Reflexão sobre a prática da Arqueologia comunitária a partir de uma experiência de arqueologia de... more Reflexão sobre a prática da Arqueologia comunitária a partir de uma experiência de arqueologia de campo realizada com os habitantes do Bairro 2.º Torrão, na Trafaria (Almada), caracterizado pela diversidade cultural e identitária e marcado pela discriminação estrutural. Para os autores, a Arqueologia comunitária é uma Arqueologia onde as comunidades possam fazer-se ouvir com a sua própria voz, onde o “poder” relativo à intervenção arqueológica é horizontal em todas as suas componentes, da escolha das perguntas a responder à interpretação dos resultados, à avaliação da sua pertinência e à publicação.
STAR: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH, 2024
This article presents a novel approach to classifying archaeological artefacts using machine lear... more This article presents a novel approach to classifying archaeological artefacts using machine learning, specifically deep learning, rather than relying on traditional, time-consuming human-based methods. By employing Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), this approach aims to expedite and enhance the identification process, making it more accessible to a wider audience. The study focuses on two types of artefacts-Roman Lusitanian amphorae (2nd-5th centuries) and Portuguese faience (16th-18th centuries)-chosen for their diversity. While Lusitanian amphorae lack decoration, Portuguese faience poses challenges with subtle colour variations. The study demonstrates the potential of this approach to overcome these hurdles. The paper outlines the methodology, dataset creation, and model training, emphasizing the importance of extensive data and computational resources. The ultimate objective of this research is to develop a mobile application that utilizes image classification techniques to accurately classify ceramic sherds and bring about a significant transformation in archaeological classification.
In 1781 a book discussing the relationship between cats and dogs was published in Lisbon. Among t... more In 1781 a book discussing the relationship between cats and dogs was published in Lisbon. Among the illustrations, there is a representation of a palace, more precisely, the Marquess of Ponte de Lima palace in Mafra, Portugal. This illustration reveals how this space was lived and felt not only by the observer but also by all the human and non-human agents that circulated and existed in this space. The palace still exists, it is a public building, and 241 years later, we, as archaeologists, visited the palace. We observed its architecture, touched its walls, and heard how sound would propagate, trying to use our senses to feel the space. After the visit, we sat down and discussed how we perceived the place. We then returned to the late 18th-century representation and debated how visual stimulation can provoke a sensorial experience of a place we never smelled or listened to. This paper aims to debate whether we can use past representations of still-existing spaces to understand how different agents effectively reacted to different environments and how those representations influenced the way we engage with such spaces.
Estudo arqueológico “em tempo real” dedicado à “paisagem efémera” criada pelo lixo contemporâneo,... more Estudo arqueológico “em tempo real” dedicado à “paisagem efémera” criada pelo lixo contemporâneo, com particular atenção ao impacto do plástico produzido especificamente para eventos religiosos católicos. O trabalho de campo, realizado em 2022 e 2023, incidiu sobre a procissão das velas, em Fátima, onde se estima que todos os anos sejam usadas e descartadas cerca de quatro toneladas de plástico. O autor reflete sobre as questões teórico-metodológicas que este tipo de estudos levanta e alerta para as preocupações ambientais e ecológicas que devem estar presentes na sociedade e na comunidade científica dos nossos dias.
“Real time” archaeological study dedicated to the ephemeral landscape created by contemporary waste, in particular, the impact of plastic produced specifically for Catholic festivities. The field work carried out in 2022 and 2023 focussed on candle processions in Fátima, where circa four tons of plastic are believed to be used and discarded every year. The author reflects on the theoretical and methodological issues that this type of study raises and alerts to environmental and ecological concerns that should be present in today’s society and among the scientific community.
Arqueologia em Portugal - 2023 - Estado da Questão, 2023
O presente trabalho tem como objectivo principal desenvolver o conhecimento sobre os pesos de tea... more O presente trabalho tem como objectivo principal desenvolver o conhecimento sobre os pesos de tear exumados nas intervenções arqueológicas no sítio das Almoínhas, intervencionado pelo Museu Municipal de Loures (1995-2002) e pela empresa ERA-Arqueologia (2005/2006). Sito no actual concelho de Loures, tem uma ocupação comprovada entre o início do século II e a primeira metade do século VI d.C.. Trata-se de um sítio com uma arquitectura complexa, de diferentes funcionalidades, nomeadamente através de um edifício habitacional, um edifício associado a possíveis trabalhos produtivos, uma área de lixeira, uma área necropolar, parcialmente escavada e estudada, e três fornos de produção cerâmica, com os quais parte do espólio em análise poderá estar relacionado (acumulações de materiais junto a estas estruturas). Sobre o sítio de Almoínhas já se encontram estudados os conjuntos de cerâmicas finas e ânforas, os quais, aliados a uma remontagem estratigráfica, permitem que actualmente exista uma crono-estratigrafia da ocupação já bastante bem delineada. Tendo em consideração os dados crono-estratigráficos do sítio, analisar-se-á este conjunto de pesos de tear, constituído por algumas dezenas de exemplares, que se apresenta como inovador para o conhecimento do ager de Olisipo, pelo seu conjunto de decorações e grafitos, temática praticamente desconhecida na bibliografia sobre a região.
