A cave with traces of human occupation from the Middle Paleolithic, more than 40 years ago, attributable to Neanderthal Man, was discovered on the ground. where the Companheira WWTP began to be built a month ago, on the bank of the Boina stream, a tributary of the Arade, in Portimão.
This cave is, for now, outside the work's intervention area, but this week a second cavity was discovered, right in the middle of the work. The importance of the archaeological find may force the plans of the unfortunate Companheira's WWTP to be changed, leading to a delay in the work.
To debate the implications of the archaeological finds and the next steps this morning, a meeting was held at the construction site, which was attended by technicians from the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage (formerly Igespar), from Centro Náutica of Nautical and Underwater Archeology, of the Regional Directorate of Culture, of the Portimão Council, of the contractor and also of the project's owner, the company Águas do Algarve.
Nuno Bicho, an archaeologist specializing in Prehistory and a professor at the University of Algarve, told the Sul Informação that, «as soon as the first cave was discovered, a team from UAlg and colleagues from the Regional Directorate of Culture carried out a first archaeological intervention, to measure its potential», having entered the natural cavity opened in the limestone subsoil, which is thought to be able to even have multiple branches and other narrower galleries.
And what they found excited the researchers. «Only in an initial survey intervention, animal bones and carved stone tools were found», with characteristics attributable to an occupation of the Middle Paleolithic, made by the Neanderthal Man.
«It is a very rare chronology in the Algarve», guarantees Nuno Bicho. In reality, only one other cave with the same type of connection to the region was known in the region. Neanderthal man, the cave of Ibn Ammar, also in the same area, on the lake bank of the Arade River, and curiously excavated by that archaeologist. And below Setúbal, the same chronology has only appeared until now in Gruta do Escoural, in Alentejo. However, in both contexts, when archaeological excavations were carried out there, «everything was already very altered, destroyed and disturbed».
«We don't have so many well-preserved deposits» from this remote time, he guarantees. Therefore, the accidental discovery of this Companheira cave is «a good opportunity to get to know better» the occupation made by the Neanderthal man in the south of the country.
Nuno Bicho, who is also responsible for the project to survey the archaeological potential of caves in the Algarve, says that the new cave "has no direct interference" with the area of land where the WWTP is being built, although he admits that it is "very next". The find, by the way, was made and communicated by the technicians of the archeology company that the contractor hired, the Archeofactory.
The archaeologist and university professor now hopes that, from the meeting between the various entities, an action plan can emerge that will reconcile the interest of defending an “unparalleled” heritage and the construction of the long-awaited WWTP. «Our objective is to continue the archaeological intervention to determine the importance and, from there, to carry out a complete research project, with funding from the FCT», and who knows, from the company Águas do Algarve itself.
Teresa Fernandes, spokeswoman for the company that owns the work, told the Sul Informação that, after having «immediately notified» the APA, the DGPC and the Municipality of Portimão of the discovery of the two caves, work is now being carried out to «see what is there, its importance and what measures to take».
Despite the cautious words of the various stakeholders, the Sul Informação knows that, taking into account the rarity and importance of the archaeological remains found, if there is interference between the works and the caves, the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage may force the Companheira WWTP project to be changed, which will cause significant delays in the intervention. Águas do Algarve and Câmara de Portimão are not happy with this perspective.
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