Mário J M Monteiro

A construção da nova fábrica de papel Tissue, da empresa Paper Prime, S.A., em Vila Velha de Ródão, levou à identifcação e escavação do sítio arqueológico Revelada 2. O sítio foi escavado até ao substrato geológico numa área superior a 170m2, tendo-se individualizado dezenas de unidades estratigráfcas. Do espólio arqueológico recolhido constam mais de 40000 artefactos entre indústria lítica, termoclastos e cerâmica pré-histórica, parte dele aparentemente associado a possíveis estruturas de combustão e buracos de poste. A seriação preliminar do acervo permite apontar para a presença de uma sequência de ocupações pré-históricas constituída por, pelo menos, Neolítico,
Epipaleolítico e Paleolítico Médio. Porém, diversos fenómenos de formação de sítio, nomeadamente dinâmicas de vertente e agricultura, afectaram de forma assimétrica diversos contextos em área, profundidade ou intensidade. Neste artigo pretende-se fazer a apresentação de Revelada 2, dos trabalhos, metodologias, resultados e da sua interpretação preliminar, deixando em aberto a revisão da mesma em trabalhos futuros.

During the archaeological monitoring of the construction site at the Maria Brown
and Fonte streets, Lisbon municipality, township of Carnide, the skeletal remains
of seven individuals (five non-adults and two adults [females: 1; males: 2]) were
recovered. The anthropological funerary evaluation indicates that the studied
sample is probably from the Islamic period. Although limited by sample size,
paleodemographic and paleopathological analyses suggest that at least some of
the studied individuals experienced physiological systemic stress. Cases of linear
enamel hypoplasia (N=2); porotic hyperostosis (N=1) and cribra orbitalia (N=1), as
well as a case of non-specific infection – osteomyelitis, were recorded. As a whole,
the bioarchaeological data pertaining this small group point to faulty
socioeconomic and sanitary conditions.

Since 2002, a number of mound structures, apparently used for burial purposes, have been discovered on the final stretch of the Central Cordillera, south of Serra da Estrela, in the context of the Pinhal Interior Wind Farm Project (GENERG Group SA).

This paper presents the results of the excavations carried out in Selada do Cavalo, one of two locations in the Serra Vermelha (county of Oleiros), as part of that project’s impact minimization strategy.

In Selada do Cavalo there are two tumuli separated by a fossil route, which was also revealed by the excavations. The larger mound, 9 m in diameter, was constructed out of milky quartz and metagreywacke, and consists of a central space, without an orthostatic chamber. The few archaeological remains that it yielded suggested that it was used during the Neolithic period.

The smaller mound, located 17 metres from the other, has an elongated shape (around 4 m long) and is laid out in a NE-SW direction. Despite the absence of artefacts or human remains, its structural features suggest that it may have been an individual inhumation tomb. This mound may have been built at a more recent date than the other, possible during the Early Middle Ages or before that, using clasts taken from the larger mound.

These results, concerning the existence of tumuli at high points on the Portuguese Central Cordillera, document the presence of human communities in that mountainous region from the Neolithic period.

Em 1990, a Associação de Estudos do Alto Tejo/Núcleo Regional de Investigação Arqueológica
elaborou, a pedido do então Presidente da Câmara de Vila Velha de Ródão, Inspector Baptista
Martins, uma proposta de classificação do Castelo de Ródão e da Capela da Senhora do
Castelo. Esse trabalho conduziu à classificação daquele conjunto como Imóvel de Interesse
Público, através do Decreto nº 45/93, de 30 de Novembro. As intervenções arqueológicas executadas enquadram-se no contexto das obras desenvolvidas
durante a concretização do Projecto de Requalificação e Valorização do Espaço Envolvente do
Castelo de Ródão cuja execução se encontrava a cargo da Câmara Municipal de Vila Velha de
Ródão, no âmbito do Projecto VAMBA.

Os trabalhos de prospecção no âmbito do Descritor
Património Arqueológico, Arquitectónico e
Etnológico do Estudo de Impacte Ambiental do
Circuito Baleizão-Quintos e respectivo Bloco de
Rega (EDIA – Empresa de Desenvolvimento e Infraestruturas
do Alqueva, SA) revelaram uma série de
novas ocorrências patrimoniais. No presente artigo
iremos tratar especificamente do caso de uma cvpa
possivelmente anepígrafa, surgida nos ditos
trabalhos de prospecção. Pretendemos assim, expor
as conclusões mais plausíveis e verosímeis,
decorrentes não só dos ditos trabalhos de
prospecção, mas também passíveis de obter através
de uma pesquisa bibliográfica acerca da mesma e
suas congéneres tipológicas. A ausência de
formulários e gravação de caracteres não sustenta
qualquer proposta de integração cronológica do
arquétipo do Monte do Sardão.