Journal of Computer Applications in Archaeology, 2024
This paper aims to study one of Lisbon's 19 th-century cemeteries, Ajuda, from a network theory p... more This paper aims to study one of Lisbon's 19 th-century cemeteries, Ajuda, from a network theory point of view, joining social organization and network theory from a movement and visibility perspective. We will study movement networks, bearing in mind when applying our method that cemeteries are organized as cities with streets and "houses" (tombs), and try to understand whether the location of these monuments took into consideration the places where people frequently passed. We will adapt the betweenness score to study movement since a cemetery is a closed space with mandatory entrances. We will optimize this idea of movement through visibility networks, considering the cemetery as a space where the existence or absence of visibility can increase or decrease attraction and consequently connectivity. In the mid-19th century, Lisbon suffered significant changes in the management of death. The many centuries-old traditions of burying people within and around churches were interrupted when a law was passed that forbade people from being buried anywhere except in public cemeteries. This led to the creation of three major cemeteries in different parts of the city, the final resting place of Lisbon's population, independently of their wealth or social status. Our analysis will demonstrate and debate how these new places partially reflected the city's social organization and how the evolution of burial monuments tended to reflect social and cultural practices.
As emoções são um dos aspectos mais difíceis de entender em Arqueologia. Dependendo da cronologia... more As emoções são um dos aspectos mais difíceis de entender em Arqueologia. Dependendo da cronologia ou do tipo de contexto que estudamos, esta questão pode tornar-se ainda mais complexa. Um desses exemplos é o das mulheres que trabalhavam na indústria, frequentemente secundarizadas e ignoradas. O presente artigo tem como objectivo tentar contrariar essa situação. Para tal, um diferente tipo de materialidades, menos convencional, será analisado. As fotografias-o nosso artefacto arqueológico-serão usadas para tentar descodificar as emoções dessas mulheres, frequentemente silenciadas pela sociedade em que viviam, e que permaneceram invisíveis na historiografia durante décadas. Por último pretendemos discutir o papel que nós, arqueólogos, devemos ter na construção de novas narrativas que dêem voz a estes agentes.
A definição wikipediana de Arqueologia como a ciência que estuda a cultura material e outras mate... more A definição wikipediana de Arqueologia como a ciência que estuda a cultura material e outras materialidades de diferentes cronologias, não estando incorrecta, é muito redutora. “Arqueologia é o que os arqueólogos fazem”, escreveu David Clarke em 1973. Mas o que o(a)s arqueólogo(a)s faziam então era consideravelmente menos do que fazem hoje. O conceito e os objectivos da Arqueologia expandiram-se. Os autores reflectem sobre o enquadramento legal que tem acompanhado esse processo com rigidez e evidentes limitações.
By the 17th century, Lisbon was a large and complex city—the capital of a large empire in which t... more By the 17th century, Lisbon was a large and complex city—the capital of a large empire in which thousands of people and goods originating from different places around the world circulated. Yet the city was still organized according to its medieval footprint, one consequence of which was numerous documented traffic problems. In 1686, King Pedro II decreed that places in Lisbon where the problems were most recurrent should be marked with signs establishing circulation rules. Consequently, 24 such signs were put up in different parts of the city, three of which still survive today, even after the destruction of the 1755 earthquake. Based on archaeological, historical, cartographic, and geographic information, this article aims to discuss how these signs are a reflection of medieval Lisbon’s circulatory patterns and how the narrow streets were not able to adequately support the circulation of large vehicles introduced in the 17th century. The combination of this information not only allows the recreation of Lisbon’s circulation patterns, but also parts of the city’s social and cultural landscape as well.
Spatial statistical analysis is almost absent from research on underwater archaeological contexts... more Spatial statistical analysis is almost absent from research on underwater archaeological contexts. However, the information obtained using this approach would allow the reconstruction of depositional dynamics and the exploration of distribution patterns related to the ships' on-board organization. This paper proposes a six-step methodology that will contribute to reducing the current gap in the use of spatial statistical analysis of shipwreck sites. This methodology will be tested in two distinct case studies, the Uluburun and the Tortugas wrecks, showing that the same protocol can be useful in the interpretation of different shipwrecks, in sites with a coherent distribution during their formation process. Using statistical tools, this methodology will strengthen context awareness, confirming, refuting, or adding new perspectives to previous interpretations. Finally, the way the framework was built will allow its replication in other sites.
By the early 15th century, Portugal was already an active agent in global contacts, establishing ... more By the early 15th century, Portugal was already an active agent in global contacts, establishing connections between several parts of Europe and the world. One of the main consequences of such contacts was the trade of several types of commodities, some more valuable than others, such as Chinese porcelain. These eastern wares shared their space with other European imports from places such as Spain, Italy, England, Germany, and the Low Countries. A large share of such high-styled ceramics was acquired by a wealthy group of people either living in palaces, convents, monasteries, or urban houses. However, such ceramics were also acquired by people with a lower economic status. Previous work developed by the authors discussed how the ratio of such objects when compared with all the consumed ceramics could be a sign of wealth and social inequality. Drawing from that, we aim to discuss if the places defined as wealthier distinguish themselves from other places just by the ratio calculation of vessels or if other aspects, such as quality and aesthetics, can help to recognise the wealth difference between places. If so, it would be helpful to use such an analysis in relational studies regarding status between two different places without the need for quantities or evidence that sometimes simply do not exist.
