PT EN

 

An ancient port complex in the Western Algarve: the archaeology of the Arade River estuary
 

 

 

 

Start  .  2018

Duration  .  48 months

Principal Investigators  .  Cristóvão Fonseca (CHAM)  .  José António Bettencourt (CHAM)
 

 

Institutions

 

Main Research Unit

CHAM — Centre for the Humanities

 

Sponsors

Administração do Porto de Sines e do Algarve
Capitania do Porto de Portimão
Centro Nacional de Arqueologia Náutica e Subaquática / Direcção Geral do Património Cultural
Clube Subaquático de Mergulho Portisub
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
GAMP — Grupo de Amigos do Museu de Portimão
Junta de Freguesia de Portimão
Ondanáutica

 

Partnerships

Museu de Portimão / Câmara Municipal de Portimão

 

 

 

This project is primarily focused on the archaeology of the Arade River estuary and its maritime dimension, targeting shipwreck and anchorage contexts in a diachronic approach. The Arade River is one of the most important areas in Portugal in terms of nautical and underwater archaeology research. This wealth of information is particularly relevant for studying the evolution of one of the main ports of the present-day Portuguese territory over the centuries, from Iron Age to the present, and its essential role as a navigation hub between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.

  

Goals

Contributing to the study of ships, navigation and port dynamics through the systematic analysis of several shipwreck and anchorage sites discovered in recent decades. Providing continuity to the previous project ‘Between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic: an approach to the underwater cultural heritage of the River Arade estuary’ the project aims at boosting an approach to archaeological sites and finds in greater depth and from a comprehensive and chronologically extended perspective. This will include the study the most expressive archaeological sites, but also the analysis of the materials originating from random finds, thus providing new insights into the history of this port and its maritime activity.

 

 

Team

 

 

 

Cristovão Fonseca    .    Coordinator
José António Bettencourt    .    Coordinator
Gonçalo Correia Lopes (CHAM)
Patrícia Carvalho (CHAM)

Tiago Silva (CHAM)

Inês Pinto Coelho (CHAM)

Andreia Machado (Museu de Portimão / CMP)

Nuno Silva (Museu de Portimão / CMP)

Vera Freitas (Museu de Portimão / CMP)