Downloadcartas/Images/19-D.Pdf ) Figure 3
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
heritage Article Was There a Pre-Roman Occupation in Coimbra, Portugal? The Contribution of Rua Fernandes Thomaz, 72–74 for Understanding Occupation of the Territory of Aeminium during the Transition from the Iron Age to the Roman Era Jorge Pinho 1,* and Susana Henriques 2 1 Independent Researcher, 2635-528 Sintra, Portugal 2 Independent Researcher, 2805-345 Almada, Portugal; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +351-968965821 Received: 28 November 2018; Accepted: 8 January 2019; Published: 14 January 2019 Abstract: Iron Age studies are scarce for the city of Coimbra, besides the findings from the Machado Castro Museum, and therefore this intervention has revealed an important heritage collection. The recovered artefacts, which can be associated with the indigenous world, reveal regional parallels with Conimbriga, the Aeminium Forum and Lomba do Canho. There is clear evidence of region-wide homogenisation of pottery morphologies, surface treatments and production processes. A structure dated from the period of the Roman emperor Augustus aligned with the steep natural geological profile, with unobstructed views over the Mondego river, was found in the interior of a medieval defensive wall, making it possible to deconstruct the chronological periods of the locale, which is consistent with an Iron Age occupation, since at least the second century B.C. More importantly, it is necessary to understand the spatial contextualisation of this archaeological site through morphological analysis of the pottery in a local and regional context and comprehend the chronological hiatus and settlement between the archaeological sites located in the estuary mouth, from other sites found upstream along the Mondego river. Keywords: Coimbra; pottery; Iron Age; Roman Era; Aeminium 1. Introduction Besides the occasional findings throughout the inner-walls of the city of Coimbra [1–6], few interventions have revealed such an important set of heritage items as that found in the Rua Fernandes Thomaz. The archaeological remains from the Rua Fernandes Thomaz, by virtue of their rarity and the oldest items uncovered, merit disclosure for further debate in the scientific community. For this reason, the results of this archaeological intervention intend to close a gap in the knowledge of Iron Age realities and the first contact with the Roman world, creating a base for future studies. In addition to the findings in the Machado de Castro Museum, namely the monumental cryptoportico that supported the Aeminium Forum, the Patio of the University of Coimbra and the Colégio da Trindade sites, few places in the city reveal signs of Roman occupation. In terms of pre-Roman presence, the signs are even rarer, only visible in the levels of destruction that were carried out in order to build the Aeminium Forum, namely the presence of a pre-Roman alignment, a possible dwelling expropriated by the Roman administration to build the administrative seat of the city [4] (first century A.D.). Already in the site of the Patio of the University, an intervention has identified Heritage 2019, 2, 184–206; doi:10.3390/heritage2010014 www.mdpi.com/journal/heritage Heritage 2019, 3 FOR PEER REVIEW 2 alignments of walls at the level of its foundations, which may well date back to pre-Roman Heritageoccupation,2019, 2 but already quite destroyed, and another set of alignments associated with a possible 185 thermal complex. In the Colégio da Trindade, a set of structures was found, associated to a Roman occupation similar to that found in the Patio of the University of Coimbra [5]. alignmentsRegarding of walls the at chronological the level of its contexts foundations, covered, which the maycity of well Coimbra date back has tofew pre-Roman material vestiges, occupation, butconsidering already quite that destroyed, during the and 1950s, another during set ofconstruction alignments of associated the university with city, a possible massive thermal earthworks complex. In thewere Col carriedégio da out, Trindade, altering a setthe ofphysiognomy structures was of found,the city associated and destroying to a Roman almost occupation all evidence similar of to thatchronological found in the occupation. Patio of the The University first reference of Coimbra to the existence [5]. of Aeminium appears in the Antonine Itinerary,Regarding that thesought chronological to identify contextsthe points covered, of passage the of city Roman of Coimbra roads on has the fewmap material of the current vestiges, consideringPortuguese that territory. during The the map, 1950s, published during construction at the beginning of the of universitythe third century city, massive A.D., located earthworks the city were carriedof Aeminium