Category: Nature > Reserva natural
District: Vila Real > Mondim de Basto > Campos > Seixos Brancos
The Castro do Crastoeiro is situated on a small hill in the locality of Campos, municipality of Mondim de Basto, at an altitude of 453 meters. Its position offers unobstructed views over the valley of the Campos stream, an affluent of the Tâmega River. It is located on the southwest slope of Monte Farinha, close to the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Graça. This strategic location not only provided it with a visual command over the surroundings but also offers a broad perspective of the natural landscape today.
The history of Crastoeiro dates back to a distant past, with evidence of occupation extending to the 3rd millennium BC. From this early period, notable granite outcrops stand out, serving as supports for abstract engravings, created by ancient communities through pecking and abrasion techniques. The presence of pottery fragments attributable to the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age suggests that this site may have had a special significance, perhaps ritualistic or as a "sanctuary," long before it became a fortified settlement.
It was from the 4th century BC that Crastoeiro was established as a permanently inhabited settlement. Initially, the constructions were more rudimentary, with huts built from perishable materials, where traces of clay that consolidated the walls and well-compacted clay floors are noticeable. The discovery of pits dug into the ground suggests cereal storage practices. Over time, the dwellings evolved into more durable solutions, built of stone, while maintaining some primitive construction models. The site is protected by a complex defensive system, composed of two robust stone wall circuits, with an oval plan adapted to the topography of the terrain, and a ditch carved into the granite in the most vulnerable area. Inside the settlement, housing clusters with structures of various shapes are visible, including circular, quadrangular, and rectangular constructions.
One of the most fascinating elements of the Castro do Crastoeiro is the presence of more than fifty rocks with rock carvings. These artistic records, mostly geometric in theme, were made on granite outcrops, dating, for the most part, to the Late Bronze Age, a period preceding the construction of the fortified settlement itself. They constitute an authentic open-air gallery, offering a window into the art and beliefs of the communities that inhabited this region thousands of years ago.
The Castro do Crastoeiro was likely abandoned around the mid-1st century AD, during the Romanization period, although there are indications of brief reoccupation in the Middle Ages. Currently, this important archaeological site has been classified as a Site of Public Interest, a recognition that highlights its high historical and scientific value. It represents a significant testimony of the ways of land occupation and proto-historic cultures, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the long chronology of human presence in this landscape.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.414701958333, -7.9294571305556
Coordinates DMS: 41°24'52.9"N 07°55'46.0"W
On-duty Pharmacy Campos
