Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Povoado dos Perdigões (Reguengos de Monsaraz): dados preliminares dos trabalhos arqueológicos realizados em 1997

1998; Volume: 1; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Português

0874-2782

Joāo Albergaria, António Faustino Carvalho, Cidália Duarte, António Carlos Valera, Francisco Almeida, Miguel Lago,

Medieval Architecture and Archaeology

Towards the end of 1996 a major archaeological discovery was made in the Alentejo area. Perdigoes, an impressive group of monuments, includes a settlement, a necropolis and a cromelech. In spite of the clarity of the outlines of the settlement, which is obvious from the darker areas of soil indicating the various ditches and walls or palissades, this site, which covers more than 16 ha, is much more complex than originally suggested by the aerial photographs. The archaeological investigation was carried out following agricultural work on lands belonging to FINAGRA, S.A., work which disturbed the archaeological context. Era-Arqueologia, Ltd. was responsible for carrying out the preliminary investigation and it is hoped that this will be the beginning of a wider program of investigation which will enhance the true importance of this major group of monuments. The first phase involved systematic field survey and the recording of surface data. The aim of the second phase was the excavation of the archaeological context in five specific areas, and the third led to a final report which is broadly summarised in this article. Preliminary data indicate a settlement which existed between the second half of the 4th and the 3rd millenium BC. This paper includes a description and interpretation of the main archaeological contexts identified and an analysis of different aspects of material culture and human remains from a tholos type tomb. We also offer a preliminary analysis of the role played by this site in the processes of transformation which occurred throughout this time period in the Reguengos de Monsaraz area and in the Iberian Peninsula in general. RESUMO Em finais de 1996, deu-se uma das grandes descobertas arqueologicas dos ultimos anos da arqueologia peninsular. O conjunto monumental dos Perdigoes inclui um povoado, uma necropole e um recinto megalitico. Apesar da nitidez dos contornos do Povoado, que nos e dado pelas manchas de terras mais escuras relacionadas com as suas diversas linhas de fossos, muralhas ou palicadas, este sitio e muito mais complexo do que inicialmente e sugerido pela imagem aerea do conjunto, que ocupa mais de 16 ha. O programa arqueologico implementado foi desenvolvido na sequencia de trabalhos agricolas, realizados numa propriedade da FINAGRA, S.A, que revolveram e afectaram os contextos arqueologicos. Apos a realizacao de concurso, a Era-Arqueologia, Lda. concretizou as diferentes fases previstas, no que se espera ser o arranque de um vasto programa de investigacao e de valorizacao deste importante conjunto monumental. A primeira fase implicava a realizacao de prospeccoes sistematicas e o levantamento de dados de superficie; a segunda destinou-se a escavacao de contextos arqueologicos em cinco areas especificas; a terceira produziu um relatorio final de que o presente trabalho e um resumo alargado. Os dados preliminares apontam para um povoado que cronologicamente se tera desenvolvido a partir da segunda metade do IV e durante III milenio. O trabalho agora apresentado, inclui a descricao e interpretacao dos principais contextos arqueologicos identificados, a analise de diversos aspectos da cultura material e de restos humanos provenientes de um monumento funerario tipo tholos e ainda algumas leituras previas de enquadramento deste sitio nos processos de transformacao ocorridos durante o IV e III milenios a.C. na regiao de Reguengos de Monsaraz e na Peninsula Iberica em geral. ABSTRACT Towards the end of 1996 a major archaeological discovery was made in the Alentejo area. Perdigoes, an impressive group of monuments, includes a settlement, a necropolis and a cromelech. In spite of the clarity of the outlines of the settlement, which is obvious from the darker areas of soil indicating the various ditches and walls or palissades, this site, which covers more than 16 ha, is much more complex than originally suggested by the aerial photographs. The archaeological investigation was carried out following agricultural work on lands belonging to FINAGRA, S.A., work which disturbed the archaeological context. Era-Arqueologia, Ltd. was responsible for carrying out the preliminary investigation and it is hoped that this will be the beginning of a wider program of investigation which will enhance the true importance of this major group of monuments. The first phase involved systematic field survey and the recording of surface data. The aim of the second phase was the excavation of the archaeological context in five specific areas, and the third led to a final report which is broadly summarised in this article. Preliminary data indicate a settlement which existed between the second half of the 4th and the 3rd millenium BC. This paper includes a description and interpretation of the main archaeological contexts identified and an analysis of different aspects of material culture and human remains from a tholos type tomb. We also offer a preliminary analysis of the role played by this site in the processes of transformation which occurred throughout this time period in the Reguengos de Monsaraz area and in the Iberian Peninsula in general.