História, Arqueologia e Património | Artigos em revistas nacionais / Papers in national journals
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- As primeiras ferramentas produzidas no território português há mais de um milhão de anosPublication . Cardoso, João LuisThe issue of pre-Acheulean archaic industries, or, to use more rigorous terminology, the Oldowan (name derived from the Oldowan Gorge in Tanzania), has a long history in Portuguese territory, with some of the findings made so far being somewhat uncertain, given the lack of radiometric dating of the respective sediments and of coeval fauna, which could contribute to establishing the chronology of the geological formations in question, which have not been preserved due to the geochemical nature of the terrain. The following paragraphs will present a summary of the knowledge, identifying the main sites and associated artefacts, which constitute relevant elements for the critical analysis of the issue, based on the available observational data.
- Os Neandertais e a emergência dos humanos anatomicamente modernos no território portuguêsPublication . Cascalheira, João; Cardoso, João LuisThe Neanderthal presence in Portugal is well documented, with anthropological remains in several karst caves. Their presence extends from around 200,000 to around 40,000 years ago. For a long time, it was considered that anatomically modern humans would only have reached the center and south of the Peninsula around 34,000 years ago. This absence was explained by the difficulty of adapting to local conditions and by the still active presence of Neanderthals. Thus, the less accessible territories would have functioned as the last strongholds of these populations. Portugal, Mediterranean Spain, Greece and Italy frequently appear as examples of this trend. In the specific case of the Iberian Peninsula, the model called the “Ebro frontier” has been proposed by some researchers as a biogeographic line located in the Ebro valley that would have separated the two human populations for millennia. However, this model has been the target of increasing opposition. Problems with radiocarbon dating and divergences in the results obtained for the various sites that supported the model have recently raised doubts about the validity of this division. However, this vision of stable territories exclusively inhabited by Neanderthals until the late arrival of modern humans has recently been challenged. One of the most significant pieces of evidence comes from Lapa do Picareiro, in central Portugal. Excavations at this site have revealed lithic assemblages attributed to the Early Aurignacian, associated with anatomically modern humans, directly dated to between approximately 41,100 and 38,100 calibrated years before present (cal BP). These results, obtained through high-resolution dating techniques, represent some of the strongest evidence for the early presence of modern humans in central Portugal. What makes Picareiro especially important is not only its chronology but also its geographic and cultural context. Located south of the proposed “Ebro Frontier,” the site challenges the idea of a long-standing geographic separation between Neanderthals and modern humans on the Iberian Peninsula. Additionally, Aurignacian occupations at Bajondillo (Andalusia), with even earlier dates, reinforce this scenario of a rapid and early dispersal of our species across southwestern Europe. Although these interpretations have faced criticism, particularly regarding the stratigraphic associations between materials and dates, the growing body of recent data points to a more complex mosaic of transitions. This suggests that the replacement of Neanderthals by modern humans was not a sudden or geographically linear process, but rather one marked by chronological overlaps, intermittent occupations, and different ecological adaptation strategies. Thus, the archaeological record from Lapa do Picareiro is currently a key piece in the debate on the emergence of anatomically modern humans in Portugal. It not only provides one of the earliest chronologies for their presence south of the Ebro but also integrates Portugal into a broader narrative of mobility, cultural diversity, and demographic complexity during the initial phases of the Upper Paleolithic in Europe.
- Os primeiros metalurgistas no sul peninsularPublication . Soares, António; Cardoso, João LuisCopper was the first metal to be intentionally obtained, with the first manifestations of its metallurgy appearing in the archaeological record in contexts of the Portuguese territory dating back to the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC. On the other hand, taking into account the sets of artefacts and contexts associated with these remains, it becomes possible to determine the function and use of copper. It is thus possible to infer and/or interpret, on solid grounds, the impact of metallurgy on the development of human communities, since the earliest times of the emergence and use of the metal.
