Three storage silos, all with materials “from the 16th century onwards”, and no traces of the Vila Nova de Portimão wall. These were, until now, the results of the archaeological monitoring work of the Urban Rehabilitation work at Largo da Igreja Matriz de Portimão, run by the specialized company ERA Arqueologia.
Within these silos, he explains to the Sul Informação Rita Dias, archaeologist and project manager at ERA Arqueologia, found «fragments of ceramics, of varying chronologies, but already late, of which the oldest, which were at the bottom of the negative structure, would be from the 16th or 17th century. Then, up here, there was much more recent rubble, from the 18th or 19th century, mixed in». There was also «a lot of malacological fauna, especially oysters, we have many oyster valves», some of large dimensions.
In other words, these silos, structures excavated in the rock to store and preserve food, after ending their use for this purpose, were used – probably during the 17th century – as a dumping area for domestic waste.
As for the continuation of the Portimão wall, the mechanical and manual surveys that were carried out did not detect any traces in the area affected by the ongoing works. Very close to Largo da Igreja, between Rua Machado dos Santos and Rua Dr. Ernesto Cabrita, was the Church or São Sebastião gate, one of the entrances to the walled enclosure, but so far nothing has been discovered, which means indicates that this section of the wall has been completely dismantled.
As archaeologists have already noticed, the hill on which the Main Church stands and the surrounding streets has been the target of many interventions over the centuries and will certainly have suffered greatly from various earthquakes, particularly that of 1755.
In such a way that «we realized that that area was very affected and is almost entirely on the geological substrate», that is, there is almost nothing above the rock, explained Rita Dias.
For her part, Vera Teixeira de Freitas, municipal archaeologist at the Portimão Museum, told the Sul Informação that what has been discovered so far leads us to think about the existence of «a possible excavation of some areas in the area surrounding the Main Church of Portimão, carried out at an indeterminate moment between the 19th century and the 20th century».
And it was these works that were presumably responsible for the fact that, «in this area, the rocky substrate is practically on the surface, as well as the fact that the anthropic remains [of human origin] detected consist of negative structures from the modern period».
But let's go back a little. The works, promoted by Portimão City Council, were awarded, after a competition, to a construction company, which, in turn, hired ERA to carry out archaeological monitoring.
As this is an intervention in the old part of the city, no work, public or private, can progress without this specialized monitoring.
«We received a specification with several tasks that included the excavation of manual and mechanical surveys, to carry out the archaeological characterization of the area surrounding the Main Church, and the archaeological monitoring of the remaining works that affected the underground, immediately around the church and also on the streets affected by the project», explained the ERA archaeologist.
As Vera Teixeira de Freitas highlighted, this project takes place in an «area of archaeological sensitivity», integrating «possible traces of the occupation of this space during the Roman, Modern and Contemporary era, as well as a section of the late-medieval wall of Vila Nova of Portimão, classified as a Property of Public Interest, whose conservation status and exact layout in this location were unknown.
The works include, on the one hand, the repair and replacement of existing infrastructures (water, sewage, rainwater, telecommunications, low voltage electricity and public lighting) and, on the other hand, the total requalification of the existing pavements surrounding the church and some adjacent streets.
Thus, taking into account the size of the planned works, «it was necessary to carry out archaeological diagnostic work and minimize impacts within the scope of the project, in order to verify the possible presence of pre-existing constructions and original deposits. anthropic, namely archaeological diagnostic surveys and archaeological monitoring of soil movements».
The objective is to “minimize the negative impact on possible archaeological contexts, using appropriate methodologies and avoiding the loss of historical-archaeological information and/or the destruction of heritage assets”.
Vera Freitas adds that «the principle that guides» these archaeological interventions is the «conservation of heritage remains». However, “their conservation can be considered through scientific records, when it is not feasible to make pre-existences compatible with the implementation of the project”.
Of the three silos (or “negative structures”) found, two more or less the same size and one larger, the materials that were inside were removed (in reality, rubble made up of ceramic fragments, oyster shells, among others), «the drawings were made using archaeological techniques, 3D surveys, photogrammetry», in order to achieve «preservation through recording».
Then, when possible, the structures were covered with geotextile and filled with sand, in order to “preserve in situ [on site] everything that is not affected” by infrastructure works.
Taking into account that the silos were very high above the surface, they had already been affected by previous works. But, from one of them, it was still possible to find the lid, broken in two, which was kept.
In the case of the larger structure, part of it had been destroyed a few decades ago, to lay pipes, in times when public works were not monitored by archeology, nor were there concerns about preserving heritage. «The top of the negative structure was already completely destroyed», revealed Rita Dias.
Then, to find out more details about the period of use and even what these silos were actually used for, all the materials collected will be analyzed and studied.
«For now, we first have to date the materials. We have some datable materials, such as faience, types of glazed ceramics with decoration, which can be framed within the chronological window of a period».
It will be difficult, however, to know how long the silos were used, as structures like these have sometimes been used for centuries. «We, basically, can only have a chronological window based on the materials we found» and which were left there until the structure was abandoned.
«We will deliver a report on all this to the developer», the Portimão City Council, «where we will make whatever interpretations are possible, taking into account the information we have collected», added the ERA archaeologist.
In short: after the complete excavation of the silos and their exhaustive recording using archaeological methods, the works were able to continue, and the archaeological remains collected will be treated and studied, for later deposit in the Portimão Museum.
And the type of structures found did not justify altering the work?
Rita Dias believes not. «We have to make the preservation of heritage compatible with all types of infrastructure installation and, in essence, all the urban operations that are necessary». Once the archaeological excavations have been carried out, the material and all the information collected, the works move forward.
