FULL-Copper Age site at Castanheiro do Vento- Portugal
Dates: 27th June to 31st July 2010
Number of UK Participants: 8
Duration: 5 weeks
Surrounded by a diverse and significant number of archaeological sites, which notably includes the Palaeolithic open air engravings of the Côa River Valley UNESCO Heritage Site, is the site of Castanheiro do Vento (chestnut tree). Castanheiro do Vento has a complex stone architecture and was built from the Chalcolithic to the Bronze Age. This kind of architecture is, in particular, characteristic for the Iberian Peninsula and Southern France, and has been the object of investigations by several archaeological schools over a number of years.
 |
 |
By 1990, one group of Portuguese archaeologists from the University of Porto and the Cultural Association (ACDR) of Freixo de Numão reawakened interest in this matter by introducing different field methods and the manner in which data coming from the digs was interpreted. The problematic of the complex stone architecture dating from the third to second millennium BC, however, is far from conclusive in its interpretation. This group of archaeologists has entered into an ongoing dialogue with many other researchers around the world, comparing this regional investigation with European prehistoric architecture within an international network. Today Castanheiro do Vento is one of the most important sites in Iberia and throughout Western Europe for the study of this theme.
 |
 |
Placement for 2010
Grampus Heritage are pleased to continue working with the University of Porto and ACDR, in offering UK undergraduate students the chance to participate in the excavation at Castanheiro do Vento for the second year running. This placement is for the duration of five weeks. The Leonardo da Vinci funding available for these placements will cover travel (return travel from main UK airport), insurance, subsistence allowance (equal to three meals a day) and accommodation.
This is an open air excavation located on the top of a hill with easy access (the large area being studied is not protected from sun or rain, etc). On-site, there is a small tools shed which provides basic logistic support to the excavation. The excavation team will be accommodated at housing owned by ACDR in the village of Freixo de Numão and transported daily to and from the excavation site (approximately 20 minutes drive). Participants will also have the opportunity to work in post-excavation at the local museum of Freixo de Numão (Prehistoric section) in a rotation system. This will involve; washing, marking and storing recovered arefacts from the site under the management of Ângela Carneiro (the museum curator).
 |
 |
Daily Timetable
8am: Breakfast at Freixo
9am-13pm: Morning period of work
13pm-15pm: Lunch (hot meal served in Freixo)
15:30pm-18pm- Evening period of work
Please bring clothes for all kinds of weather, including rain; bag, camping bottle and solar protection cream; do not forget your sleeping bag.
 |
NOTE: Participants on all of our placements will now require a European Health Insurance CARD (EHIC). CLICK HERE to visit the external website and apply for your EHIC online. |
|
Settlement Period |
|
Copper Age |
|
Stone Age |
|
Bronze-Age |
|
Roman Thermae & Thracian Cult Complex |
|
Germany
Medieval |
|
|
|
Etruscan
|
|
Medieval Fortress
|
|
Early Christian Basilica
|