O Projecto Eólico do Pinhal Interior (Grupo Generg) viabilizou, a partir do ano de 2002, a execução de prospecções arqueológicas sistemáticas em diversos relevos do Maciço
Central, a Sul do rio Zêzere, no distrito de Castelo Branco, e maioritariamente no território pertencente ao concelho de Oleiros. Essa pesquisa incidiu nas serras que enquadram o vale
superior da ribeira da Sertã, Vermelha, Alvélos e Moradal
Apresentam-se os resultados das descobertas efectuadas no âmbito de estudos ambientais do Projecto Eólico, com destaque para os sítios atribuíveis à Pré-História Recente, em
especial estruturas sob montículo artificial, de geometria circular e apreciável diversidade morfo-estrutural (tumuli) e gravuras rupestres.
Destacam-se os resultados da escavação, já concluída, de uma pequena estrutura (Vale de Mós I), estando a decorrer trabalhos de escavação de montículos em dois outros locais
(Selada do Cavalo e Feiteiras), também situados na Serra Vermelha.
A identificação, em simultâneo, de tumuli e de grafias rupestres nesta região montanhosa da Beira Interior Sul representa uma nova faceta no conhecimento do seu povoamento durante a Pré-História Recente.

Since 2002, within the context of the Wind Farm Project in the Pinhal Interior (Generg Group), systematic archaeological surveys have been undertaken in upland areas of the central massif, south of the River Zêzere in the Tagus river basin.
The area in question (in the county of Oleiros, district of Castelo Branco) takes in the upper valley of the River Sertã, and is bordered to the south by the Serra do Cabeço Rainha (Serra de Alvélos), to the north by the Serra de Vermelha and to the east by the Serra do Moradal.
This paper presents the results of findings made in the context of environmental studies for the Wind Farm Project, focusing upon sites that could possibly be from Recent Prehistory. These include circular structures of various shapes and forms, built upon artificial mounds (tombs), and rock engravings.
Special attention is given to the results of the already completed excavation of a small structure (Vale de Mós I). Mounds at two other sites (Selada do Cavalo and Feiteiras, also located in the Serra Vermelha) are still undergoing excavation.
The archaeological intervention at Vale de Mós I has revealed a circular constructed mound in a reasonable state of conservation, consisting of an outer embankment (outer ring) made of earth and small fragments of calibrated quartz. Next to this embankment is an inner ring formed of a series of schist slabs laid out radially, mostly lying down and leaning slightly towards the centre. Inside the monument is a broad cairn, consisting of two levels of schist slabs and blocks, mostly laid out horizontally in an orderly fashion, and filling the central space. A small ceramic fragment was collected from the base of the outer ring, corresponding to a handmade vessel, possibly dating from the Chalcolithic or Bronze Age periods. From the slabs of the inner stone ring, we also collected earth, charcoal and a seed, which have been submitted for palaeoenvironmental (pollinic and carpological) testing and radiometric dating.
The results of these tests are still pending.

Under the Registration of cultural heritage in
processes of environmental impact assessment, the
attention is focused on defining the universe of
cultural objects. It is argued that the prospectors
should include in their work the greatest possible
diversity of types of occurrences, of an archaeological
nature, but also architectural and ethnographic. It
is, therefore, considered that the public list of the
types of sites must be maintained as a minimum list,
open to the inclusion of new typologies. For
pedagogical purpose, are given some examples of
less common typologies which are insufficiently or
not represented at all in the public data base or in
the typological referendum. The examples are
presented by alphabetical order (in portuguese) as
follows: natural shelters; old trees; battlefields;
passageways; wolf trapping pits; traps; caves; limit
marks; handmade stone shelters, handmade curved
stone shelters;appiary walls, towpath walls,
oscillating boulders, wood structure for fishing tools
storage.
Some aspects related to the implementation of the
Register of cultural heritage are discussed.

