Villa in Vilamoura

Vilamoura

Location of Cerro da Vila in Portugal

The Cerro da Vila ( Hill of the Villa / Hill of the Old Village ) is an archaeological site in Vilamoura , Quarteira municipality on the southern Portuguese Algarve coast , about 15 km northwest of Faro . It is primarily known for its rich architectural evidence of a rural settlement from the Roman Empire , which primarily focused on the maritime economy (fishing, garum and purple production ). Among other things, it also shows building and grave findings from Visigothic and Islamic periods . The ruins classified as IIP are partly museumized and open to the public as an open-air museum (see below, musealization and conservation efforts ).

topography

Today Cerro da Vila is on a six meter high hill. The hill is bounded in the north and east by the modern buildings in the city. Today's port is located in the south of the facility. To the west, the site is bordered by an approximately 400-meter-wide belt of reeds and the popular bathing beach in this region. In the last 25-30 years, the area around Cerro da Vila was additionally increased by building rubble and slurry in the course of the preparations for the construction of a planned hotel complex.

Historically, the site is at the southeastern end of a lagoon that has silted up over the past 6000 years. The silting process was due to increased soil erosion and the resulting sediment at the latest since the 1st millennium BC. BCE accelerated, however, until the Roman period some fairways leading to the open sea were still navigable. Based on 14C dates and the remains of Roman ruins about 600 m from the recent coastline, it can be assumed that the sea level in Roman times was about eight meters below today's level.

Historical context

Late republic to early imperial times

The first evidence of settlement (settlement phase A) can already be found in the late Republican period with the end of the second Punic war in the founding phase of Hispania ulterior . In the course of the provincial institutions on the Iberian Peninsula, a small farm with a core structure (“compact farm complex”) and an associated cistern was already proven under Emperor Augustus in the course of his reorganization of the territory in the area of ​​Cerro da Vila .

Middle imperial period

Development phase of the settlement during the middle imperial period

Extending from the late Flavian period into late antiquity , a continuous expansion of the initially very compact complex into a settlement could be demonstrated. The harbor settlement's lively trade relations are evidenced by numerous imported ceramics from Italy and Gaul. With the increase in population, in addition to the expansion of the water supply and a thermal bath, commercial buildings were built, the so-called fabricae . These were used to process maritime products and the manufacture of purple .

The "crisis" of the Roman economy

Also during the time of the so-called imperial crisis of the 3rd century , which caused economic difficulties for the entire Roman Empire due to internal political problems, various conflicts with foreign peoples and the plague and thus impaired the production and trade of Garum on the Lusitan west coast, Cerro da Vila was apparently largely spared thanks to its specialty, the extraction of dye from sea snails. Although some restructuring at Cerro da Vila can be identified for this time horizon, these rather indicate an upswing through an increase in production capacities. This is generally in line with economic trends in the Lusitan West.

Late Roman period

In the following centuries, from the tetrarchy to the 1st half of the 5th century, the development of Cerro da Vila was marked by major renovations and extensions. Due to the administrative reform of Diocletian , which resulted in the rise of the former provincial capital Emerita Augusta to the metropolis of the dioecesis Hispaniarum and the strong connection to the North African area, the port cities of the Lusitan west flourished and continuously developed into ever larger settlements. The settlement area on Cerro da Vila was also continuously expanded, with particular attention being paid to the expansion of residential areas A (Teichner phase III a – c).

Visigothic and Islamic times

In the following centuries, Christian influence in the Roman Empire increased more and more. Especially after Christianity was elevated to the state religion following the Constantinian Revolution under Constantine I and Licinius , this influence gradually became noticeable in Cerro da Vila, as a multi-nave, presumably cult building in the area of fabrica J suggests. Based on the ceramics, this is dated to the Visigothic period of the 6th - 7th centuries. Even after the Islamic expansion and the associated beginning of al-Andalus , the finds show that settlement activities on Cerro da Vila continued. Traces of this Islamic settlement can be seen in the finds of locally produced and high-quality pottery, which can be assigned to the "emiral and caliphate phase of Arab rule". After conducting site research, proof of an Islamic residential area could also be provided. The Cerro da Vila continued to be used as an important settlement area, can not only be guessed from its natural location, despite the progressive silting up of the lagoon. A rich treasure trove of Dirhem coins from the 9th century indicates the wealth that was concentrated on the spot. Islamic fine ceramic finds from the 10th and 11th centuries were the last evidence of settlement on the Cerro da Villa until the hill was completely abandoned before the Christian reconquest in 1249.