Wealth differentials in archaeological sites are a frequently studied topic, but social different... more Wealth differentials in archaeological sites are a frequently studied topic, but social differentiation approaches are rarely applied to different contexts within a wider territory, especially in Portugal. In this article, the authors discuss the differences in wealth and inequality through the consumption of tablewares from fifteen sites across Portugal dated from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries AD. The archaeological evidence derives from two types of contexts: secular (houses and dumps) and religious (female and male religious institutions). Using a statistical similarity method to compare different consumption patterns in each context, the authors discuss how this can help us understand wealth differences in distinct social environments.
The Muslim presence in the Iberian Peninsula has been closely associated with urban centres since... more The Muslim presence in the Iberian Peninsula has been closely associated with urban centres since the 8th century. Using an approach based on Network Theory, the purpose of this article is to understand and debate the influence that various cities exerted on each other through communication routes during the Islamic presence in the Gharb Al-Andalus – now in modern-day Portugal - and how this influence affected the growth of those cities. This study intends to use statistical analysis based on Network Theory and on its centrality measures in order to build a network of geographical relationships between the cities of the Gharb Al-Andalus. The study of these centrality measures indicates that mutation in the importance of such cities might result from their geographic location, but also by the influence that each city had over the nearest ones. The theory is by measuring the centrality value of a city at a certain moment, it would be possible to indicate the probability that the city would either grow or decline in the subsequent period. This influence on growth was surely due to political, military, religious or commercial contacts but, likewise, by the different ways cities were connected (terrestrial, fluvial and maritime).
Presentation of the project AmphoraeFinder, which aims to
make it easier for archaeologists to cl... more Presentation of the project AmphoraeFinder, which aims to make it easier for archaeologists to classify Roman amphorae by means of Artificial Intelligence, more precisely Neuronal Networks. Classification of images of specific shape fragments allows a first approach to the automatic identification of different productions of Lusitania. The authors describe the methodology and present the results, which show that the model that was built has a high ability to classify fragments of the Almagro 51C, Dressel 14 and Lusitana 3 shapes. The general 92% precision enables the promotion of its rapid expansion not only to other amphorae, but also to other ceramic types.
Video presentation at the Sensory Decay Symposium, an online forum from the ‘Sensing the Past’ Research Group (University of Amsterdam), organized by Pamela Jordan and Sara Mura. 2-3 November 2023, 2023
What is decay? A slow and almost organic decomposition of the world. But decay can also have an i... more What is decay? A slow and almost organic decomposition of the world. But decay can also have an identity, a personality, an ontology. Bearing that in mind, we will engage with a performative sensorial approach to the decay of industrial heritage, feeling it in and within the landscape of a once-industrial area. Raven’s End is a peninsula in Portugal, close to the Tagus River. This area has been used since the Roman times, in the 16th century for the location of tide mills and in the 20th century for the dry cod industry. All these activities left scars in the landscape and are still possible to visit today, materialized in the form of buildings, navigable canals, and small dams. One of those buildings belonged to the former factory Atlântida, where cod fished in the Atlantic Ocean was processed, dried, and salted. The industrial activities of this large industrial unit closed down in the mid-20th century, and the concrete building has never been occupied ever since, a giant colossus in the middle of a green, natural, protected area. When we visited this place for the first time, we saw a dying building surrounded by a decadent landscape. Later, we understood and learned it was so much more. The Atlântida factory still dominates the landscape, but it does not exist on its own. Instead, it maintains a relationship with the mills, the military base, the beach, the river, the swamp, and the community. We realized that there is a community engagement with this building as part of a path that has a direct relationship with becoming an adult, that artists use the factory to express feelings not welcome anywhere else, that lovers use it to express emotions (and much more), that animals use it as a shelter, and that dealers use it to hide their evidence. We also understood that although not being an active industrial unit anymore, the actions taking place inside transformed it into a hub of emotions and sensorial experiences. All these agents feel and engage with this decaying heritage differently and have different sensorial experiences in or with it, creating new layers of meaning. And we, archaeologists, highlight it to understand how different communities engage with the past and experience it.
