Fernão Vaz

Category: Archaeology > Noria

District: Beja > Ourique > Marchicão

Location

In the serene Alentejo landscape, located in the village of Marchicão, in the municipality of Ourique, lies the archaeological complex of Fernão Vaz. This site is spread across small elevations, offering a perspective on the natural surroundings of the Mira River. Its slightly elevated position above the terrain invites a peaceful visit, framed by the region's rural atmosphere.

The Ancestral Settlement

Fernão Vaz reveals the vestiges of a settlement that witnessed different eras of human history. Excavations carried out have identified two distinct phases of occupation. The first dates back to the Iron Age, between the 8th and 4th centuries BC, a period when a large-scale construction was erected, organized into various compartments, including a courtyard and areas designated for storage. Although the designation "settlement" suggests a village, archaeological evidence points to a structure likely of a single-family nature.

Later, between the 11th and 13th centuries, during the Middle Ages and the Islamic period, the site was inhabited again. In this phase, a smaller residential unit was established, utilizing as foundations part of the Iron Age structures that were still preserved. This superposition of occupations highlights the continuous relevance of the site over the millennia.

The Megalithic Monument

In addition to the settlement, the Fernão Vaz complex also includes a notable funerary monument dating back to the Full Neolithic, approximately the 4th millennium BC. This anta, or dolmen, was conceived as a collective sepulchre for an ancestral community. It is characterized by a small rectangular chamber, lacking a corridor, whose entrance is marked by two upright stones serving as jambs.

Around this structure, it is still possible to observe the remains of a mamoa, an artificial semi-spherical mound composed of earth and small schist stones. The presence of schist in the local geology influenced the size of the monoliths used in the construction, resulting in a monument of smaller scale compared to other megaliths in the Alentejo, but equally significant for its archaeological and symbolic value.

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