Research history

The first reference to the place of discovery came from Estácio da Veiga in his work Antiguidades Monumentaes do Algarve V, published posthumously in 1910 .

Due to development measures in 1963, in the course of the expansion of Vilamoura, the site came back into the field of archeology in modern times. Unfortunately, the first work went unaccompanied archaeologically, so that essential parts of the ruins were destroyed without documentation before José Farrajota could guarantee construction supervision . In the same year, on October 11, 1963, the first excavations finally began under the direction of the archaeologist Afonso do Paço , who directed them until 1968. During this first excavation campaign, in addition to numerous ancient finds, a mosaic floor was also found in situ in the area of ​​the central villa-like complex. Furthermore, two rectangular basins lined with opus signinum were found in the immediate vicinity and about two km northeast of the site, in the Vale de Tesnado , the remains of a dam and a fresh water pipe . Here it was already assumed that the facility would extend over three hectares.

The Lisbon archaeologist Fernando de Almeida took over the excavations Afonso do Paços in 1969 and continued them until 1971, when José Luís Martins de Matos took over and headed the excavations for the next 20 years. Already at this time, the ceramic finds showed the depth of the site, which covered Roman, Visigoth and Islamic time horizons. On the one hand, this led to the assumption of permanent settlement continuity, but at the same time made it difficult to interpret the individual building structures, which were not only functionally but also chronologically clearly separated from one another.

In the course of his 20-year excavation campaign, de Matos kept his main focus on building units A , C , D , E , F , H , J , K and O , as well as late technical kilns located south of the present museum, probably built in the Islamic era devices of the units A and H . In addition, in collaboration with Ana Luisa Santos from the University of Coimbra , the investigation of necropolis N , the Roman burial ground, was carried out.

From 1999 to 2003 the Frankfurt research project ("Archaeological investigations of four Roman country villas and their territories in southern Portugal (Algarve)") received an excavation permit in Cerro da Vila , financially supported by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation . The aim of the project was primarily to clarify the fine chronological sequence of the individual building structures, which had not been carried out so far. Due to the earlier excavations that did not meet current standards, however, many detailed questions regarding the development of the settlement could no longer be answered. Investigations of the stratigraphy of the individual building structures or of the entire area were only inadequately carried out up to the start of the Frankfurt research project, which resulted in the irretrievable, as undocumented, destruction (archaeological method) of important layer sequences. Furthermore, the project aimed at an analysis of the ancient commercial buildings in selected sites in the Algarve, which should provide more detailed information about the goods produced, life and trade. Confirmed by archaeometric investigations , in the industrial complex ( fabrica ) J , which in antiquity was located on a lagoon arm used as an anchorage, the production of the expensive and precious dye purple in antiquity was proven. Based on the Frankfurt research, the development of the settlement from the end of the Roman Republic (beginning of the 1st century BC) to the arrival of the Arab Berbers at the beginning of the 8th century could be determined, as well as the settlement continuity in the individual building structures.

In addition to the traditional excavation, geophysical prospecting was used in large parts of the Frankfurt research project , with the help of which further building structures could be identified. The industrial building fabrica J, for example, was first completely examined with the help of geomagnetics and then in parts diagnostically.

The genesis of the topography in the immediate vicinity of the lagoon, from the Neolithic to the present day, was clarified between 2006 and 2011 as part of the project "Geoarchaeological Reconstruction of the Young Holocene Landscape History in the Algarve (Southern Portugal)" funded by the German Research Foundation .

Architectural evidence

overview

Development phase of the settlement during the late imperial era

In the Roman Empire, the coastal settlement on the Cerro da Vila has a rich architectural spectrum, which is also known from the classic villa context. A villa-like complex (unit A ) with rich furnishings with polychrome mosaic floors and its own balneum formed the core of the complex. To the north of it there was also a large thermal bath (unit C ). With the middle imperial period, expansive, clearly structured fabricae emerged in the east of the site (building units H , J and I ), in which highly complex products such as dyes and seafood were processed. This economic system, which is clearly geared towards surplus, represented the economic basis of the settlement. Unlike in other villas in Lusitania, such as Milreu , the likely living quarters of the workers (building units G , E , F ), however, have a high level due to their structural shapes and the mosaic floors Degree of luxury and individuality. On the eastern edge of the settlement area, there was an extensive necropolis with spacious mausoleums and other sepulchral architecture .

The economic connection to the sea, now garum production was predominant, remained in Visigothic times. In addition, evidence of an extensive body grave necropolis and Christian sacred buildings have been preserved from this time .