Some rock carving cases located in
the modern-contemporary period, are disclosed,
since they are identified outdoors, with the
purpose to participate in studies concerning the
environmental impact of certain projects located
in the limestones massifs of Sicó-Alvaiázere
and of Estremadura. Researchers are then
motivated to consider the presence of such rock
carvings in limestone holder, namely, the cases
mentioned before, but also with the possible
association with windmill exploration.

We are accepting applications from people interested in participating in the Proença-a-Nova International Archaeological Field Camp (CAPN), over 18 years of age.
CAPN was created in order to investigate the archaeological sites of Proença-a-Nova, a municipality located in Central Portugal, and hopes to attract a broad international participation.
CAPN activities will include excavation at five different archaeological sites (a megalithic grave, a protohistoric hillfort, a modern military battery and), lectures, lactures and study trips in the region.
CAPN is organized by the Upper Tagus Study Association and by the Municipality of Proença-a-Nova with the support of the Portuguese University of Coimbra, University of Évora, University of Porto and University of Algarve, the Spanish University of Alcalá de Henares, research centres like Hercules Laboratory, Centre for History of Art and Artistic Research, Earth Sciences Institute, the Transdisciplinary Center for Archeology (Polytechnic Institute of Tomar), the Geopark Naturtejo, the Archaeological Research Office of Military Engineering (Portuguese Army) and several companies.
Soon more information at: http://archaeologicalfieldcamps-portugal.pt/index.html

Link to the Book of Abstracts: https://tumulieurasia.wixsite.com/home/copy-of-program

website of the congress: https://tumulieurasia.wixsite.com/home

Dear colleagues,

We are contacting you about the Tumuli and Megaliths in Eurasia Congress, scheduled for May this year, in Portugal.

Due to the evolution of the current pandemic situation, it’s impossible to hold an in-person congress, as we would like. We are aware of the general exhaustion caused by the widespread use of teleconferences and that it would be exhausting to have a three-day conference calls.

Nevertheless, there are so many good contributions that it would be a waste to cancel. Since we decided to not postpone the meeting again, we propose a different solution.
We invite all participants with accepted abstracts to record their communications. You may do it the way you find the most suitable (PPT with voiceover, documentary, a video at your site or in your laboratory, etc.). Your video will be added to the congress’ YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOwQGtmyqlalVwDGI32pahA which will allow making your work available to a much larger audience and for much longer.

You can freely disseminate it to colleagues, students, friends and family through email, social media or any other means. You can make the video longer than the time that was established for the presentation in the congress, but you should keep it under 30 minutes.

So, we ask you to send us the video by April 30, 2021, in order to give us time to add the Congress' intro and to upload it to the Youtube channel.

Another good and important new is that, of course, we will refund all payments, meaning that we will reduce to zero the cost of participation.

In the next days, you will be able to freely download the Book of Abstracts with ISBN from the congress website https://tumulieurasia.wixsite.com/home

During the Congress, there will be a virtual multi-room chat platform in order for the congress participants be able to meet, discuss, brainstorm and work together. More details about this will be announced on our next contact.

After the Congress, we will produce a hardcover book with your contributions to be published by a international publisher, with the possibility of the book to be bought also on platforms such as Amazon. In order to ensure that this will be done in early 2022, you should send your papers, in English, until December 15, 2021. We will disclose the publishing guidelines soon.

The Organizing Committee


Pre- and Proto-Historic societies developed different ways to treat their dead. One of the most distinctive was offering them to earth using positive structures as artificial hills such as tumuli, mounds, and kurgans, of circular shape, are the most common across Eurasia, despite enclosing different rituals, suggesting strong structural and ritual similarities despite the geographic and chronological distances.

In the International Congress Tumuli e Megaliths in Eurasia, we aim to discuss the question: why did people so distant in space and time, build the last address for their dead in such a similar shape?

We invite podium and poster presentation focusing from the western megalithism to the central European and Asian Kurgan, and the classic Mediterranian graves. We will give preference to groundbreaking results, interdisciplinary and novel methodological approaches, regional synthesis, and innovative ways of relating them with other realities (enclosures, cromlechs, menhirs, stelae and rock carvings).

