462 - Trigo e os recintos neolíticos / Trigo and the Neolithic enclosures

 

Foi recentemente publicado o magnetograma do extraordinário recinto de Trigo, datável do Neolítico Final (3200-2900 a.C.). A propósito deste magnetograma e da sua interpretação foi feita uma reanálise dos recintos alentejanos de cronologia neolítica. Sublinhou-se uma interessante tendência proporcionada pelas actuais datações de radiocarbono: a de uma anterioridade dos recintos neolíticos na bacia do Guadiana relativamente aos que já estão na bacia do Sado e Tejo, como que sugerindo uma expansão para Oeste/Noroeste a partir do médio Guadiana. Algo a confirmar no futuro.

Artigo: https://www.nia-era.org/publicacoes/doc_download/197-apontamentos-18-cap-2

The magnetogram of the extraordinary Trigo enclosure, dating from the Late Neolithic (3200-2900 BC), was recently published. Regarding this magnetogram and its interpretation, a reanalysis of the Alentejo enclosures of Neolithic chronology was carried out. An interesting trend provided by the current radiocarbon dates was highlighted: that of an earlier existence of the Neolithic enclosures in the Guadiana basin in relation to those already in the Sado and Tejo basins, as if suggesting an expansion to the West/Northwest from the middle Guadiana. Something to confirm in the future.

Paper: https://www.nia-era.org/publicacoes/doc_download/197-apontamentos-18-cap-2

461 - Roteiros para Recintos de Fossos / Itineraries for Ditched Enclosures

 

www.paisagemancestral.pt

Está, desde sexta-feira dia 21 de Março (equinócio da Primavera de 2025), uma plataforma de suporte a dois itinerários arqueológicos: um dedicado aos recintos de fossos alentejanos e outro ao megalitismo de Reguengos de Monsaraz, ambos assumindo como pivot e ponto de partida o Complexo Arqueológico dos Perdigões. Chamo a atenção para os recintos de fossos. O itinerário está dividido em dois percursos: um para norte e outro para sul dos Perdigões. Para Norte podem visitar-se os locais de implantação dos recintos de Montoito, Juromenha 1, Santa Vitória, Monte da Contenda, Torrão e Rouca 7. Para Sul temos os recintos de Trigo, Xancra, Bela Vista 5, São Brás 3, Folha do Ouro, Borralhos, Monte da Laje e Outeiro Alto 2. Cobre o sul do Alto Alentejo até ao Baixo Alentejo. Como na sua quase totalidade estes recintos estão enterrados sob campos agrícolas, a sua activação patrimonial faz-se através das plantas obtidas por geofísica (nalguns por escavação), proporcionando a plataforma informação sobre as características de cada recinto, de algumas das suas particularidades, dos trabalhos arqueológicos realizados, da bibliografia e com várias imagens. Entre alguns recintos é possível ouvir podcasts pelo caminho, onde se fala, em ambiente descontraído, sobre temas relacionados com estes recintos. Um projecto que visa activar socialmente um património de grande importância e ainda muito mal conhecido fora da bolha arqueológica. E é fora de grande parte desta bolha que se espera adesão a esta iniciativa e o reconhecimento do seu valor.

Since Friday, March 21st (Spring equinox 2025), there has been a support platform for two archaeological itineraries: one dedicated to the Alentejo ditched enclosures and the other to the megalithic sites of Reguengos de Monsaraz, both taking the Perdigões Archaeological Complex as their pivot and starting point. I draw attention to the ditched enclosures. The route is divided into two sections: one to the north and one to the south of Perdigões. To the North, you can visit the sites where the enclosures of Montoito, Juromenha 1, Santa Vitória, Monte da Contenda, Torrão and Rouca 7 are located. To the South, we have the enclosures of Trigo, Xancra, Bela Vista 5, São Brás 3, Folha do Ouro, Borralhos, Monte da Laje and Outeiro Alto 2. It covers the south of the Upper Alentejo to the Lower Alentejo. As almost all of these enclosures are buried under agricultural fields, their heritage activation is done through plans obtained by geophysics (in some cases by excavation), providing the platform with information about the characteristics of each enclosure, some of its particularities, the archaeological work carried out, the bibliography and several images. Between some sites, you can listen to podcasts along the way, where topics related to these enclosures are discussed in a relaxed atmosphere. A project that aims to socially activate a heritage of great importance and still very little known outside the archaeological bubble. And it is outside of much of this bubble that support for this initiative and recognition of its value is expected.

460 - Cinábrio / Cinnabar

 

Hoje estendida a vários outros contextos peninsulares, a investigação sobre a contaminação humana por mercúrio devido ao uso cultural do cinábrio na Pré-História Recente Peninsular começou no recinto dos Perdigões, através da colaboração do Steve Emslie, aqui trabalhando no Sepulcro 4 e explicando a amostragem que estava a realizar.

Now extended to several other peninsular contexts, the investigation into human contamination by mercury due to the cultural use of cinnabar in the Iberian Late Prehistory began at the Perdigões enclosure, through the collaboration of Steve Emslie, here working in Tomb 4 and explaining the sampling he was carrying out.