«Of course, if it were something completely unprecedented, with a very high asset value, and especially with the City Council being the owner of the work, alternative solutions would have to be found to divert the infrastructure. But in this case, this type of negative structures is relatively common. Preservation was taken into account, we have a serious record of the infrastructures and then they are, as far as possible, preserved underground », he explained.
The construction of the Mother Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição is due to D. Gonçalo Vaz de Castelo Branco, owner of D. Afonso V's Farm, invested by that monarch in 1476 as the first grantee of the town of Portimão.
The walled area was more than 6 hectares and defined an irregular polygon, in “saw teeth”, which followed the river bank and encompassed the highest part of the town, where the Main Church was located. There are indications of repairs to the wall during the first half of the 1616th century, more specifically in XNUMX, its location and extent are unknown.
However, this must have had a punctual character, since part of the city was already located outside the walls at this time.
A few years later, in 1621, Alexandre Massai, engineer of Philip II of Portugal, found that there were many outskirts outside the walled perimeter, designing a large bastioned fortification for the town that was never completed, probably because construction was more pressing. of a fortress to defend the entrance to the Arade river.
Archaeological monitoring of works in the city has led to discoveries
The coordination of the Heritage Sector of the DMP/Museu de Portimão with the various departments of the City Council of Portimão with competences in terms of urban operations, both private and public, has been going on for several years, «being a guarantee of the execution of the necessary heritage safeguarding work », highlights Vera Freitas, archaeologist at the Portimão Museum.
Similar to what happens with the licensing of private works, several public works, such as those most recently carried out in the requalification of Largo do Dique, Jardim 1º December or in the new headquarters of the Parish Council of Portimão (Casa Nossa Senhora da Conceição), they were the subject of archaeological work carried out by the Portimão Museum, which «allowed an important advance in the knowledge of the ancient occupations present in the current historic center».
«The most recent interventions have changed the panorama of archaeological research, revealing traces of occupations whose characteristics and chronology were unprecedented in the city of Portimão», adds the archaeologist.
Vera Freitas refers to the Roman-era fish preparation complex registered in the Mabor Building, in the riverside area, «whose construction period is difficult to ascertain at the moment, but which has been proven to remain in operation until the Low Empire».
In this location, the existence of a preserved section of the Portimão Wall was also confirmed, located under the facade of the building facing the riverside area.
The municipal archaeologist highlights that «traces of the wall and the Roman salt tanks were preserved on site, for public dissemination purposes».
In the recent archaeological intervention resulting from the rehabilitation of Jardim 1º de Outubro, immediately to the north of the buildings targeted for demolition, it was possible to identify «a preserved section of the foundations of the late-medieval wall, as well as a cremation from Roman times, of the bustum, which indicates that this area served as a necropolis».
«This Roman necropolis would be located in an area very close to riverbank and waterlogged areas, also present in the Largo do Dique area», he highlights.
The archaeological intervention in the Casa da Nossa Senhora da Conceição (current headquarters of the Parish Council of Portimão) is located in the late-medieval intramural area of Vila Nova de Portimão, similarly located in the surrounding area of the first building da Misericórdia de Portimão, also the target of archaeological intervention as part of a private urban planning operation.
In the Casa da Nossa Senhora da Conceição, a domestic building was recorded, which archaeologists date back to the mid-16th/17th century.
These archaeological works, he adds, “prove that the Roman occupation was not limited to the riverside area, but was also present in this location. The chronology of the beginning of the Roman occupation takes us to an earlier time than that recorded in Mabor, specifically from the middle of the 1st century, remaining in continuity until the end of the 2nd/3rd century».
In the immediate surroundings of the Casa da Nossa Senhora da Conceição, another archaeological intervention was carried out as part of a private urban planning operation at R. Ernesto Cabrita, no. 19 to 33, in a building whose rear corresponds to the late-medieval wall. and respective title.
There, a boarded-up postern or bomber was identified, the existence of which was not recorded in any example of ancient cartography, as well as the original ashlar of a corner of the wall, which is believed to have been destroyed.
The surveys carried out revealed contexts related to the time of construction of the wall (end of the 15th century) and others with chronologies from the mid-16th century.
«Comparing the data from the two interventions will allow us to investigate in detail the urban planning of this area of Vila Nova de Portimão, relevant information for the study of the city's evolution», describes Vera Freitas.
On the other hand, archaeological monitoring of the demolition of the buildings in Largo do Dique, adjacent to Casa Manuel Teixeira Gomes and located in the late-medieval extramural area of Vila Nova de Portimão, allowed us to verify that, despite the fact that from the 17th century onwards the town had Having begun its extramural expansion, this area of interface between riverbank and waterlogged contexts was, at that time, not yet built.
This situation continued until the end of the 18th century/beginning of the 19th century, with these salt marshes and areas of alluvial deposits being progressively prepared to receive construction.
An extensive rubbish area was created there, gradually formed between the mid/end of the 15th century and the 17th century, which contributed to the creation of favorable conditions for the construction of this area on the outskirts of Vila Nova de Portimão, previously occupied by marshes and deposits. alluvial.
An edition of the Portimão Museum is scheduled to be launched at the end of this year, where the results of these various archaeological interventions, both public and private, will be presented.
According to archaeologist Vera Teixeira de Freitas, this publication has «the aim of publicizing the scientific research produced, as well as responding to the obligation to provide a social return on this investment».
Photos: Elisabete Rodrigues | Sul Informação and ERA Archeology
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