However, only a few small building structures have survived from the Islamic period. These were no longer based on the former Roman buildings. The economic basis of the settlement also seems to have changed, as evidence from ceramic ovens and finds from glazed ceramics indicate.

Residential buildings

Phases II and III of the main building A of the plant.

Unit A denotes the core of the system. Numerous additions and conversions can be identified over its entire duration, which Teichner divided into seven phases. These can be roughly distilled into the following four steps:

compact homestead complex (Teichner phase I) Located on the southwestern edge of the settlement area, a “compact homestead complex”, according to the current state of research, formed the starting point for the Roman settlement of the area. This building, which was only partially archaeologically documented, was probably rectangular in shape and measured around 18 m × 20 m. This means that it can probably be assigned to the larger group of military farmsteads of the first generation of colonists in the late republican-early imperial period.

Peristyle house (Teichner phase II) In the late Flavian period, the complex was significantly expanded in the northeast, where a symmetrical peristyle house was created, the rooms of which were grouped around an inner courtyard with a piscina . Characteristic of the living rooms that open into the peristyle is a division into a narrow anteroom and a bedroom or work room behind it. The north part is dominated by a 7.8 m × 7.85 m large, representative dining room ( biclinium ) with rich mosaic furnishings . The central courtyard with the piscina , a nearly 80 cm deep, 1.1 m wide and 3.2 m long water basin, was equipped with garden and mosaic areas and served as a representative distribution room. Access to the complex was granted through a square vestibulum with polychrome mosaic installed in the east flank . According to the excavators, parts of the building are assumed to be two-story.

Risalit system with balneum (Teichner phase III a-c)

Frigidarium of the balneums of the main building, Roman ruins of Cerro da Vila, October 2016

For the course of the 3rd to 4th Century can be a further enlargement of the plant. The characteristic feature of the southern front is an elongated corridor in front of it with corner closures in the west and east. While in the east a hexagonal risalit building is attached, the situation in the west is unclear due to the disturbance of the findings: either a risalit building like in the east or a polygonal building is being reconstructed. Another big change is the integration of a separate balneum in the west wing. In addition to numerous other minor changes, a basement in the area of ​​the balneum can now also be securely gripped for the first time .

Functional restructuring to a production facility (Teichner Phases IV-V) At the end of the use of the building, dated to the "transition from late antiquity to the early Middle Ages", it underwent a fundamental change in the way it was used: In late antiquity the facility was already in Reduced in size and fortified, basins and storage pits are now being integrated into the building, which was previously used purely for residential and representative purposes. In addition, to the north of A, there were smaller one-room buildings made of dry construction , which in their layout did not relate to the previous development and whose masonry technology can be clearly distinguished from the earlier Roman buildings.

Further small residential developments North of the large thermal baths ( C ) were connected to individual groups of buildings ( E, F and G ). These houses, some of which have an atrium testudinatum (covered atrium), were probably residential buildings apart from the large representative living rooms in main house A. In their independent structure and equipment, they stand out from separate living rooms such as in Abicada or Milreu and offer their residents high living comfort .

Thermae

Phases I-III of the large thermal baths C

A large thermal bath complex ( unit C ) was located northwest of the main building A. Its shape corresponds to the row type of Roman baths, with the common room shapes apodyterium , frigidarium , tepidarium and caldarium . Praefurnia for the extensive hypocaustum complex were located in the northern and western parts of the building.

The building complex, which was founded as a compact thermal bath system in the middle of the Imperial period, soon underwent a generous expansion, in which, among other things, the entrance area was to be expanded by a palaestra , a natatio was to be added, and the increased demand for water was to be satisfied with a large water reservoir. In addition, the system in the southern part received another representative caldarium . In the course of the late imperial era, however, the area used was reduced again, and numerous renovations were carried out, especially on the south wing. During this time, the main building (A) will also be architecturally connected to the previously free-standing thermal baths via a corridor.

Commercial buildings ( fabricae )

Eastern large fabrica - unit J

In Roman times there was a large commercial complex on the hangar at the northeast end of the museum area. This underwent numerous renovations and extensions, which Teichner divided into six phases, from the second half of the 1st century to the 11th century. Due to the previous intensive agricultural use of the area, there are sometimes only very poor conservation conditions.

Front building (Teichner phase I)

For the Flavian period, there was evidence of building over later leveling layers. So far, however, no concrete building findings have been found.

First commercial building (Teichner Phase II)

After the earlier development has been leveled in, a small commercial building can be verified. Although this is only recorded in small fragments, individual stoves and basins indicate manual activity. A separate water supply was also secured via canals. According to Teichner, these buildings were built by the middle of the 2nd century.