0459 - Recinto de Rosal 1 / Rosal 1 enclosure

 

Foto segundo / Photo after (Pedrosa, 2019)

Serpa é um dos concelhos alentejanos que apresenta uma grande densidade de recintos de fossos. Em 2019, no âmbito de mais uma reconversão agrícola, um novo recinto foi identificado e intervencionado em duas sondagens, com o incompreensível hábito de não se pedir um levantamento geofísico que, comprovadamente (que mais é preciso fazer e publicar?), é fundamental para a delimitação deste tipo de sítios, para a sua investigação e até para a sua divulgação pública. Desconhecemos, pois, as características do desenho arquitectónico, dimensão e complexidade deste recinto. Ainda assim, foi possível ter uma ideia do tipo de fossos presentes e da cronologia genérica ocupação, que aponta para o Calcolítico (Pedrosa, 2019), eventualmente primeira metade do 3º milénio a.C.. Trata-se do recinto de Rosal 1. Interessante é a sua proximidade a um hipogeu (Monte da Guarita 2) situado 1,5km a Sudeste e que apresenta um quadro cronológico que lhe poderá ser contemporâneo (Valera, Miguel, 2025). Ainda não são muitos os recintos de fossos de pequenas dimensões que têm contextos funerários potencialmente coevos nas suas imediações. Mas desconfio que isso resultará sobretudo da forma como este “mundo em negativo” passado tem vindo a ser tratado pelo presente.

Pedrosa, N. (2019) - Plantação de Culturas no Prédio Rústico Alvarrão do Rosal (Pias, Serpa, Beja). Sondagem arqueológica_ROSAL1`19. Relatório Final.

Valera, A.C.; Miguel, L. (2025) - Monte da Guarita 2. Um hipogeu da primeira metade do 3º milénio a.C. (Pias, Serpa). Era Monográfica 8. Lisboa. Nia-Era.

Serpa is one of the Alentejo municipalities with a high density of ditched enclosures. In 2019, as part of yet another agricultural reconversion, a new site was identified and intervened in two surveys, with the incomprehensible habit of not requesting a geophysical survey which, demonstrably (what else needs to be done and published?), is fundamental for the delimitation of this type of site, for its research and even for its public dissemination. We are therefore unaware of the characteristics of the architectural design, size and complexity of this enclosure. Still, it was possible to get an idea of ​​the type of ditches present and the generic chronology of occupation, which points to the Chalcolithic (Pedrosa, 2019), possibly the first half of the 3rd millennium BC. This is the Rosal 1 enclosure. Its proximity to a hypogeum (Monte da Guarita 2) located 1.5 km to the southeast is interesting, and it presents a chronological framework that could be contemporary with it (Valera, Miguel, 2025). There are still not many small-scale ditch enclosures that have potentially coeval funerary contexts in their vicinity. But I suspect that this will mainly result from the way this past “negative world” is being treated by the present.

Pedrosa, N. (2019) - Plantação de Culturas no Prédio Rústico Alvarrão do Rosal (Pias, Serpa, Beja). Sondagem arqueológica_ROSAL1`19. Relatório Final.

Valera, A.C.; Miguel, L. (2025) - Monte da Guarita 2. Um hipogeu da primeira metade do 3º milénio a.C. (Pias, Serpa). Era Monográfica 8. Lisboa. Nia-Era.

0458 - Recintos em interacção: cinábrio / Enclosures in interaction: cinnabar

 

O cinábrio é um dos produtos que circulava nas redes de interacção de larga escala na segunda metade do 4º e durante o 3º milénio a.C. na Península Ibérica. Devido à sua cor vermelho vivo, era frequentemente utilizado em contextos funerários, polvilhado sobre restos humanos e materiais votivos, eventualmente como metáfora de sangue e vida. Pode igualmente ter sido utilizado em pinturas corporais, tatuagens e até ingestões, o que levou a comprovadas contaminações com mercúrio, já que foi deste mineral que, ao longo da história, se foi extraindo o mercúrio. Os fragmentos e pó da imagem são provenientes de uma mina em Almaden (Cidade Real, Espanha), que, desde a pré-história ao século XX, é a principal fonte de fornecimento ibérico de cinábrio e mercúrio. Surgem aqui num recipiente cerâmico pré-histórico dos Perdigões e integram a exposição sobre o sítio que inaugurará brevemente. Porque este cinábrio de Almaden chegou a inúmeros contextos da Pré-História Recente do Alentejo e está presente em contextos funerários do recinto dos Perdigões e de muitos outros sítios neolíticos e calcolíticos na região.

Cinnabar is one of the products that circulated in large-scale interaction networks in the second half of the 4th and during the 3rd millennium BC in the Iberian Peninsula. Due to its bright red colour, it was often used in funerary contexts, sprinkled over human remains and votive materials, eventually as a metaphor for blood and life. It may also have been used in body painting, tattoos and even ingestion, which led to proven mercury contamination, since it was from this mineral that mercury was extracted throughout history. The fragments and dust in the image come from a mine in Almaden (Ciudad Real, Spain), which, from prehistory to the 20th century, was the main source of Iberian cinnabar and mercury. They appear here in a prehistoric ceramic vessel from Perdigões and are part of the exhibition about the site that will open soon. Because this cinnabar from Almaden reached numerous contexts of the Late Prehistory of Alentejo and is present in funerary contexts of Perdigões enclosure and many other Neolithic and Chalcolithic sites in the region.