- A arqueologia no Museu Geológico do LNEG – LisboaPublication . Cardoso, João LuisThe archaeological activity of the current National Energy and Geology Laboratory (LNEG), the legitimate heir to a long and prestigious scientific tradition, dates back to 1857, the year in which the 2nd Geological Commission of Portugal was founded. From the very beginning, it took on the research of one of the most controversial issues that filled the debates of scientific societies throughout the second half of the 19th century: the demonstration of the antiquity of the human species, which was then one of the main concerns of Western science. Today, in addition to the explanatory news of the Geological Map of Portugal at a scale of 1/50,000, where archaeology continues to be represented, the Institution's activity in the field of Archaeology continues to be relevant, supporting the research work carried out at the Museum, which continues to be highly sought after by national and foreign specialists, as well as by students at various levels of education and the general public.
- Túmulos para os mortos: grutas naturais, grutas artificiais, monumentos megalíticos e de falsa cúpulaPublication . Cardoso, João LuisThe different ways of burying the dead documented in Portuguese territory are characterized, from the Early Neolithic to the end of the Chalcolithic, both in individual graves and in collective necropolises, using different sepulchral constructions: natural caves, artificial caves, dolmens and false vault graves (tholoi), revealing different traditions and cultural influences.
- A presença do biface em território português. O faz-tudo, ou a generalização mundial de uma ferramenta há mais de 700 000 anosPublication . Bicho, Nuno; Cardoso, João LuisThe ability to teach, learn and innovate was what allowed humans to become the dominant species on the planet and the biface was, together with fire, one of the main elements in the discovery and technical innovation that allowed the evolution of humanity at the beginning of our history.
- «Estradas que caminham»: o Rio Tejo, palco de encontros no ano mil antes de CristoPublication . Vilaça, Raquel; Cardoso, João LuisFrom the border, when it enters Portuguese territory, to the estuary area, the Tagus is approximately 230 km long. Upstream, in its international stretch, it is a river that runs narrowly and embedded in the plateaus of the Hesperic Massif, while downstream, after the mouth of the Zêzere, it becomes a plain river, entering the Cenozoic Basin and ending in a wide inland estuary near Lisbon. For the period in question, between the 13th and 9th centuries BC, the characteristics of the river were different: the ancient Tagus estuary was wider and deeper, as a result of less silting, which began in Mesolithic times and has not stopped until today. The communities, fully hierarchical and through their elites, established contacts, traveled, produced and exchanged goods of various natures, which circulated between sometimes very distant regions. It is in this particular case that it makes perfect sense to look at the river as a true “road that walks”.
- Exposições de arqueologia da Fábrica da Pólvora de Barcarena. Centro de Estudos Arqueológicos do Concelho de Oeiras/Câmara Municipal de OeirasPublication . Cardoso, João LuisThe archaeological exhibitions open to the public at the Barcarena Gunpowder Factory, managed by the Oeiras Municipality Archaeological Studies Centre/Oeiras Municipal Council (CEACO/CMO), illustrate the past of human occupation of the current territory of Oeiras, based on material remains recovered from excavations carried out under the auspices of CEACO.
- As sociedades complexas do 3.º milénio a.C. e a questão campaniformePublication . Cardoso, João LuisIn the 150 years following the collection of the first fragments of bell-beaker ceramics in Portuguese territory, few studies were presented on these manifestations, with emphasis on those produced by Octávio da Veiga Ferreira (1966) and Richard J. Harrison (1977). The Author also produced several studies on this subject, which became increasingly complex as the data accumulated, This short essay corresponds to an updated synthesis on this very discussed topic, which is of interest to the entire European continent.
- Castelos pré-históricos no Baixo Tejo e no Litoral Atlântico: consequências da intensificação económica e da competição social do 3.º milénio a.C.Publication . Cardoso, João LuisIn Estremadura, there are three major Chalcolithic fortified settlements, which are also those that have been studied for the longest time. Although they adopted common architectural solutions, they evolved independently, starting with the need to adapt to the natural geomorphological conditions prevailing in each case. Leceia, Zambujal and Vila Nova de São Pedro are clear examples of how, in Lower Estremadura, during the Chalcolithic, the traditional concepts of “fortification”, “interaction” and “economic intensification” were strongly interdependent: although there could be interaction and economic intensification without fortification, the reverse does not seem possible for the period and region in question, as clearly is provd by the archaeological evidence.