Large commercial building (Teichner phase III a-b)

A new leveling of the area in the second half of the 2nd century marks the beginning of the construction of a large building used for production purposes. This is an approximately 120 m long, linear structure, the long rectangular rooms of which are staggered along a central, approximately 4.5 m wide paved street. Access to the same could be regulated via gate systems at both ends of the building. In addition to the sometimes multi-aisled storage halls of different sizes, the remaining production rooms have an average length of around 6.20 m. While the walls were uniformly made of opus caementitium (Roman cast masonry) and roughly plastered, the floor design was variable, depending on the intended use. So could opus signinum , Stampflehmboden be detected trays. In addition, technical installations such as production basins made of opus signinum and foundation bases for presses were regularly found in the individual rooms .

In the advanced period of use (4th – 5th century) numerous alterations and repairs were made to the structures. It is characteristic that these were executed in inferior quality (e.g. quarry stone masonry instead of opus caementitum ). At the same time, the installation of further basins indicates an intended increase in production volume. This is likely to have been interrupted suddenly, as shown by marine sediments, which are interpreted as traces of a storm or even a tsunami event.

Heterogeneous use of the area (Teichner Phase IV)

This is followed by profound changes in usage. On the one hand, the commercial activity is changing: away from fishing-based production to processing of non-ferrous metals, as was demonstrated by the filling of the basins and the installation of furnaces for metal processing. On the other hand, individual rooms are being converted so that they could be used as living space, for example by installing kitchenettes. In the southwest, parts of a body grave necropolis from the Visigothic era now extend into the former fabrica .

Late residential development (Teichner Phase V)

The embossing with dry masonry probably took place in Islamic times. This is being built using spolia and other construction rubble from fabrica . In one of the storage pits of this period there was also a silver coin treasure made of dirhem coins dating from the beginning of the 10th century .

Western large fabrica - unit H

Traces of another large-scale industrial complex were found between the main building A and the large fabrica J. L-shaped, this covers an area of ​​over 1000 m² and is made up of several halls, some of which have multiple aisles.

Based on a simple cistern system leveled in the 1st century (phase I), two further construction phases can be distinguished:

In phase II, the already mentioned L-shaped basic shape is created, which is composed of three large commercial halls. Basins suggest processing seafood.

In addition to some minor modifications, the segmentation of larger room units into smaller compartments is characteristic of a subsequent phase III, which dates back to late antiquity due to the finds. In addition to the further processing marine products, the evidence of non-ferrous metal processing can now be found in the spectrum of finds.

Northern small fabrica - unit I

Parts of a possible commercial complex have been found in the north of the site. Evidence of their use is provided by evidence of a work surface delimited by brick slabs, as well as dolia and amphorae embedded in the ground for storing the liquid product produced. According to the found material, the building from 1–3 Century and was demolished in the 4th century.

Port facilities

To the west of the main building ( A ), in addition to side arms of the Ribeira de Quarteira that had not silted up beyond antiquity and the Middle Ages, the foundation of a 40 m long stone structure made of opus caementitium , a Roman hydraulic cast cement, was found. This was founded on wooden piles driven into the ground and is addressed by the excavators as part of a two-phase port facility that lasted from the Flavian period to late antiquity .

Water supply

Efforts to achieve a regulated water supply can be seen as a sign of a certain standard of living. For the supply of the system on the Cerro da vila, in the neighboring Vale Tesnado, a dam that has existed since the 2nd century AD (and is now integrated into a golf course), including an aqueduct leading to the site, has been proven. The water obtained in this way was used both for the needs within the residential buildings and thermae , as well as in the fabricae and distributed over numerous local clay and lead pipes.

Necropolis

Roman body graves and grave structures

Remains of the Roman necropolis ( K, N and O on the overall plan) were found southeast of the area occupied by Villa and the fabricae . The western end marked thereby the tomb K , an originating from the Imperial Tomb, the eastern end is determined by the grave tower O defined. Numerous body graves from the 2nd to 4th centuries were mainly found in the vicinity. Century. Both of the larger grave structures are in a poor state of preservation, so that they cannot be dated very precisely or reconstructed in detail.

Late antique 'Visigoth' body graves and cult buildings

Residues of a late antique or Visigothic cemetery were found in the form of individual graves body in the region between the fabrica J and mausoleum K . According to Teichner, individual late lines of the wall in the western part of the fabrica can be interpreted as the remains of a Christian sacred building, a church.