0457 - Detecção remota de Recintos de Fossos / Remote sensing of ditched enclosures

 

Um doutoramento em curso pretende demonstrar o potencial da detecção remota de recintos de fossos com recurso a imagens multiespectrais e térmicas. Recentemente, Bruno Gambinhas apresentou em poster este seu projecto, o qual, ainda que no início, já obteve bons resultados do lado de lá da fronteira. Espera-se, pois, um incremento do conhecimento dos recintos alentejanos nos próximos tempos.

An ongoing PhD aims to demonstrate the potential of remote sensing of ditched enclosures using multispectral and thermal imaging. Recently, Bruno Gambinhas presented a poster of his project, which, although still in its early stages, has already achieved good results on the other side of the border. It is therefore expected that knowledge of Alentejo ditched enclosures will increase in the near future.

0456 - Um novo recinto / A new enclosure

 

Imagens entre 2021 e 2024 / Images between 2021 and 2024

Andava a escavar no recinto de Santa Vitória, deslocando-me 15 km entre a habitação e a escavação, quando tinha um recinto muito semelhante a apenas 1,3 km de casa. Foi recentemente identificado, uma vez mais no Google Earth, pelo Tiago do Pereiro. É, seguramente, mais um recinto lobulado padronizado, com pelo menos dois fossos, tal como Santa Vitória. Foi batizado como recinto de Vinha Mel e fica em Campo Maior.

I was digging in the Santa Vitória enclosure, traveling 15 km between the residence and the excavation, when there was a very similar enclosure just 1.3 km from home. It was recently identified, once again on Google Earth, by Tiago do Pereiro. It is certainly another standardized lobed enclosure, with at least two ditches, just like Santa Vitória. It was named Vinha Mel and is located in Campo Maior.

0455 - O centro de S. Brás 3 / The centre of S. Brás 3

 

O sítio de São Brás 3, em Serpa, é há muito conhecido, mas só em 2022 foi confirmado como um recinto de fossos através de prospecção geofísica. A publicação dos resultados dessa prospecção está no prelo e sairá em breve e um projecto de investigação será iniciado neste ano, trazendo este importante contexto para a agenda da investigação. Uma investigação que se focará no centro do recinto, onde se observa no magnetograma uma estranha e inédita estrutura: um corredor ou alameda com mais de 50m que desemboca no recinto central deste complexo de recintos de fossos. Mais um sintoma da importância do centro que, como dizia Eliade, é por excelência um local do sagrado.

The São Brás 3 site, in Serpa, has been known for a long time, but it was only in 2022 that it was confirmed as a ditched enclosure through geophysical prospecting. The publication of the results of this survey is in press and will be released soon and a research project will be initiated this year, bringing this important context to the research agenda. An investigation that will focus on the centre of the enclosure, where a strange and unprecedented structure can be seen on the magnetogram: a corridor or avenue measuring more than 50m that leads to the central enclosure of this complex of ditched enclosures. Another symptom of the importance of the centre which, as Eliade said, is par excellence a sacred place.

0454 - Gémeos ? / Twins ?

 

Há dois post atrás falei do recinto de Trigo e da sua geofísica. Trigo fica um pouco a norte da Serra de Portel, que divide o Alentejo central do baixo Alentejo. Mas um pouco a sul dessa mesma serra fica um outro recinto, igualmente identificado no Gogle Earth, mas que, tal como Trigo, tem a sua melhor imagem numa foto aérea de 1995. Parecem gémeos nestas imagens difusas. Dificilmente serão, mas será que chegarei a saber? Será possível ter as condições de realizar a, obviamente urgente, prospecção geofísica antes de mais um ser engolido pelo “progresso”?

Two posts ago I talked about the Trigo enclosure and its geophysics. Trigo is located a little north of the Serra de Portel, which divides central Alentejo from lower Alentejo. But a little south of this same mountain range is another enclosure, also identified on Google Earth, but which, like Trigo, has its best image in an aerial photo from 1995. They look like twins in these fuzzy images. They are unlikely to be, but will I ever find out? Will it be possible to have the conditions to carry out the obviously urgent geophysical prospecting before another one being swallowed up by “progress”?

0453 - Exposição / Exhibition

 

Ontem foi inaugurada uma pequena exposição sobre os recintos de fossos do concelho de Serpa, patente ao público no castelo. Orientada para o público não especialista, caracteriza o que são este tipo de sítios, apresenta o seu inventário no concelho, descreve como são descobertos e estudados, aponta as características específicas de alguns, e aborda as questões relacionadas com a sua salvaguarda e divulgação. Trata-se de uma exposição pensada para ser itinerante por freguesias do concelho onde este tipo de património arqueológico existe, tendo sido promovida pela Câmara Municipal de Serpa e produzida pela empresa ERA Arqueologia. Uma iniciativa a que se seguirá o início de um projecto de investigação sobre um dos grandes recintos de fossos do concelho.

