The works of the new WWTP of Companheira, in Portimão, do not collide, at least for the time being, with the important archaeological finds that were made in the area and therefore can continue.
This was, in short, the result of the meeting that took place, at the construction site, last Friday, with technicians from the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage (formerly Igespar), the Nautical Center for Nautical and Underwater Archeology, the Regional Directorate of Culture, the Municipal Water and Waste Company of Portimão, the contractor and also from the owner of the work, the company Águas do Algarve.
In such a way that, guaranteed Teresa Fernandes, spokesperson for Águas do Algarve, and found the Sul Informação at the site, «the construction works of the New WWTP of Companheira continue at a good pace».
But that does not prevent greater care now. Rui Parreira, Director of Cultural Goods services of the Regional Directorate of Culture, told our newspaper that, following the meeting, "adequate safeguard measures were ensured for what is known to be there."
Like Sul Informação reported last week, firsthand, a cave with traces of human occupation from the Middle Paleolithic, more than 40 thousand years ago, attributable to Neanderthal Man, was discovered next to the land 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.
"An opening was identified in the exposed front of the national road 125, which is outside the perimeter of the construction work of the new WWTP of Companheira, having no interference with the work", admitted the spokeswoman for Águas do Algarve, who did not he added more details, considering that "this opening is outside" its land, so that the company is not "the entity that can comment" on this matter.
Only days after the discovery of this first cave, where an initial preliminary visit by archaeologists allowed the identification of artifacts carved in stone and attributable to the Neanderthal Man, two new cavities were detected, already located in the land that is being worked on. However, according to Águas do Algarve, «considering the karst [limestone] characteristics of the land», these cavities «per se have no special meaning».
Even so, revealed Teresa Fernandes, «we are currently developing studies to survey the massif, using geo-electric profiles. These studies last approximately one month and allow for more conclusive information to be obtained».
On the other hand, our newspaper found that the company Archeofactory, hired by the contractor to carry out the archaeological monitoring, will reinforce its team with a specialist in speleology and a prehistory archaeologist.
«There is a team of archaeologists, approved by the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, permanently under construction, to report all possible traces of human presence in remote times», adds the spokeswoman for Águas do Algarve, stressing that «this procedure, which is always followed, allows the construction work to be carried out, while respecting the existence of evidence of other uses of spaces».
«The joint action of the contractor and the various cultural entities that regulate and approve the construction activity has always allowed Águas do Algarve to carry out the fundamental works for environmental maintenance, which is so necessary to preserve, respecting all the rules that are correctly imposed by the aforementioned authorities", adds the company, which reiterates "the availability and collaboration with the various entities linked to this process, so that together we can all achieve the goals we set ourselves, with the highest quality of service and respect for property."
The discovery of lithic artefacts attributable, by their type, to Neanderthal Man, is exciting the archaeological and scientific community. Nuno Bicho, an archaeologist specializing in Prehistory and a professor at the University of Algarve, told the Sul Informação which «only in an initial survey intervention, animal bones and carved stone utensils were found», with characteristics attributable to an occupation of the Middle Paleolithic, made by the Neanderthal Man.
«It's a very rare chronology in the Algarve», guaranteed Nuno Bicho, who is also responsible for the project to survey the archaeological potential of caves in the Algarve. "We don't have so many well-preserved deposits" from this remote time, he stressed. 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.
Despite the fact that the cave is not located, as far as is known, in an area that could be affected by the works of the Companheira WWTP, it still needs to be rigorously defined «whether or not this cave has communication with the other caves and what are its ramifications».
Hence the work proceeds, but with due care. And within a month, when the results of such survey studies of the massif were known, through geo-electric profiles, the issue will be re-evaluated again by the various entities involved, namely those responsible for environmental and heritage aspects.
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