MA dissertation at the University of Leicester, 2023
Archaeology has long overlooked the role of emotions in its research, particularly regarding lone... more Archaeology has long overlooked the role of emotions in its research, particularly regarding loneliness. This dissertation aims to challenge that bias and demonstrate how identifying and exploring such subjective feelings, in this case, loneliness, can provide invaluable insights into the human experience, helping to understand past societies and their social dynamics. This study intends to promote a debate to cover the gap in the archaeological study of loneliness and to be an important step towards a more holistic approach to archaeology that fully considers the emotional lives of our ancestors. Yet, being loneliness a non-consensual concept with possible different definitions that can change depending on the culture and chronology, discussing it from a theoretical perspective was fundamental before any methodological approach. It is precisely in this space that this dissertation exists, between theory and practice, between science and humanities. Feeling lonely is not about being alone, and being alone does not mean one feels lonely. This makes identifying loneliness in archaeological contexts very challenging since similar evidence might be generated from different emotional behaviours. To make its investigation even harder, loneliness is probably more than an emotion – it is a cluster of emotions: anger, grief, shame, and resentment, among others. How to distinguish, then, the behaviours produced by or originating from lonely people? To achieve this, following the previously mentioned theoretical proposal, three different lines of analysis were explored: One coming from structures that contributed to the negative feeling of loneliness, one coming from lonely or altered landscapes that would most likely contribute to the same negative feeling, and, finally, one coming from the social (or individual) strategies used to fight the loneliness feeling. These lines of analysis will be applied to three different case studies.
Reflexão sobre a prática da Arqueologia comunitária a partir de uma experiência de arqueologia de... more Reflexão sobre a prática da Arqueologia comunitária a partir de uma experiência de arqueologia de campo realizada com os habitantes do Bairro 2.º Torrão, na Trafaria (Almada), caracterizado pela diversidade cultural e identitária e marcado pela discriminação estrutural. Para os autores, a Arqueologia comunitária é uma Arqueologia onde as comunidades possam fazer-se ouvir com a sua própria voz, onde o “poder” relativo à intervenção arqueológica é horizontal em todas as suas componentes, da escolha das perguntas a responder à interpretação dos resultados, à avaliação da sua pertinência e à publicação.
STAR: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH, 2024
This article presents a novel approach to classifying archaeological artefacts using machine lear... more This article presents a novel approach to classifying archaeological artefacts using machine learning, specifically deep learning, rather than relying on traditional, time-consuming human-based methods. By employing Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), this approach aims to expedite and enhance the identification process, making it more accessible to a wider audience. The study focuses on two types of artefacts-Roman Lusitanian amphorae (2nd-5th centuries) and Portuguese faience (16th-18th centuries)-chosen for their diversity. While Lusitanian amphorae lack decoration, Portuguese faience poses challenges with subtle colour variations. The study demonstrates the potential of this approach to overcome these hurdles. The paper outlines the methodology, dataset creation, and model training, emphasizing the importance of extensive data and computational resources. The ultimate objective of this research is to develop a mobile application that utilizes image classification techniques to accurately classify ceramic sherds and bring about a significant transformation in archaeological classification.
In 1781 a book discussing the relationship between cats and dogs was published in Lisbon. Among t... more In 1781 a book discussing the relationship between cats and dogs was published in Lisbon. Among the illustrations, there is a representation of a palace, more precisely, the Marquess of Ponte de Lima palace in Mafra, Portugal. This illustration reveals how this space was lived and felt not only by the observer but also by all the human and non-human agents that circulated and existed in this space. The palace still exists, it is a public building, and 241 years later, we, as archaeologists, visited the palace. We observed its architecture, touched its walls, and heard how sound would propagate, trying to use our senses to feel the space. After the visit, we sat down and discussed how we perceived the place. We then returned to the late 18th-century representation and debated how visual stimulation can provoke a sensorial experience of a place we never smelled or listened to. This paper aims to debate whether we can use past representations of still-existing spaces to understand how different agents effectively reacted to different environments and how those representations influenced the way we engage with such spaces.
Estudo arqueológico “em tempo real” dedicado à “paisagem efémera” criada pelo lixo contemporâneo,... more Estudo arqueológico “em tempo real” dedicado à “paisagem efémera” criada pelo lixo contemporâneo, com particular atenção ao impacto do plástico produzido especificamente para eventos religiosos católicos. O trabalho de campo, realizado em 2022 e 2023, incidiu sobre a procissão das velas, em Fátima, onde se estima que todos os anos sejam usadas e descartadas cerca de quatro toneladas de plástico. O autor reflete sobre as questões teórico-metodológicas que este tipo de estudos levanta e alerta para as preocupações ambientais e ecológicas que devem estar presentes na sociedade e na comunidade científica dos nossos dias.
“Real time” archaeological study dedicated to the ephemeral landscape created by contemporary waste, in particular, the impact of plastic produced specifically for Catholic festivities. The field work carried out in 2022 and 2023 focussed on candle processions in Fátima, where circa four tons of plastic are believed to be used and discarded every year. The author reflects on the theoretical and methodological issues that this type of study raises and alerts to environmental and ecological concerns that should be present in today’s society and among the scientific community.