Yesterday, a small exhibition about the ditched enclosures of the municipality of Serpa was opened to the public at the castle. Aimed at a non-specialist audience, it characterizes what these types of sites are, presents their inventory in the municipality, describes how they are discovered and studied, points out the specific characteristics of some, and addresses issues related to their safeguarding and dissemination. This is an exhibition designed to be itinerant through parishes in the municipality where this type of archaeological heritage exists, having been promoted by the City Hall of Serpa and produced by the company ERA Arqueologia. An initiative that will be followed by the start of a research project on one of the municipality's large ditched enclosures.

0452 - Recinto do Trigo / Trigo enclosure

 

Identificado há alguns anos através do Google Earth, este recinto foi submetido recentemente a prospecção geofísica, revelando um complexo magnetograma cuja interpretação está ainda por publicar. Trata-se de um dos mais complexos recintos do Neolítico Final, com inúmeros detalhes a evidenciar, sendo o mais evidente a complexidade exibida pelo acesso solsticial Sudeste. Os materiais recolhidos à superfície revelam uma inequívoca cronologia da segunda metade do 4º milénio a.C.. Apresentando grandes dimensões, encontra-se muito próximo de um outro recinto contemporâneo (cerca de 3,5km) e de um monumento megalítico (500m). Os Perdigões também não ficam muito distantes (12,5km). Publicação prevista para breve.

Identified a few years ago through Google Earth, this enclosure was recently subjected to geophysical prospecting, revealing a complex magnetogram whose interpretation has yet to be published. This is one of the most complex Late Neolithic enclosures, with numerous details to highlight, the most evident being the complexity displayed by the Southeast solstitial access. The materials collected on the surface reveal an unequivocal chronology from the second half of the 4th millennium BC. Being of large dimensions, it is very close to another contemporary enclosure (about 3.5 km) and a megalithic monument (500 m). Perdigões is also not very far away (12.5km). It will soon be published.

0451 - Abordagem comparada / Comparative approach

 

Após dois anos de ausência, volto aqui com renovada vontade. Retomo com o último texto que publiquei sobre o assunto: “Recintos de Fossos e Murados da Pré-História Recente no sul de Portugal: uma breve abordagem comparativa.” No resumo sublinha-se a intenção central do texto: “Este ensaio desenvolve uma abordagem comparativa destes dois tipos de sítios no Sul de Portugal, discutindo as suas diferenças e proximidades a vários níveis, não num quadro dominado pelas dicotomias de doméstico / cerimonial ou funcional / sagrado, mas focado em como estes contextos permitiam de forma diferente ou semelhante a materialização de algumas das práticas sociais, económicas e ideológicas das sociedades Neolíticas e Calcolíticas.” O artigo pode ser obtido aqui:

https://www.academia.edu/126226405/Ditched_and_walled_enclosures_of_Late_Prehistory_in_South_Portugal_a_brief_comparative_approach

After two years of absence, I come back with renewed will. I return with my last paper on the issue: “Ditched and Walled enclosures of Late Prehistory in South Portugal: a brief comparative approach”. I the abstract the main goal is underlined: “This essay develops a comparative approach to these two types of sites in South Portugal, discussing their differences and proximities at several levels, not in a framework submitted to dichotomies such as domestic/ ceremonial or functional/sacred, but focused on how they differently or similarly allowed and materialized some of the social, economic, and ideological practices of Neolithic and Chalcolithic societies.” The paper can be downloaded here:

https://www.academia.edu/126226405/Ditched_and_walled_enclosures_of_Late_Prehistory_in_South_Portugal_a_brief_comparative_approach

0450 - Arquitectura e cosmologia /Architecture and cosmology

 

“Essa padronização também é vista nos tamanhos dos lóbulos, que correspondem a segmentos de círculos com diâmetros de 10 metros em média. (…) Esta regularidade sugere que o tamanho do lóbulo não é aleatório e obedece a um modelo ou norma de convenções de construção. Os casos de Santa Vitória e Outeiro Alto 2 podem dar uma ideia deste arquétipo.

No recinto interno de Santa Vitória o diâmetro do lóbulo à direita da entrada é compreendido pelo ângulo dos alinhamentos do centro do recinto com os solstícios de verão e inverno ao nascer do sol (Figura 5: 2), definindo um segmento de um círculo de 9 metros de diâmetro. Este tamanho é replicado pelos outros cinco lóbulos.

Em Outeiro Alto 2 observa-se a mesma situação geral (Figura 5: 3), com algumas diferenças interessantes em relação a Santa Vitória. Aqui a porta está alinhada com o solstício de inverno e, enquanto em Santa Vitória [orientada ao solstício de Verão] está na curva interior feita pela junção de dois lóbulos, no Outeiro Alto 2 está na curva do lóbulo. Porém, o tamanho dos lóbulos é também compreendido pelo ângulo formado pelo eixo dos solstícios, definindo segmentos de círculos com 11 metros de diâmetro e mantendo uma proporcionalidade em relação a Santa Vitória, vista na relação entre os tamanhos dos diâmetros dos recintos e dos lóbulos: Santa Vitória com diâmetro de vala de 25m tem lóbulos de 9m, o que dá um quociente de 2,78 (dividindo o diâmetro dos recintos pelo diâmetro dos lóbulos); O Outeiro Alto 2 com um diâmetro de vala de 30m tem lóbulos de 11m, proporcionando um quociente semelhante de 2,73.”

