Janarde's Conheiros

Category: Archaeology > Traditional Mining

District: Aveiro > Arouca > Janarde

Location

The Conheiros de Janarde are observed on the right bank of the Paiva River, within the landscape surrounding the village of Janarde, in the municipality of Arouca. Their position makes them visible from higher elevations in the surrounding area, offering a broad perspective of this unique location.

An Ancient Legacy: The Search for Gold

This site bears witness to an ancient mining activity, believed to have begun in the Roman era. At that time, the region's population was dedicated to the search for alluvial gold, a mineral carried by the current and accumulated in natural deposits along the banks and meanders of the Paiva River. The process consisted of washing river sediments, gravel, pebbles, and sand, to separate the precious metal.

A Landscape Shaped by History

What is observed at Conheiros are mounds of rolled stones and pebbles. These accumulations are not natural formations but rather the residues of the intense washing and separation process of materials carried out to extract gold. Each pile of stones is a visible testament to the ancient open-pit mining practiced on the banks of the Paiva, revealing how human hands have shaped this landscape over the centuries.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt