Little Palm

Category: Archaeology > Settlement

District: Setúbal > Sines > Sines > Palmeirinha

Location

The site of Palmeirinha is located in the municipality of Sines, in the area known by the same name. It is situated at the foot of the southeast slope of Chãos de Sines, at an altitude ranging between 38 and 41 meters. This flat and sandy area is located approximately 1200 meters from the coastline, a proximity that would have been relevant for the communities that settled here in the past.

Traces of Ancient Occupation

Palmeirinha is an archaeological site that holds important testimonies of human presence in Sines since ancient times. Excavations revealed two distinct occupation layers, corresponding to different prehistoric periods: the Middle Neolithic and the Bronze Age. The older Neolithic layer shows well-preserved structures of an ancient habitat, while the Bronze Age layer, being more superficial, was more affected by later interventions on the terrain.

Neolithic Daily Life

The most significant remains at Palmeirinha date back to the Middle Neolithic, a period between the late 5th and mid-4th millennium BCE. Some of the best-preserved habitation structures from this period are visible on site: the combustion structures, also known as "stone-lined" hearths. These hearths, oval or sub-circular in shape, are composed of a layer of thermoclastic stones and have been protected, in situ, by an acrylic structure allowing their observation. This prehistoric community practiced agriculture, as suggested by certain stone tools with traces of use on cereals, and livestock farming. They supplemented their subsistence with hunting and, given the proximity to the coast, with the exploitation of marine resources. Although the Neolithic occupation was short-lived, the findings indicate a relatively stable type of habitat.

Tools and Pottery

The collection found at Palmeirinha, currently integrated into the Sines Museum's collection, includes a wide range of artifacts that reveal the practices and contacts of these ancient populations. Flaked stone tools predominate, with a wide variety of shapes and functions, from scrapers to burins and even geometric pieces suggesting hunting activities. The study of these tools indicates intensive use and exhaustive utilization of raw materials.

The provenance of the stones used is particularly interesting: although some were local, most were imported, with flint and siliceous rocks of different hues arriving from distant regions such as the Santiago do Cacém basin or even the Algarve. The presence of a type of rock, amphibolite, non-existent in the region, suggests the existence of contact and exchange networks in Prehistory. Furthermore, polished stone tools, such as axes and adzes, and numerous fragments of domestic pottery, including bowls and vessels with specific decorations, were discovered, contributing to the knowledge of the daily practices and material culture of these ancestral communities.

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