(Valera, A.C. 2020, Ephemeral and Cosmological Monumentality: the ‘strange’ ditched enclosures of Chalcolithic South Portugal).

“This patterning is also seen in the sizes of the lobules, which correspond to segments of circles with diameters of 10 meters average. (…) This regularity suggests that the lobule’s size is not random and observes a model or norm of building conventions. The cases of Santa Vitória and Outeiro Alto 2 may provide an insight to this archetypal.

In the inner enclosure of Santa Vitória the diameter of the lobule at the right of the entrance is comprised by the angle of the alignments from the centre of the enclosure with the summer and winter solstices at sunrise (Figure 5: 2), defining a segment of a circle of 9 meters diameter. This size is replicated by the other five lobules.

At Outeiro Alto 2 the same general situation can be observed (Figure 5: 3), with some interesting differences regarding Santa Vitória. Here the gate is aligned with the winter solstice and, while at Santa Vitória [orientated to the summer solstice] it is in the inner curve made by the junction of two lobules, at Outeiro Alto 2 is in the curve of the lobule. However, the size of the lobules is also comprised by the angle made by the axis of the solstices, defining segments of circles with 11 meters diameter and maintaining a proportionality regarding Santa Vitória, seen in the relation between the sizes of the diameters of the enclosures and of the lobules: Santa Vitória with a ditch diameter of 25m has lobules of 9m, which provides a quotient of 2,78 (dividing the enclosures diameter by the lobules diameter); Outeiro Alto 2 with a ditch dimeter of 30m has lobules of 11m, providing a similar quotient of 2,73.”

(Valera, A.C. 2020, Ephemeral and Cosmological Monumentality: the ‘strange’ ditched enclosures of Chalcolithic South Portugal).

0449 - Perdigões Timber Circle

Esta é uma proposta de reconstituição preliminar do Timber Circle no centro dos recintos de fossos dos Perdigões publicada na National Geographic História (ilustração de Luís Taklim). Datado de entre 2800-2600 a.C., é uma estrutura até ao momento única na Península Ibérica e que parece enquadrar-se na tradição de construção de estruturas cerimoniais em madeira da Europa Central e das Ilhas Britânicas. A sua escavação está ainda em curso.

This is the proposal for a preliminary reconstitution of the Timber Circle in the center of the Perdigões ditched enclosures published in National Geographic História (illustration by Luís Taklim). Dating back to between 2800-2600 BC, it is a unique structure on the Iberian Peninsula and seems to fit in with the tradition of building ceremonial wooden structures in Central Europe and the British Isles. Its excavation is still ongoing.

0448 - Actualising the Map of Ditched Enclosures

This is an actualised map of Portuguese ditched enclosures (or sites with ditches) at 13_03_2022. It represents a revision of earlier displayed information and the adding of several new enclosures. It also distinguishes the confirmed data from probable enclosures identified in satellite images, but that still need some sort of field confirmation (identified as pink dots).

The use of this map should be referenced to this blog and date: Valera, A.C., Map of Portuguese ditched enclosures, Portuguese Prehistoric Enclosures, portugueseenclosures.blogspot.com, 13-03-2022.

0447 - And another new one

 Again in Serpa municipality, where several ditched enclosures have been found, another new one was recently detected. It is clearly a three ditched enclosure, with patterned lobes, very similar to Borralhos and Folha do Ouro, just a few km apart. 

The discovery, made in Google Earth, was done by Teresa Nunes da Ponte, who kindly provide me with the information. 

0446 - A new lobed one

Magnetogram just completed and photographed on the laptop. Another lobed patterned one, and the two aligned gates are orientated at 120º, meaning winter solstice. They keep coming and confirming that prescriptions must have existed about the design and orientation of these enclosures, as I have been arguing for some time now. Work by Era Arqueologia, with geophysics by Tiago do Pereiro, assisted by me and other Era collaborators.

0445 - Twinned enclosures?

A new ditched enclosure was detected just 200m north of the ditched enclosure of Xancra, in Alentejo, South Portugal. The identification was done in an aerial image from 2020 provided by Google Earth. Surface materials indicate a Copper Age chronology, jut like Xancra. The proximity is food for thought, and might corroborate the idea that many of these ditched enclosures had short lives and intermittent ones, implicating lateral displacements or overlapping construction of enclosures, which has been documented on several occasions. Work developed by the NIA-Era Arqueologia (A. Valera and T. do Pereiro).

See discussion in: 

Valera, A.C., Ramos, R., Castanheira, P. (2015), “Os recintos de fossos de Coelheira 2 (Santa Vitória, Beja)”, Apontamentos de Arqueologia e Património, 10, Lisboa, NIA-ERA, p.33-45.

