Rocha da Mina archaeological project

Location: MG7F+4M Bencatel, Portugal

Season: July 21, 2024 to August 10, 2024

Application Deadline: June 1, 2024

Deadline Type: Rolling

Website: https://rochadaminaproject.weebly.com/

Program Type:
Field School

RPA Certified:
No

Project Director:
Rui Mataloto

Project Description:

Rocha da Mina’s archaeological site is located in the Municipality of Alandroal, in the Alentejo region, Portugal. The site was firstly identified in the early 90’s, on a prominent rock outcrop, in a river meander., and was thought to be some sort of a late Iron Age sanctuary.

Ongoing excavations since 2010, by Rui Mataloto and Conceição Roque, have been revealing a few houses and streets, in what appears to be a complex use and reuse of the structures, have helped to understand the urban planning and architecture of the site, which shows Roman influences, on an essentially indigenous basis.

Further work aims to deepen the analysis of the nature and origin of the site, taking into account the possibility that it was structured around an indigenous sanctuary, of Celtic origin.

Ceramic assemblages constitute the best way to get to understand the dinamics of the site. Even though local ceramics constitute a big percentage of the finds in Rocha da Mina, the presence of imports such as Campanian ware, Thin-walled ware, few Italic Terra Sigillata, Baetican and Lusitanian amphorae.

Through these ceramics, it is also possible to narrow down a time span for the usage of the site. Until now, it appears that the earliest presence in the site was around the 50’s and its abandonment around 20’s BCE.

Period(s) of Occupation: Late Iron Age / Roman Conquest

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Age: 18

Room and Board Arrangements:
Students will be housed together in the town of Redondo, near the site. Due to space considerations, most rooms will be shared by two or three students. Rooms will be separated by gender. Outside of individual rooms, the rest of the house is communal: kitchen, bathroom, living room etc. As a result, students will be responsible for cleaning and keeping the house tidy. Students will be responsible for doing their own laundry (we have a washing machine). Students have access to the local community pool, so dont forget you swimsuits. Meals: The project provides 3 meals a day on weekdays. Breakfast will be eaten at the dig house and students are expected to prepare this meal themselves (cereal, yoghurts, toast, etc.). We will eat lunch at a local restaurant in town. For dinner, we will have food delivered from a local restaurant and eat in the dig house. On weekends, students will be responsible for their own meals (there are a number of restaurants and grocery stores in town). Students should expect to eat the local Alentejan cuisine. The project will do its best to accommodate dietary requirements, but students must inform us of any dietary requirements or allergies in their forms. We are able to accommodate vegetarian diets, but any other diets must be discussed before the start of the project. Tuition for 3 weeks: €1,200 You can read more on the website. https://rochadaminaproject.weebly.com/room-and-board.html