Arqueologia em Portugal - 2023 - Estado da Questão, 2023
O presente trabalho tem como objectivo principal desenvolver o conhecimento sobre os pesos de tea... more O presente trabalho tem como objectivo principal desenvolver o conhecimento sobre os pesos de tear exumados nas intervenções arqueológicas no sítio das Almoínhas, intervencionado pelo Museu Municipal de Loures (1995-2002) e pela empresa ERA-Arqueologia (2005/2006). Sito no actual concelho de Loures, tem uma ocupação comprovada entre o início do século II e a primeira metade do século VI d.C.. Trata-se de um sítio com uma arquitectura complexa, de diferentes funcionalidades, nomeadamente através de um edifício habitacional, um edifício associado a possíveis trabalhos produtivos, uma área de lixeira, uma área necropolar, parcialmente escavada e estudada, e três fornos de produção cerâmica, com os quais parte do espólio em análise poderá estar relacionado (acumulações de materiais junto a estas estruturas). Sobre o sítio de Almoínhas já se encontram estudados os conjuntos de cerâmicas finas e ânforas, os quais, aliados a uma remontagem estratigráfica, permitem que actualmente exista uma crono-estratigrafia da ocupação já bastante bem delineada. Tendo em consideração os dados crono-estratigráficos do sítio, analisar-se-á este conjunto de pesos de tear, constituído por algumas dezenas de exemplares, que se apresenta como inovador para o conhecimento do ager de Olisipo, pelo seu conjunto de decorações e grafitos, temática praticamente desconhecida na bibliografia sobre a região.
Journal of Computer Applications in Archaeology, 2024
This paper aims to study one of Lisbon's 19 th-century cemeteries, Ajuda, from a network theory p... more This paper aims to study one of Lisbon's 19 th-century cemeteries, Ajuda, from a network theory point of view, joining social organization and network theory from a movement and visibility perspective. We will study movement networks, bearing in mind when applying our method that cemeteries are organized as cities with streets and "houses" (tombs), and try to understand whether the location of these monuments took into consideration the places where people frequently passed. We will adapt the betweenness score to study movement since a cemetery is a closed space with mandatory entrances. We will optimize this idea of movement through visibility networks, considering the cemetery as a space where the existence or absence of visibility can increase or decrease attraction and consequently connectivity. In the mid-19th century, Lisbon suffered significant changes in the management of death. The many centuries-old traditions of burying people within and around churches were interrupted when a law was passed that forbade people from being buried anywhere except in public cemeteries. This led to the creation of three major cemeteries in different parts of the city, the final resting place of Lisbon's population, independently of their wealth or social status. Our analysis will demonstrate and debate how these new places partially reflected the city's social organization and how the evolution of burial monuments tended to reflect social and cultural practices.
As emoções são um dos aspectos mais difíceis de entender em Arqueologia. Dependendo da cronologia... more As emoções são um dos aspectos mais difíceis de entender em Arqueologia. Dependendo da cronologia ou do tipo de contexto que estudamos, esta questão pode tornar-se ainda mais complexa. Um desses exemplos é o das mulheres que trabalhavam na indústria, frequentemente secundarizadas e ignoradas. O presente artigo tem como objectivo tentar contrariar essa situação. Para tal, um diferente tipo de materialidades, menos convencional, será analisado. As fotografias-o nosso artefacto arqueológico-serão usadas para tentar descodificar as emoções dessas mulheres, frequentemente silenciadas pela sociedade em que viviam, e que permaneceram invisíveis na historiografia durante décadas. Por último pretendemos discutir o papel que nós, arqueólogos, devemos ter na construção de novas narrativas que dêem voz a estes agentes.
A definição wikipediana de Arqueologia como a ciência que estuda a cultura material e outras mate... more A definição wikipediana de Arqueologia como a ciência que estuda a cultura material e outras materialidades de diferentes cronologias, não estando incorrecta, é muito redutora. “Arqueologia é o que os arqueólogos fazem”, escreveu David Clarke em 1973. Mas o que o(a)s arqueólogo(a)s faziam então era consideravelmente menos do que fazem hoje. O conceito e os objectivos da Arqueologia expandiram-se. Os autores reflectem sobre o enquadramento legal que tem acompanhado esse processo com rigidez e evidentes limitações.
By the 17th century, Lisbon was a large and complex city—the capital of a large empire in which t... more By the 17th century, Lisbon was a large and complex city—the capital of a large empire in which thousands of people and goods originating from different places around the world circulated. Yet the city was still organized according to its medieval footprint, one consequence of which was numerous documented traffic problems. In 1686, King Pedro II decreed that places in Lisbon where the problems were most recurrent should be marked with signs establishing circulation rules. Consequently, 24 such signs were put up in different parts of the city, three of which still survive today, even after the destruction of the 1755 earthquake. Based on archaeological, historical, cartographic, and geographic information, this article aims to discuss how these signs are a reflection of medieval Lisbon’s circulatory patterns and how the narrow streets were not able to adequately support the circulation of large vehicles introduced in the 17th century. The combination of this information not only allows the recreation of Lisbon’s circulation patterns, but also parts of the city’s social and cultural landscape as well.
Spatial statistical analysis is almost absent from research on underwater archaeological contexts... more Spatial statistical analysis is almost absent from research on underwater archaeological contexts. However, the information obtained using this approach would allow the reconstruction of depositional dynamics and the exploration of distribution patterns related to the ships' on-board organization. This paper proposes a six-step methodology that will contribute to reducing the current gap in the use of spatial statistical analysis of shipwreck sites. This methodology will be tested in two distinct case studies, the Uluburun and the Tortugas wrecks, showing that the same protocol can be useful in the interpretation of different shipwrecks, in sites with a coherent distribution during their formation process. Using statistical tools, this methodology will strengthen context awareness, confirming, refuting, or adding new perspectives to previous interpretations. Finally, the way the framework was built will allow its replication in other sites.