Valera, A.C.; Pereiro, T. (2015), “Os recintos de fossos da Salvada e Monte das Cabeceiras 2 (Beja, Portugal)”, Actas do VII Encontro de Arqueologia Peninsular, Aroche-Serpa 2013, p.316-327.

0444 - Folha do Ouro 1 enclosure published

 It was published a paper about the results and interpretation of the geophysics done at the Folha do Ouro 1 Chalcolithic ditched enclosure, located in Serpa, South Portugal.

Download here.

0443 - Perdigões "woodhenge" in european context.

0442 - A timber circle in the centre of Perdigões ditched enclosure.

 With significant repercussion in the media, the recent confirmation of a timber circle in the centre of Perdigões enclosure is, in fact, a major finding in Iberian archaeology, namely in the context of enclosure phenomena. Right in the centre of the large ditched enclosure of Perdigões (that has 450m diameter) there is this 20m diameter timber circle with several concentric rows of palisades and post alignments, with an apparent entrance aligned with the summer solstice (in the third part that has been exposed so far). The external rows have been dated between 2800-2600 BC.

It is the first monumental structure of this kind found in Iberia and its closest parallels are in central Europe or in YK. Which brings immediately the question of what does this find means: something unique or just a point of an unsuspected iceberg?

Independently of that, this structure confirms some earlier findings that indicate that in Iberia there was also and important prehistoric architecture in wood (and not just in stone and earth), some of them were already presented in this blog (see Outeiro Alto 2 or Estácio 6). It also reaffirms the ceremonial status of Perdigões enclosures and the significance of the centre of that natural amphitheatre, that present a recurrent with ceremonial architectures and practices during the 3^rd millennium BC.

In the left, the third exposed of the timber circle; in the right, the projection of that third to have a glimpse over the dimension of the structure.

A first partial interpretative proposal.

0441 - The new magnetogram of Folha do Ouro ditched enclosure

 Another ditched enclosure was identified and prospected within the scope of the NIA-Era investigation of ditched enclosures enclosures in Alentejo. With the logistical support of the Municipality of Serpa, the geophysical prospecting of this enclosure was made, which, being larger than previously thought, was not fully covered by the prospected area. The results, interpretation and contextualization are in the press in the proceedings of the next congress of the Association of Portuguese Archaeologists: "The enclosure of Folha do Ouro 1 (Serpa) in the context of the Alentejo calcolitic moat enclosures", by António Carlos Valera, Tiago do Pereiro, Pedro Valério and António Monge Soares. Besides Tiagome and Tiago (responsible for geophysics), Nelson Almeida and Ana Catarina Basílio participated in the fieldwork. This is the 13th ditched enclosure magnetogram produced in the context of this research program.

0440 - "Henging" at Perdigões

0439 - New Publication on Perdigões enclosure

The monographic study of Tomb 4 of Perdigões enclosure has just been published. It can be downloaded here: http://www.nia-era.org/publicacoes/cat_view/18-monografias-livros

0438 - Discussing a new ditch section

Era company has been excavating a section in a new Chalcolithic ditched enclosure in Alentejo (they keep coming and coming). Here, me and Tiago, we were discussing the infilling of the ditch. This one shows a clear filling where natural processes were relevant, what is easily seen in the profile of the deposits, quite different from the horizontal deposits of anthropic origin that fill partially or totally several of the ditches of Perdigões and so many other ditches in other enclosures. The low density of materials confirms that process as well as a predominance of a side for the origin of the sedimentation. In the bottom, thin sandy layers are evidence of short and intermittent periods of  sedimentation of hydraulic origin, before a completely different processes of filling take place.  To the interpretation of the filling is now central to understand which side is the inside and the out side of the enclosure delimited by this ditch, something that the small survey does not allow to determine. Geophysics could help by providing a partial plan. And that should be the next step.

0437 - Fraga da Pena: a cerimonial place.

Fraga da Pena. A small enclosure built against a granitic tor, in order to condition the access to a passage (truly megalithic) to the other side of the fraga, where one reaches an authentic altar over the deep valley and with a wide view over the landscape. And it constitutes a stage for those who are higher up the slope. A scenario that inspires sacredness and is conducive to ceremonial practices, which the archeological contexts involved also suggest.

0436 - The "idol" of Salvada

This is the small marble "idol" that was collected at the surface of the 3rd millennium BC large ditched enclosure of Salvada (Beja), that is over 18 ha. An exogenous material at the site. It was published here.

0435 - Dogs at Perdigões enclosure

Like other Chalcolithic enclosures, Perdigões has several contexts where dogs or parts of dogs were deposited. From burials, to the depositions of skulls, mandibles or parts of limbs, dogs represent a specific type of deposition of animal remains at the site. Recent isotopic studies carried on in a project funded by Portuguese Science Foundation (developed by Era Arqueologia, ICArEHB-UAlg and Hércules-UÉvora) show that humans and dogs had similar diets (with dogs in the same trophic level of humans), showing an already well-established proximity between them in social terms.

