0333 - Excavating at Montoito ditched enclosure

The site of Montoito has recently been affected again by deep plouwing. Before planting the vineyard and, taking into account the results obtained on site by the geofisic survey, we decided to conduct a small test-pit in the second ditch in order to get a stratigraphic reading. Although a bigger excavation was recommended the circumstances did not make it possible. Nevertheless the results of this small intervention improved the knowledge of the site. 

The excavation has identified a ditch with the V shape, 3 meters wide and 3 deep, cut in the bedrock at a ratio of 1:1. The ceramic collected lets us propose the occupation of the site in the middle of the 3rd millennium BC, or possibly soon after. Thus, the small enclosure ditches of Montoito must have been contemporary of the latest ditches of Perdigões that lies just 8km South.

Rui Mataloto

0323 - Just got out

0319 - Monte da Contenda and Montoito enclosures first publication

Montoito



Monte da Contenda

In next December 11th a volume of the Estudos Arqueológicos de Oeiras will be publically released, including a paper where the geophysics plans, surface materials, available radiocarbon dates and some interpretative ideas of Monte da Contenda and Montoito will be displayed. Both sites have their particular important issues. Monte da Contenda, by its complexity and dimensions, is a site to be discussed in the context of the large and long lasting enclosures with repetitive episodes of building and rebuilding. Montoito is different. Not so big, apparently with much lesser phases and less complexity, provides a quite specific plan in the Iberian context.

This results were obtained in the context of the project that the NIA department of Era Arqueologia has been developing regarding the identification and characterization of ditched enclosures in Alentejo. A research responsible for the identification of a third of the ditched enclosure presently known in the region.

0236 - The enclosure of Montoito

Discovered in Google earth, the enclosure of Montoito (Évora, Portugal) was partially submitted to geophysics (done by Helmut Becker) in the context of the research projects of NIA-Era Arqueologia directed by me and that have been responsible for a significant increment of our knowledge of ditched enclosures in South Portugal (see Valera, 2012; 2013 a and b).

Magnetogram over an aerial image of 1995, where we can follow approximately the trajectories of the ditches. (Image unpublished. Should not be used without authorization).

In the centre a sinuous ditch, similar to others known in Portuguese Guadiana basin but less regular, defines an inner enclosure with a gate open to S. It is surrounded by a double ditched enclosure with a probable ellipse shape and a gate also orientated to SW. It is the first ellipse shaped ditched enclosure in Portugal, resembling some known in Germany.

 Meisternthal enclosure (Germany) with an ellipse shape (Becke, 1996)

Its major axis is orientated closer to Winter solstice. As usually, there are lots of circular pits and surface materials indicate a Chalcolithic chronology for this enclosure.  

We will try to finish the geophysics before formal publication of this context.

References:

Becker, H.  ed. (1996), Archäologische prospection. Luftbildarchäologie und Geophysik, Müchen
Valera, A.C. (2012), “Mind the gap”: Neolithic and Chalcolithic enclosures of South Portugal”, (Alex Gibson ed.), Enclosing the Neolithic. Recent studies in Britain and Europe, BAR, p.165-183.

Valera, A.C. (2013a), “Recintos de fossos da Pré-História Recente em Portugal. Investigação, discursos, salvaguarda e divulgação”, Almadan, Segunda Série, 18, p.93-110.

Valera, A.C. (2013b), “Cronologia dos recintos de fossos da Pré-História Recente em território português”, Arqueologia em Portugal 150 anos, Actas do I congresso da Associação dos Arqueólogos Portugueses, Lisboa, AAP, p.335-343.

0229 – A glimpse into Montoito

The results of Montoito geophysics are very good and confirm entirely the presence of a ditched enclosure. Well, in fact they are at least three enclosures. The inside is a wavy one, surrounded by two concentric ones. For the moment, here is a glimpse of one gate in the southeast side of the outer ditch (smiling).

A gate that reminds the gates of the outside ditch of Perdigões and the inner gates of Xancra (see here).

The geophysics are from Helmut Becker, done in the context of the NIA-Era project on ditched enclosures plans and orientations directed by me (and with the participation of Tiago do Pereiro, that detected this enclosure in Google Earth).

0227 - Montoito is (partially) done

We finished yesterday this year campaign of geophysics at the ditched enclosure of Montoito, just 8 klms north of Perdigões. 

Cleaning the field so Helmut Becker could measure was a hard task. 

I would like to thank Rui Mataloto and the Municipality of Redondo for their support and also to the volunteer students of FLUL that collaborated in this arduous ”archaeological” task. Without these collaborations the work simply couldn’t have been done.

Now we just have to wait for the first layout of the measured area to confirm that our “google eye” is sharp. 

0134 – European flavour

The continuous discovery of ditched enclosures in South Portugal brings the region closer to the standards of some European regions: in numbers (at the moment, 35 confirmed just at South of Tagus river) but also in some morphologies. In fact, until recently, the known Portuguese ditched enclosures (those with plans well known) presented designs quite particular to the region (especially the sinuous patterned ones). But, like in Central Europe or Britain, exact geometric circles started to appear and now what seems to be a perfect ellipse.

Here is this new Chalcolithic context, named Montoito because is near Montoito village, Évora district (discovered in Google by Tiago do Pereiro and confirmed by me), compared with the perfect ellipse of Meisternthal in Germany (magnetogram from Helmut Becker).