By the early 15th century, Portugal was already an active agent in global contacts, establishing ... more By the early 15th century, Portugal was already an active agent in global contacts, establishing connections between several parts of Europe and the world. One of the main consequences of such contacts was the trade of several types of commodities, some more valuable than others, such as Chinese porcelain. These eastern wares shared their space with other European imports from places such as Spain, Italy, England, Germany, and the Low Countries. A large share of such high-styled ceramics was acquired by a wealthy group of people either living in palaces, convents, monasteries, or urban houses. However, such ceramics were also acquired by people with a lower economic status. Previous work developed by the authors discussed how the ratio of such objects when compared with all the consumed ceramics could be a sign of wealth and social inequality. Drawing from that, we aim to discuss if the places defined as wealthier distinguish themselves from other places just by the ratio calculation of vessels or if other aspects, such as quality and aesthetics, can help to recognise the wealth difference between places. If so, it would be helpful to use such an analysis in relational studies regarding status between two different places without the need for quantities or evidence that sometimes simply do not exist.
Wealth differentials in archaeological sites are a frequently studied topic, but social different... more Wealth differentials in archaeological sites are a frequently studied topic, but social differentiation approaches are rarely applied to different contexts within a wider territory, especially in Portugal. In this article, the authors discuss the differences in wealth and inequality through the consumption of tablewares from fifteen sites across Portugal dated from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries AD. The archaeological evidence derives from two types of contexts: secular (houses and dumps) and religious (female and male religious institutions). Using a statistical similarity method to compare different consumption patterns in each context, the authors discuss how this can help us understand wealth differences in distinct social environments.
The Muslim presence in the Iberian Peninsula has been closely associated with urban centres since... more The Muslim presence in the Iberian Peninsula has been closely associated with urban centres since the 8th century. Using an approach based on Network Theory, the purpose of this article is to understand and debate the influence that various cities exerted on each other through communication routes during the Islamic presence in the Gharb Al-Andalus – now in modern-day Portugal - and how this influence affected the growth of those cities. This study intends to use statistical analysis based on Network Theory and on its centrality measures in order to build a network of geographical relationships between the cities of the Gharb Al-Andalus. The study of these centrality measures indicates that mutation in the importance of such cities might result from their geographic location, but also by the influence that each city had over the nearest ones. The theory is by measuring the centrality value of a city at a certain moment, it would be possible to indicate the probability that the city would either grow or decline in the subsequent period. This influence on growth was surely due to political, military, religious or commercial contacts but, likewise, by the different ways cities were connected (terrestrial, fluvial and maritime).
Presentation of the project AmphoraeFinder, which aims to
make it easier for archaeologists to cl... more Presentation of the project AmphoraeFinder, which aims to make it easier for archaeologists to classify Roman amphorae by means of Artificial Intelligence, more precisely Neuronal Networks. Classification of images of specific shape fragments allows a first approach to the automatic identification of different productions of Lusitania. The authors describe the methodology and present the results, which show that the model that was built has a high ability to classify fragments of the Almagro 51C, Dressel 14 and Lusitana 3 shapes. The general 92% precision enables the promotion of its rapid expansion not only to other amphorae, but also to other ceramic types.
Video presentation at the Sensory Decay Symposium, an online forum from the ‘Sensing the Past’ Research Group (University of Amsterdam), organized by Pamela Jordan and Sara Mura. 2-3 November 2023, 2023
What is decay? A slow and almost organic decomposition of the world. But decay can also have an i... more What is decay? A slow and almost organic decomposition of the world. But decay can also have an identity, a personality, an ontology. Bearing that in mind, we will engage with a performative sensorial approach to the decay of industrial heritage, feeling it in and within the landscape of a once-industrial area. Raven’s End is a peninsula in Portugal, close to the Tagus River. This area has been used since the Roman times, in the 16th century for the location of tide mills and in the 20th century for the dry cod industry. All these activities left scars in the landscape and are still possible to visit today, materialized in the form of buildings, navigable canals, and small dams. One of those buildings belonged to the former factory Atlântida, where cod fished in the Atlantic Ocean was processed, dried, and salted. The industrial activities of this large industrial unit closed down in the mid-20th century, and the concrete building has never been occupied ever since, a giant colossus in the middle of a green, natural, protected area. When we visited this place for the first time, we saw a dying building surrounded by a decadent landscape. Later, we understood and learned it was so much more. The Atlântida factory still dominates the landscape, but it does not exist on its own. Instead, it maintains a relationship with the mills, the military base, the beach, the river, the swamp, and the community. We realized that there is a community engagement with this building as part of a path that has a direct relationship with becoming an adult, that artists use the factory to express feelings not welcome anywhere else, that lovers use it to express emotions (and much more), that animals use it as a shelter, and that dealers use it to hide their evidence. We also understood that although not being an active industrial unit anymore, the actions taking place inside transformed it into a hub of emotions and sensorial experiences. All these agents feel and engage with this decaying heritage differently and have different sensorial experiences in or with it, creating new layers of meaning. And we, archaeologists, highlight it to understand how different communities engage with the past and experience it.