Biliographic references:

Valera, A. ; Žalaitė, I. ; Maurer, A.F.; Grimes, V.; Silva, A.M.; Ribeiro, S.; Santos, J.F.; Barrocas Dias, C. (2020) -  Addressing human mobility in Iberian large prehistoric ditched enclosures: the case of Perdigões (South Portugal). Journal of Archaeological Sciences Reports. 30: 102264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102264

Zalaite, I.; Maurer, A.F. ; Grimes, V. ; Silva, A.M. ; Ribeiro, S.; Santos J.F.; Dias, C.B.; Valera, A.C. (2018) - Diet and mobility of fauna from Late Neolithic–Chalcolithic site of Perdigões, Portugal. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 19, p.674–685, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2018.03.033

0434 - The ditched enclosure of Borralhos published

Magnetogram of Borralhos ditched enclosures. Published in Valera, Pererio 2020. You may download the publication here.

0433 - About social resistance strategies at Perdigões enclosure

This video talks a bit about the strategies of social resistance and identity management that we may detect in the funerary practices at Perdigões enclosure (in Portuguese).

0432 - Interpreting Borralhos

This is a proposal for the interpretation of the magnetogram of the ditched enclosure of Borralhos, South Portugal. From a paper in press at the journal Apontamentos de Arqueologia e Património, coming out by the end of the month.

0431 - Paper on mobility of humans and animals at Perdigões

Abstract:

To access the role of mobility in the social trajectory of Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic societies in the South of

Portugal (Southwest Iberia) a project was design to address the human, animal and object/raw material flow

present at Perdigoes enclosure. Perdigoes, located in the inner Alentejo region, has a long chronology from Late

Middle Neolithic to Late Chalcolithic/Early Bronze Age (middle 4th and 3rd millennium BC). It is a large complex

of ditched enclosures (with at least 16 ditches), presenting several funerary contexts, an abundance of faunal

remains and significant concentrations of exogenous materials in tombs. In this study human and animal mobility

are addressed through 87Sr/86Sr isotopic analysis. 69 individuals dating from Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic, with provenance from 9 different archaeological contexts inside the enclosures (tombs, ditches and pits) were analysed.

Human data are presented along with previously published strontium isotope ratios from fauna (n = 28; Canis

familiaris, Bos taurus, Sus sp., Ovis/Capra, Cervus elaphus, Equus sp.) from the same chronological range and several contextual provenances (Zalaite et al., 2018). Plant samples (n = 20) that cover local and peripheral lithologies were used for establishing local bioavailable strontium isotope ranges. To compare with the Perdigoes results, 9 human samples from 3 megalithic monuments (Cebolinhos 1, Comenda 1 and Vidigueiras 2) of the local settlement network were also analysed. The results show a significant scaled mobility of humans and animals in Perdigoes, a contextual variation between the funerary contexts within the site and a significant contrast with the individuals from local megalithic monuments. These results, combined with other archaeological data at the site, agree with the interpretation of the site as a large aggregation centre integrated in large scale interaction networks.

0430 - New web-page of Perdigões enclosure

In this new web-page there is a lot of information about Perdigões ditched enclosure: research organisation, team, projects, structures, archaeological materials, main excavated contexts, bibliography, isotopic and radiocarbon data bases, etc. Explore it here.

0429 - Perdigões and its idols

0428 - Copper metallurgy at Perdigões enclosure

Copper metallurgy was important at Perdigões. Raw material, crucibles, slag, hammers, artefacts and  waste occur in significant numbers. Here are some examples of the tools present at the site.

0427 - Perdigões at an exhibition of Iberian prehistoric idols

An exhibition joining some of the most fantastic Neolithic and Chalcolithic idols was organised at the MARQ (Archaeological Museum of Alicante, Spain). The ditched enclosure of Perdigões is represented with several items and a paper on the the role of these human figurines at the site was published in the catalogue of the exhibition. This is the image of the Spanish version. But an English one is in press.

0426 - Comparative Archaeology

I thank to Gábor Szilagyi for bring to my attention these fantastic African sinuous enclosures, that present some similarities with the Prehistoric ones of the Guadiana basin. It is possible that there is here food for a project in comparative Archaeology.

The African ones.

Some of the Portuguese ones.

0425 - "Tombs" for pots.

In the centre of Perdigões ditched enclosure there are contexts of depositions of human cremated remains dated from the middle of the 3rd millennium with no parallel in Iberia. Those remains were transported in large pots and deposited in pits. Some of the pots were broken in situ inside the pits with the humans remains. For others, small pits were opened for receiving the broken shards of these pots. That is the case of Pit 91, that received part of a big pot and a pile of shards of another bigger one. The shards were deposited in a pile and slide down, as their removing sequence shows. In the involving sediments some few human burned bones and a burned arrow head were collected (they were probably attached to the pot's walls).
This is not a funerary pit, but a pit related to the ritual (involving the braking of the transportation pots) performed in that area regarding the human cremated remains.