out, altering about the16 kilometres physiognomy north of of the Conímbriga city and. destroyingBoth Aeminium almost and allConímbriga evidence (Figure of chronological 1) were occupation.crossed by a The Roman first road, reference which linked to the Olisipo existence (the name of Aeminium given by theappears Romans in to the present-day Antonine Lisbon) Itinerary, to Bracara Augusta (present-day city of Braga) [7]. The ancient city expanded in the fifth century A.D., that sought to identify the points of passage of Roman roads on the map of the current Portuguese more precisely between the years 465 and 468, when the neighbouring town of Conimbriga was sacked territory. The map, published at the beginning of the third century A.D., located the city of Aeminium and destroyed by the Suevi, a group of Germanic peoples who dominated part of the Iberian about 16 kilometres north of Conímbriga. Both Aeminium and Conímbriga (Figure1) were crossed by a Peninsula between 409 and 585 A.D. Olisipo Bracara RomanBefore road, whichthe invasion linked of the Suevi,(the many name inhabitants given by theof Conímbriga Romans to settled present-day in Aeminium Lisbon), a city to that Augustapreviously(present-day functioned city as ofa civitas Braga) capital, [7]. The i.e., ancient the seat city of expandeda political-administrative in the fifth century division A.D., of the more preciselyconimbrense between territory. the years Due to 465 displacement and 468, when of the the previous neighbouring inhabitants town of of ConímbrigaConimbriga thewas number sacked of and destroyedinhabitants by theof Aeminium Suevi, a group increased, of Germanic leading peoplesto its growth who dominated and greater part prosperity. of the Iberian This growth Peninsula betweeneventually 409 andled to 585 Aeminium A.D. being renamed: in the sixth century it was renamed Coimbra. Figure 1. Location of Coimbra (Aeminium) and Conimbriga. (google Earth) Figure 1. Location of Coimbra (Aeminium) and Conimbriga. (google Earth). The data presented is the result of a combined study conducted by the two authors, collected duringBefore the the urban invasion requalification of the Suevi, works many which inhabitants uncovered of importantConímbriga archaeologicalsettled in Aeminium artefacts,, thereby a city that previouslyproviding functioned clearer evidence as a civitas of the capital,pre-Roman i.e., presence the seat in of this a political-administrative city, opening new discussions division in the of the conimbrensearchaeologicalterritory. community. Due to displacement of the previous inhabitants of Conímbriga the number of inhabitantsThis ofstudyAeminium discussesincreased, a pottery leading sample, to itsthe growth biggest and so far greater discovered prosperity. in the This city growthof Coimbra, eventually in ledconjunction to Aeminium withbeing the renamed:article published in the sixthfor the century diagnosis it was of the renamed archaeological Coimbra. dig conducted in this buildingThe data [6]. presented is the result of a combined study conducted by the two authors, collected during the urban requalification works which uncovered important archaeological artefacts, thereby 1.1. Methodological Basis providing clearer evidence of the pre-Roman presence in this city, opening new discussions in the archaeologicalAt the methodological community. level, the rare findings presented in this analysis are based on the intrinsic factorsThis of study the fragments discusses identified, a pottery i.e., sample, on the the characteristics biggest so farpresent discovered in the pulp, in the the city internal of Coimbra, and in conjunctionexternal surface with and the the article production published process. for the The diagnosis factors ofextrinsic the archaeological to the ceramics dig (location conducted in inthe this buildingexcavation [6]. area, stratigraphic provenance, and functionality) are also mentioned. The external features associated to the functionality of the items, in particular the edges, have been classified into 1.1.separate Methodological groups. Basis At the methodological level, the rare findings presented in this analysis are based on the intrinsic factors of the fragments identified, i.e., on the characteristics present in the pulp, the internal and external surface and the production process. The factors extrinsic to the ceramics (location in the excavation area, stratigraphic provenance, and functionality) are also mentioned. The external features associated to the functionality of the items, in particular the edges, have been classified into separate groups. Heritage 2019, 2 186 We analysed the internal and external surfaces in terms of their homogeneity and treatment. The homogeneity of the surfaces was subdivided into homogeneous and non-homogenous, and the treatment