MA dissertation at the University of Leicester, 2023
Archaeology has long overlooked the role of emotions in its research, particularly regarding lone... more Archaeology has long overlooked the role of emotions in its research, particularly regarding loneliness. This dissertation aims to challenge that bias and demonstrate how identifying and exploring such subjective feelings, in this case, loneliness, can provide invaluable insights into the human experience, helping to understand past societies and their social dynamics. This study intends to promote a debate to cover the gap in the archaeological study of loneliness and to be an important step towards a more holistic approach to archaeology that fully considers the emotional lives of our ancestors. Yet, being loneliness a non-consensual concept with possible different definitions that can change depending on the culture and chronology, discussing it from a theoretical perspective was fundamental before any methodological approach. It is precisely in this space that this dissertation exists, between theory and practice, between science and humanities. Feeling lonely is not about being alone, and being alone does not mean one feels lonely. This makes identifying loneliness in archaeological contexts very challenging since similar evidence might be generated from different emotional behaviours. To make its investigation even harder, loneliness is probably more than an emotion – it is a cluster of emotions: anger, grief, shame, and resentment, among others. How to distinguish, then, the behaviours produced by or originating from lonely people? To achieve this, following the previously mentioned theoretical proposal, three different lines of analysis were explored: One coming from structures that contributed to the negative feeling of loneliness, one coming from lonely or altered landscapes that would most likely contribute to the same negative feeling, and, finally, one coming from the social (or individual) strategies used to fight the loneliness feeling. These lines of analysis will be applied to three different case studies.
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Para os autores, a Arqueologia comunitária é uma Arqueologia onde as comunidades possam fazer-se ouvir com a sua própria voz, onde o “poder” relativo à intervenção arqueológica é horizontal em todas as suas componentes, da escolha das perguntas a responder à interpretação dos resultados, à avaliação da sua pertinência e à publicação.
descartadas cerca de quatro toneladas de plástico.
O autor reflete sobre as questões teórico-metodológicas que este tipo de estudos levanta e alerta para as preocupações ambientais e ecológicas que devem estar presentes na sociedade e na comunidade científica dos nossos dias.
“Real time” archaeological study dedicated to the ephemeral landscape created by contemporary waste, in particular, the impact of plastic produced specifically for Catholic festivities. The field work carried out in 2022 and 2023 focussed on candle processions in Fátima, where circa four tons of plastic are believed to be used and discarded every year.
The author reflects on the theoretical and methodological issues that this type of study raises and alerts to environmental and ecological concerns that should be present in today’s society and among the scientific community.
não estando incorrecta, é muito redutora. “Arqueologia é o que os arqueólogos fazem”, escreveu David Clarke em 1973. Mas o que o(a)s arqueólogo(a)s faziam então era consideravelmente menos do que fazem hoje. O conceito e os objectivos da Arqueologia expandiram-se. Os autores reflectem sobre o enquadramento legal que tem acompanhado esse processo com rigidez e evidentes limitações.
make it easier for archaeologists to classify Roman amphorae
by means of Artificial Intelligence, more precisely Neuronal
Networks. Classification of images of specific shape fragments
allows a first approach to the automatic identification of
different productions of Lusitania. The authors describe the
methodology and present the results, which show that the
model that was built has a high ability to classify fragments
of the Almagro 51C, Dressel 14 and Lusitana 3 shapes.
The general 92% precision enables the promotion of its
rapid expansion not only to other amphorae,
but also to other ceramic types.
KEY WORDS: Archaeology; Computer Science;
Methodology; Amphorae.
Raven’s End is a peninsula in Portugal, close to the Tagus River. This area has been used since the Roman times, in the 16th century for the location of tide mills and in the 20th century for the dry cod industry. All these activities left scars in the landscape and are still possible to visit today, materialized in the form of buildings, navigable canals, and small dams. One of those buildings belonged to the former factory Atlântida, where cod fished in the Atlantic Ocean was processed, dried, and salted. The industrial activities of this large industrial unit closed down in the mid-20th century, and the concrete building has never been occupied ever since, a giant colossus in the middle of a green, natural, protected area. When we visited this place for the first time, we saw a dying building surrounded by a decadent landscape. Later, we understood and learned it was so much more. The Atlântida factory still dominates the landscape, but it does not exist on its own. Instead, it maintains a relationship with the mills, the military base, the beach, the river, the swamp, and the community. We realized that there is a community engagement with this building as part of a path that has a direct relationship with becoming an adult, that artists use the factory to express feelings not welcome anywhere else, that lovers use it to express emotions (and much more), that animals use it as a shelter, and that dealers use it to hide their evidence. We also understood that although not being an active industrial unit anymore, the actions taking place inside transformed it into a hub of emotions and sensorial experiences. All these agents feel and engage with this decaying heritage differently and have different sensorial experiences in or with it, creating new layers of meaning. And we, archaeologists, highlight it to understand how different communities engage with the past and experience it.
Yet, being loneliness a non-consensual concept with possible different definitions that can change depending on the culture and chronology, discussing it from a theoretical perspective was fundamental before any methodological approach. It is precisely in this space that this dissertation exists, between theory and practice, between science and humanities. Feeling lonely is not about being alone, and being alone does not mean one feels lonely.