The big pot:

Removing the shards in their stratigraphic sequence:

0424 - "Sun eyes"

This is one more schematic anthropomorphic figurine from the context of depositions of human cremated remains in the central area of Perdigões ditched enclosures. This one, from 2019 campaign of excavations, just missed the  exhibition of Iberian Prehistoric Idols that recently opened in Alicante, where some of its companions from the same context are present.

0423 - Experimental archaeology at Perdigões

Last campaign at Perdigões we initiated a project to value the effort involved in the digging of ditches at the site. The goal is to estimate, in more solid grounds, the amount of work involved in opening ditches, namely the relation between time / number of workers / excavated volume. We aim to have a better understanding of the social, logistic and economic impact of the big public enterprises that took place at Perdigões.

For this, the Era project had the collaboration of Pedro Cura, who built the tools according to what we know about the tools used in Prehistoric mining, and excavate a part of the geologic in Perdigões, controlling time, volume and the use of different tools. We also aim to see the effect of the work in the tools, aiming to contribute to the identification of archaeological artifacts that might have been used in these tasks.

This was just a first approach that we want to develop in the context of the Perdigões Research Project developed by Era Arqueologia.

0431 - Permanence through periodicity and repetition

The crazy overlaps in the central area of Perdigões ditched enclosures during all the 3rd millennium BC (and between the timber constructions and the stone cairn there were 3 pits with the deposition of human cremated remains and a depositions of human cremated and none cremated remains in open air - more than 260 MNI in total).

0430 - Completing the magnetogram of Monte da Contenda ditched enclosure

In the context of a collaboration between the NIA-ERA project on ditched enclosures and the University of Kiel, the geophysics of Monte da Contenda enclosure was completed and published here. Another highly complex site with many enclosures, some of them using the stream as a border and having more than 400m long. And in the centre, another one of those patterned wavy enclosures, so typical of the Guadiana basin. This project of NIA-ERA has been giving a major contribution to change our knowledge about the Prehistoric landscape of Alentejo in empirical and theoretical terms. And to save some of these sites (or the knowledge about them) from the destruction in process due to intensive agriculture with the connivance (by absence and impotency) of the Portuguese State. 

0429 - Publication on intentional fragmentation and depositions

This book brings the conferences presented in Lisbon 2017 about fragmentation and depositions in Pre and Proto Historic Portugal. It has some information and debate about the presence of human remains inside the ditches of Perdigões and depositions in other contexts of ditched and walled enclosures.

To be download here.

0428 - One year of Neolithic Perdigões

It was precisely one year ago that the book on the Neolithic phases of Perdigões enclosures was published online. During this year it was downloaded for almost a thousand times (980 to be precise). It deals with the emergence of the site and its first 500 years of development, between 3400-2900 BC.
To be downloaded here.

0427 - Borralhos ditched enclosure

Borralhos ditched enclosure was detected in Google satellite images in the context of the research developed by NIA-ERA (the research unit of ERA Arqueologia SA) regarding the prehistoric ditched enclosures in South Portugal. In that same research context geophysics was done. The Nia-Era team, with Taigo do Pereiro, António Valera and Ana Catarina Basílio, did the geophysics of the site with a fantastic result. The magnetogram was first published here and was also presented at the last Iberian Southwest Archaeology  Meeting (held in Zafra, 2018). Its detailed description and archaeological interpretation will be published soon. But this is one more fantastic image of a fantastic enclosure, resulting from personal and institutional commitments that, with a scientific agenda, are simultaneously trying to save this kind of  heritage that is threatened by the savage agricultural practices that are transforming (razing?) Alentejo landscapes.
There is some irony here. Agriculture was related to their origins and agriculture is now related to their destruction. Hopefully, this one will be saved. But apart from that, the image is already material for research, being used by the team to question some specifics of the Prehistoric ditched enclosures of the Guadiana basin in coming talks and publications..

Part of the magnetogram of Borralhos, done by the NIA-Era team.

0426 - Publication: Cardim 6 - a tholos from the enclosure of Porto Torrão

The study of Cardim 6, a tholos belonging to the complex of ditched enclosures of Porto Torrão (Ferreira do Alentejo, Beja) is published and available for free download here.

0425 - Portuguese enclosures in meeting

A meeting to commemorate the classification of Perdigões enclosure as National Monument will be held at Carmo Museum in Lisbon next November 23. Here is the program.

0424 - The (new) twilight of enclosures

A couple of years ago I wrote a paper about the twilight of prehistoric enclosures (see here). It was about the end of enclosures in the late 3^rd millennium BC. We are again in the 3^rd millennium, now AC, and the enclosures (as heritage) are vanishing again, now at the hands of intensive agriculture. Three more were recently affected or destroyed: Nobre, Folha do Ouro and the large complex of enclosures of Herdade da Corte. 

Folha do Ouro (Serpa)

Herdade da Corte (Serpa)

Nobre 2 (Beja)

The administration continues to do almost nothing, and the silence is general. We are at un elections campaign, but nobody brings up the issue of the systematic destruction of archaeological heritage in Alentejo region. We are only concerned with the destruction of our dreams for the future and seems there is no room for a concern with historical memories. It would be an irony if it wasn’t simply stupidity. As if we could dream without a memory.