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.

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.

0373 - Updating phalanx idols at Perdigões

During the coming summer solstice (not exactly, but in Sunday) the Era team will be observing the sun rise in the alignment of gate 1 again at Perdigões. During Saturday we will be at Esporão farm to guide visitors (of the Big Day event) to the exhibition of Perdigões in the medieval tower of the farm and to the deposit of materials.

I am using part of today’s holyday to prepare some materials to be shown in the deposit. Taking the phalanx idols form the plastic bags and arrange then in a box, so they can be easily appreciated.

And when I was doing this I noticed the similarity between the fracture in a phalanx collected at the surface of tomb 2 and another fragment collected at the surface of tomb 3, recently excavated and just 10 meters away.

They fit. They were both considered as different elements in my paper about the phalanx idols of Perdigões (the drawing of the top part was even presented). Now that they are reunited a new object emerged: the zig-zag hair in the back (although horizontal and not vertical like the other peace from tomb 2 – see publication) and the eyes and the arms (possibly holding something) in the front. Very similar to the other one already published, but with arms. It needs to be better cleaned now.

I always argued that keeping things in site has its benefits for trained visual memories.

The paper (see here), that addressed the phalanges but also the horse domestication problem, can now be updated. Well, not entirely: there are some more new phalanges from recent excavations that enlarge the already impressive numbers of these items at Perdigões enclosure.

0115 - New papers on Portuguese ditched enclosures

With free download here.

Helmut Becker e António Carlos Valera

LUZ 20 (MOURÃO, ÉVORA): RESULTADOS PRELIMINARES DA PROSPEÇÃO GEOFÍSICA (MAGNETOMETRIA DE CÉSIO)
Luz 20 (Mourão, Évora): preleminary results of geophysical survey (caesium magnetometry)

Helmut Becker, António Carlos Valera e Patrícia Castanheira

MONTE DO OLIVAL 1 (FERREIRA DO ALENTEJO, BEJA): MAGNETOMETRIA DE CÉSIO NUM RECINTO DE FOSSOS DO 3º MILÉNIO AC.
Monte do Olival 1 (Ferreira do Alentejo, Beja). Caesium magnetometry in a ditched enclosure from the 3^rd millennium BC.

António Carlos Valera

“ÍDOLOS ALMERIENSES” PROVENIENTES DE CONTEXTOS NEOLÍTICOS DO COMPLEXO DE RECINTOS DOS PERDIGÕES.
“Almeriense Idols” from Neolithic contexts of the enclosures complex of Perdigões

0077 – “Idols” from Perdigões

This will be a topic for a conference in the next ERA annual meeting that will take place in Lisbon in March 10th.

Perdigões present a great variety of artefacts that are usually interpreted as “Idols” (an issue to be discussed), made in different external raw materials (like ivory, limestone or schist). It is interesting to notice that are very few made in ceramic when compared with other raw materials, which seems to suggest a strong relation between raw material and object meaning and value.
Another interesting aspect is that, if almost all the “idols” appear in funerary contexts, some are present inside ditches and certain types appear (so far) in specific funerary contexts, even when they are contemporaneous with other burial structures.
These issues and others will be presented and debated at the meeting.