because it is hidden, it neither alters the surrounding environment nor contaminates the space. Here, visitors can enjoy explanatory videos and receive the necessary information to make their visit as enjoyable as possible.

The next stop on this megalithic route is in Valverde del Camino, on the same N-435 highway, where the Los Gabrieles dolmens await visitors amidst the rockrose and scrubland typical of the area. These are covered gallery dolmens, built with slate slabs and a lintel system, and it is possible to document these structures as belonging to funerary trousseaus from the 3rd millennium BC.

A few kilometers further north, near the town of Zalamea la Real, another incredible prehistoric treasure awaits, integrated into a beautiful hiking trail. To date, a total of 49 megalithic sites have been discovered in the municipality of Zalamea, grouped into two large areas: the western one, which can be called the El Villar and El Buitrón dolmen culture, and the eastern one, occupied by the El Pozuelo dolmens.

The megalithic complex of El Pozuelo, declared a Cultural Heritage Site in 2002, is one of the most unique and significant in the Iberian Peninsula. With a total of 18 monuments, some of them recreated and reconstructed, this site is an ideal place to travel back in time to prehistory, specifically the Chalcolithic or Copper Age, when the funerary ritual was characterized by the construction of corridor dolmens, tombs dating from between 3000 and 2500 BC.

It occupies a scrubland with steep slopes and numerous streams and ravines. The site is comprised of five units, each with specific boundaries: Los Llanetes, home to four dolmens; La Veguilla, with three funerary structures; El Riscal, with two; and Los Rubios and Martín Gil, each with one tomb. It is perfectly suited for free access.

The entrance to the complex is located on the N-435 highway, specifically at the turnoff to the village of El Pozuelo (regional road Hu-5103). Once at the junction, take the first intersection on the left (there is an old railway station), and from here you will reach the Los Llanetes group for about 4 km. Alternatively, you can go around the village along the path that precedes the cemetery, reaching the El Riscal-La Veguilla complex about 2 km away.

Near Rosal de la Frontera, next to the N-433 national highway, Seville-Lisbon, at km 155, is an easily accessible megalithic complex consisting of six large orthostats arranged in a circular shape. The first archaeological excavations suggested a corridor dolmen, but recent research suggests it may have been a solar calendar in the form of a cromlech similar to the one at Trigueros.

Its connection with astronomy is highlighted by one of the largest stones in the complex, which features the seven main stars of the Big Dipper constellation. The cromlech is located on a plain along the fertile banks of the Chanza River, offering stunning scenery and high-quality astronomical observation on clear, clear nights. Visiting these monuments is a unique experience that allows travelers to immerse themselves in history and better understand the origins of human civilization.