We are accepting applications from people interested in participating in the Proença-a-Nova International Archaeological Field Camp (CAPN), over 18 years of age.
CAPN was created in order to investigate the archaeological sites of Proença-a-Nova, a municipality located in Central Portugal, and hopes to attract a broad international participation.
CAPN activities will include excavation at five different archaeological sites (a megalithic grave, a protohistoric hillfort, a modern military battery and a modern fossil path), lectures, colloquium and a study trip in the region.
CAPN is organized by the Upper Tagus Study Association and by the Municipality of Proença-a-Nova with the support of the Portuguese University of Coimbra, University of Évora, University of Porto and University of Algarve, the Spanish University of Alcalá de Henares, research centres like Hercules Laboratory, Centre for History of Art and Artistic Research, Earth Sciences Institute, the Transdisciplinary Center for Archeology (Polytechnic Institute of Tomar), the Geopark Naturtejo, the Archaeological Research Office of Military Engineering (Portuguese Army) and several companies.
More information: http://archaeologicalfieldcamps-portugal.pt/index.html

Until the end of the twentieth century, the archaeological work carried out at the municipality of Proença-a-Nova was characterized by episodic, discontinuous or inconclusive interventions. As examples of this in the first decade of the century, the records made by Francisco Tavares de Proença Jr., the inventory of megalithic monuments produced by Georg and Vera Leisner probably during the 1940’s, but only published by the end of the century, and occasional news or studies under the responsibility of other researchers. Most recently, from the late 1970’s until the present day, one should mention the surveys undertaken by the Associação de Estudos do Alto Tejo, and, this century already, the contribution provided by environmental impact assessment studies of several projects.

In recent years, archaeological research in the territory of Proença-a-Nova took on new dimensions as a result of the commitment of the municipality of Proença-a-Nova with the Associação de Estudos do Alto Tejo, by establishing a longer term course of action. In this context, it was possible to extend the knowledge of the archaeological heritage of Proença-a-Nova in three different areas: (1) the development of an inventory of archaeological sites at the municipal level; (2) the study and promotion of megalithic graves, priority given to those integrated into the pedestrian path created by the municipality at Moitas, called “The History in the Landscape”; and, (3) the study and promotion of military structures (eighteenth-nineteenth centuries) belonging to the Defensive Line of Talhadas-Moradal.

This program culminated in 2012 with the creation of Proença-a-Nova International Archaeological Field Camp, whose fourth edition, covering the year 2015, included a diversified program, with excavation works performed at the megalithic monuments of Cabeço da Anta and Vale de Alvito (fourth to third millennium BC), at the eighteenth century fort overlooking the Alvito bridge, and at the walled enclosure of Chão de Galego (second to first millennium BC). The latter illustrates the intention to expand the investigation to the knowledge of this territory ancient settlement patterns.

Knowledge about funerary Megalithism at Proença-a-Nova’s municipality area was present through 95 records in the inventory organized by Georg and Vera Leisner, but these researchers hadn’t the opportunity to further develop their study. The AEAT – Associação de Estudos do Alto Tejo started in the 1970’s a project of systematic field recognition, which, until this date, allowed the identification of almost thirty monuments, much less than the number registered by the German researchers. These findings are part of a broader group of monuments, if one takes into consideration the territory forming part of the Beira Baixa Intermunicipal Community (Castelo Branco, Oleiros, Penamacor, Proença-a-Nova, Idanha-a-Nova, and Vila Velha de Ródão). Since 2012, archaeological excavations are being conducted at three megalithic tombs of Proença-a-Nova (Cão do Ribeiro, Cimo do Vale de Alvito, and Cabeço da Anta), in the frame of the CAPN – Campo Arqueológico de Proença-a-Nova, a study to be carried on in the following years under the same institutional framework, but also as part of a new research program, the Mesopotamos Archaeological Project. CAPN is promoted together by the AEAT and the Proença-a-Nova’s Town Council and have as its partners the universities of Alcalá de Henares, Évora, Coimbra, and Oporto, through several of their research centers, private companies, and the UNESCO Naturtejo Geopark. The work done so far at Proençaa-Nova monuments yielded very interesting results concerning the knowledge of the processes and materials used in the construction of these megalithic tombs, still requiring further evaluation but already showing both variability and standardization of their architectural features.

South from the Beira Baixa’s Inter-Municipal Community, over the riverbanks of Tejo and Erges, the rivers that border Spain, different vigilance structures were constructed, destined to monitoring the movements of enemy soldiers. They are usually called watchtowers and are located in strategic points. In this case, they are placed in the frontier rivers, which usually have identical structures on the opposite side. Many of these structures, made of brickwork, are small in size, with a circular plan and a truncated or cylindric shape. The documental information we had access to suggests that these watchtowers were used between the 17th and the 18th centuries, referring them to the disturbances and border control which followed the Portuguese Restoration War (1640-1668).