Context: Marmeleiros , Quarteira

Opposite the Cerro da Vila on the other bank of the lagoon, another Roman site can be found. This villa rustica was probably primarily aimed at fishing and consisted of two construction phases from the end of the 1st century BC. Until at least the end of the 1st century AD (ceramic-based terminus post quem ). With only four archaeologically recorded rooms adjoining a courtyard, it can be regarded as one of the early imperial examples of rural courtyards in Lusitania and is very similar to individual early structural partial structures on the Cerro da Vila (see overview plan, M ). Disadvantaged by the location at the end of the lagoon, the facility suffered much more from the increasing siltation, which is why it lost its economic basis in the medium term.

Musealization and conservation efforts

The community-free area of ​​Vilamoura organized an open-air museum operated by the Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico (IGESPAR) on 550 m² in the western part of the formerly populated area . The individual structural members were partially bricked up again around a few layers of stone or secured with modern concrete. A circular route with explanatory signs leads the visitor through the facility. Adjacent areas to the north and east outside the archaeological park are excluded from agricultural use, but cannot be visited. An exhibition in a small museum building in the south of the museum grounds offers insights into the spectrum of finds and the archaeological and historical backgrounds.

The current (06/2017) opening times are: daily, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Entry costs € 3

The ruins are registered as a ground monument (so-called Imóvel de Interest Público (antiga) (IIP)) and thus their worthy of protection is legally secured.

literature

• Jorge de Alarcão. Roman Portugal. (Warminster 1988).
• Thomas G. Schattner (Ed.): Archaeological guide through Portugal (= cultural history of the ancient world . Vol. 74). Philipp von Zabern, Mainz 1998, ISBN 3-8053-2313-1 .
• Felix Teichner . Between land and sea - Entre tierra y mar. Studies on the architecture and economy of rural settlements in the south of the Roman province of Lusitania. Stvdia Lvsitana 3 (Merida 2008). ISBN 978-84-612-7893-0 (online) .

Web links

Commons : Villa of Vilamoura  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Patrimonio Cultural
• Portal do Arqueólogo - Cerro da Vila ( online ) Presentation of the Portuguese monument preservation with an overview of the previous research projects, as well as numerous images.
• Entry of the Ruínas Romanas do Cerro da Vila in the Portuguese SIPA list of monuments

Individual evidence

1. ↑ F. Teichner . Between land and sea - Entre tierra y mar. Studies on the architecture and economy of rural settlements in the south of the Roman province of Lusitania. Stvdia Lvsitana 3 (Merida 2008). ISBN 978-84-612-7893-0 (online) , 271-416.
2. ↑ C. Hilbich, I. Mügler, G. Daut, P. Frenzel, F. Teichner, R. Mäusbacher. Geophysical, sedimentological and microfaunistic methods for the reconstruction of the paleogeography of a Roman harbor settlement: the landscape genesis of the lagoon of Vilamoura (Portugal) during the last 6000 years. In: N. Beck (Ed.), New Results of Marine and Coastal Research. Contribution. 23rd Annual Meeting of the Geography of the Seas and Coasts Working Group - Koblenz 2005. Schr. Working Group on Landes- und Volkskunde 4, 2005, 51–71. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/255979251 .
3. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 284
4. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 287.
5. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 584
6. ^ F. Teichner 2008, 607
7. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 586-588
8. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 590-595
9. ^ F. Teichner 2008, 596
10. ^ F. Teichner 2008, 601
11. ^ F. Teichner 2008, 601
12. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 595–601
13. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 274.
14. ↑ Jorge de Alarcão. Roman Portugal. (Warminster 1988) 207.
15. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 274.
16. ↑ F. Teichner, purple, olive oil and fish sauces as export items. Research Frankfurt, 1/2004, 2004, 60–63.
17. ↑ http://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/15273496 Funding overview of the DFG (online)
18. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 287.
19. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 318.
20. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 483.
21. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 384.
22. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 384.
23. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 383.
24. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 368–371.
25. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 376.
26. ↑ F. Teichner, Mensch, Umwelt, Wirtschaft: on the landscape relation of economic activity in ancient Hispania. In: F. Kemmers (Ed.) Lege Artis: Festschrift for Hans-Markus von Kaenel (Bonn 2014) 61–78, 69.
27. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 486.
28. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 403, 406.
29. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 399.
30. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 414-416.
31. ↑ F. Teichner 2008, 458.
32. ↑ http://www.ezportugal.com/vilamoura-portugal/things-to-do-vilamoura/vilamoura-historic-sites ( online ) June 26, 2017

Coordinates: 37 ° 4 ′ 49.5 ″  N , 8 ° 7 ′ 13 ″  W.