Hamlet 1

Category: Archaeology > Farmstead

District: Beja > Ourique > Alcaria de Fernão Vaz

Location

Alcaria 1 is located in the village of Alcaria de Fernão Vaz, in the municipality of Ourique, right in the heart of Alentejo. This archaeological site is set within a landscape that invites contemplation, characteristic of the vast Alentejo plains. Its position, away from urban hustle and bustle, allows for a more tranquil experience, focused on the quietness and the ancestral history that surrounds it.

Bronze Age Remains

This archaeological site dates back to the Bronze Age, specifically the second millennium BC. Alcaria 1 is a testament to human presence and their funerary, and possibly daily, practices in this region about four millennia ago. Its importance lies in the window it opens onto the understanding of the communities that inhabited the south of the Iberian Peninsula during this period.

The Archaeological Zones

The site is composed of two distinct areas, designated as A and B, which, although close, reveal different facets of life in the Bronze Age.

Area A corresponds to a necropolis. The central element is an individual circular funerary monument, about six meters in diameter, which served as a nucleus for the construction of other smaller funerary structures, built adjacent to the main one over time. This arrangement suggests an evolution in the community's burial practices.

Area B, on the other hand, presents the remains of a rectangular construction, built of schist. Its state of preservation is limited, which hinders a definitive functional classification. However, archaeologists consider the possibility that it was a settlement area, as habitation zones and necropolises could coexist in proximity during the Bronze Age of the Southwest. Another hypothesis is that it was a place of worship, linked to the funerary practices observed in the neighboring necropolis of Alcaria 1A.

A Glimpse into Ancient Communities

Visiting Alcaria 1 offers the opportunity to connect directly with the most ancient history of Alentejo. The present remains, though discreet, allow one to imagine the lives, beliefs, and rituals of the populations who lived and buried their dead here. It is a place that invites careful observation and respect for heritage, contributing to its preservation.

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