This makes identifying loneliness in archaeological contexts very challenging since similar evidence might be generated from different emotional behaviours. To make its investigation even harder, loneliness is probably more than an emotion – it is a cluster of emotions: anger, grief, shame, and resentment, among others. How to distinguish, then, the behaviours produced by or originating from lonely people? To achieve this, following the previously mentioned theoretical proposal, three different lines of analysis were explored: One coming from structures that contributed to the negative feeling of loneliness, one coming from lonely or altered landscapes that would most likely contribute to the same negative feeling, and, finally, one coming from the social (or individual) strategies used to fight the loneliness feeling. These lines of analysis will be applied to three different case studies.
Para os autores, a Arqueologia comunitária é uma Arqueologia onde as comunidades possam fazer-se ouvir com a sua própria voz, onde o “poder” relativo à intervenção arqueológica é horizontal em todas as suas componentes, da escolha das perguntas a responder à interpretação dos resultados, à avaliação da sua pertinência e à publicação.
descartadas cerca de quatro toneladas de plástico.
O autor reflete sobre as questões teórico-metodológicas que este tipo de estudos levanta e alerta para as preocupações ambientais e ecológicas que devem estar presentes na sociedade e na comunidade científica dos nossos dias.
“Real time” archaeological study dedicated to the ephemeral landscape created by contemporary waste, in particular, the impact of plastic produced specifically for Catholic festivities. The field work carried out in 2022 and 2023 focussed on candle processions in Fátima, where circa four tons of plastic are believed to be used and discarded every year.
The author reflects on the theoretical and methodological issues that this type of study raises and alerts to environmental and ecological concerns that should be present in today’s society and among the scientific community.
não estando incorrecta, é muito redutora. “Arqueologia é o que os arqueólogos fazem”, escreveu David Clarke em 1973. Mas o que o(a)s arqueólogo(a)s faziam então era consideravelmente menos do que fazem hoje. O conceito e os objectivos da Arqueologia expandiram-se. Os autores reflectem sobre o enquadramento legal que tem acompanhado esse processo com rigidez e evidentes limitações.
make it easier for archaeologists to classify Roman amphorae
by means of Artificial Intelligence, more precisely Neuronal
Networks. Classification of images of specific shape fragments
allows a first approach to the automatic identification of
different productions of Lusitania. The authors describe the
methodology and present the results, which show that the
model that was built has a high ability to classify fragments
of the Almagro 51C, Dressel 14 and Lusitana 3 shapes.
The general 92% precision enables the promotion of its
rapid expansion not only to other amphorae,
but also to other ceramic types.
KEY WORDS: Archaeology; Computer Science;
Methodology; Amphorae.
Raven’s End is a peninsula in Portugal, close to the Tagus River. This area has been used since the Roman times, in the 16th century for the location of tide mills and in the 20th century for the dry cod industry. All these activities left scars in the landscape and are still possible to visit today, materialized in the form of buildings, navigable canals, and small dams. One of those buildings belonged to the former factory Atlântida, where cod fished in the Atlantic Ocean was processed, dried, and salted. The industrial activities of this large industrial unit closed down in the mid-20th century, and the concrete building has never been occupied ever since, a giant colossus in the middle of a green, natural, protected area. When we visited this place for the first time, we saw a dying building surrounded by a decadent landscape. Later, we understood and learned it was so much more. The Atlântida factory still dominates the landscape, but it does not exist on its own. Instead, it maintains a relationship with the mills, the military base, the beach, the river, the swamp, and the community. We realized that there is a community engagement with this building as part of a path that has a direct relationship with becoming an adult, that artists use the factory to express feelings not welcome anywhere else, that lovers use it to express emotions (and much more), that animals use it as a shelter, and that dealers use it to hide their evidence. We also understood that although not being an active industrial unit anymore, the actions taking place inside transformed it into a hub of emotions and sensorial experiences. All these agents feel and engage with this decaying heritage differently and have different sensorial experiences in or with it, creating new layers of meaning. And we, archaeologists, highlight it to understand how different communities engage with the past and experience it.
Yet, being loneliness a non-consensual concept with possible different definitions that can change depending on the culture and chronology, discussing it from a theoretical perspective was fundamental before any methodological approach. It is precisely in this space that this dissertation exists, between theory and practice, between science and humanities. Feeling lonely is not about being alone, and being alone does not mean one feels lonely.
This makes identifying loneliness in archaeological contexts very challenging since similar evidence might be generated from different emotional behaviours. To make its investigation even harder, loneliness is probably more than an emotion – it is a cluster of emotions: anger, grief, shame, and resentment, among others. How to distinguish, then, the behaviours produced by or originating from lonely people? To achieve this, following the previously mentioned theoretical proposal, three different lines of analysis were explored: One coming from structures that contributed to the negative feeling of loneliness, one coming from lonely or altered landscapes that would most likely contribute to the same negative feeling, and, finally, one coming from the social (or individual) strategies used to fight the loneliness feeling. These lines of analysis will be applied to three different case studies.