[1] The first depositions of corpses in the Necropolis of Carenque go back to the end of the Neolithic period (around 3000 BCE), when there was already an agro-pastoral economy in the area, as opposed to hunting and gathering.

Dug into Albian-Cenomanian limestone,[5] the three caves each have an access corridor that communicates with the funeral chamber through a small portal.

Votive offerings identified included limestone idols, such as smooth or decorated cylinders, as well as adzes, bone pins and miscellaneous beads.

Most of the artifacts and human remains are on deposit at the National Archaeology Museum in Lisbon and have been extensively studied.

The narrow entrance corridor was around 5 metres long and was probably originally covered with limestone slabs.