Citânia de Briteiros
Encyclopedia
The Citânia de Briteiros is an archaeological site of Castro culture
in the north-western Iberian Peninsula
, significant for its size, urbanism, and architecture. Although primarily known for its remains of an Iron Age
proto-urban hill fort
(or oppidum
), excavations at the site have revealed evidence of sequential settlements extending from the Bronze Age
to the Middle Ages
.
, between the freguesia
s of Salvador de Briteiros and Donim, about 15 kilometers north-west of Guimarães
. The location provides an extensive view over the navigable Ave river and its valley, and over an early north-south trade and communication path between the Douro
and Minho
river valleys. The moderate elevation of the site, the temperate and humid climate, and the nearby river give the hill and the surrounding area varied and rich natural resources for exploitation, from fruits of the woods to fishing to grazing.
As research methods developed over the 19th and 20th centuries, the successive excavations at the Briteiros site adapted to evolving concepts, and gaps remain in the scientific knowledge of the site. In 2004 a project was initiated under the responsibility of Minho University with the collaboration of the Martins Sarmento Society to integrate the past studies and improve the conservation of the site.
The site was classified and protected by IPPAR
as a Portuguese National Monument in 1910.
, in the beginning of the first millennium BCE; it is not known when or why this first group left.
Numerous early engraved rock surfaces were destroyed when many boulders were cut to build the ramparts and family compounds as the Castro settlement grew. Little is known of the beginnings of the Castro occupation, as no structures from the late Bronze Age have been found. Pottery from the early Iron Age
has been found, when the settlement would already have been fortified. The majority of the ruins visible today have been dated from the second Iron Age, especially the last two centuries BCE. This period was the peak of occupation of the site, by Celtiberians
.
Expansion of the Roman Empire
into the region has left evidence in the oppidum at Briteiros, in the form of coins (those of Augustus
and Tiberius
are the most numerous found, with smaller numbers of coins of the Republic
, and the Flavians
and the Antonines) ranging from the 1st century BCE to the 2nd century CE. A small number of amphora
e and red pottery pieces have been found, and there is some evidence of Romanization
in the architecture of the alleys and buildings of the eastern slope, but overall the visible impact of Roman occupiers is not strong.
The reduced number of later coin and pottery finds suggests that occupation of the oppidum was declining from the 1st century CE, resulting in the 2nd century with very few people living within the ramparts. Evidence shows that there was a transitory reoccupation in the High Middle Ages
, which included the building of a medieval chapel and graveyard on the acropolis.
cover an area of about 24 hectares. The Briteiros site is called a citânia or cividade (from Latin civitas, city), due to its large size and city-like structure; other examples from the region and period include the Citânia de Sanfins and Cividade de Terroso
.
The defensive system includes three lines of ramparts, with a partial fourth line to the north and a pair of moats. The preserved walls measure one to three meters thick and less than two meters high; a portion of wall restored by Martins Sarmento measures almost four meters high. The walls were built using irregular dry stone
masonry methods, edged on both sides. The innermost rampart was partially absorbed into the urban development by being incorporated as a support wall for several family compounds. Gates were cut through each of the ramparts to provide passage; some of the gate openings still have hollows where vertically-moving palisades were placed. Ramps and stairs providing access to the top of the third rampart are evident.
The known urban area of the settlement includes the acropolis, at the highest elevation, surrounded by the first rampart, and covering an area of about 7 hectares. Around 100 family dwelling compounds were found in this area, grouped into small blocks, with the blocks divided by several streets; Briteiros is unusual among castros in having its streets arranged in a rough grid pattern. The ramparts and main roads form the most visible aspects of the urban organization for public use, but other community elements exist: conduits which carried water from a spring on the hill, fountains, at least two public bath structures, and a large meeting or council house. One bath ruin, an accidental find during road work in the 1930s, is one of the best-preserved constructions of its kind in northern Portugal and Galicia, and includes a decorative monolith of almost 3 meters square, called the Pedra Formosa (the "handsome stone", thought once to have formed part of a burial chamber).
Each of the family compounds, delimited by masonry walls, provided living and working space for a large family. Most compounds included one to three circular stone houses, some of them large and with an atrium, where the nuclear family lived; other structures within the compound housed other family members, served as stables, or stored agricultural tools, food, and rain or spring water.
Daily tasks and crafts were performed in the stone-paved courtyard of the compound, which formed the center of family life in the citânia. Assuming around 6 people per family unit, a population of the acropolis of around 625 people has been estimated, but estimates may reach as many as 1500 for the entire settlement when excavations are made of the eastern and south-western extremities.
Castro culture
Castro culture is the archaeological term for naming the Celtic archaeological culture of the northwestern regions of the Iberian Peninsula from the end of the Bronze Age until it was subsumed in local Roman culture...
in the north-western Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, significant for its size, urbanism, and architecture. Although primarily known for its remains of an Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
proto-urban hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
(or oppidum
Oppidum
Oppidum is a Latin word meaning the main settlement in any administrative area of ancient Rome. The word is derived from the earlier Latin ob-pedum, "enclosed space," possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *pedóm-, "occupied space" or "footprint."Julius Caesar described the larger Celtic Iron Age...
), excavations at the site have revealed evidence of sequential settlements extending from the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
to the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
.
Location and environment
The site is situated on a small promontory called Monte de São Romão near the Ave river, in the Norte region of PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, between the freguesia
Freguesia
Freguesia is the Portuguese term for a secondary local administrative unit in Portugal and some of its former colonies, and a former secondary local administrative unit in Macau, roughly equivalent to an administrative parish. A freguesia is a subdivision of a concelho, the Portuguese synonym term...
s of Salvador de Briteiros and Donim, about 15 kilometers north-west of Guimarães
Guimarães
Guimarães Municipality is located in northwestern Portugal in the province of Minho and in the Braga District. It contains the city of Guimarães.The present Mayor is António Magalhães Silva, elected by the Socialist Party.-Parishes:-Economy:...
. The location provides an extensive view over the navigable Ave river and its valley, and over an early north-south trade and communication path between the Douro
Douro
The Douro or Duero is one of the major rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, flowing from its source near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province across northern-central Spain and Portugal to its outlet at Porto...
and Minho
Minho River
The Minho or Miño is the longest river in Galicia, Spain, with an extension of 340 km.Both names come from Latin Minius...
river valleys. The moderate elevation of the site, the temperate and humid climate, and the nearby river give the hill and the surrounding area varied and rich natural resources for exploitation, from fruits of the woods to fishing to grazing.
Research history
The site has been studied extensively since 1874, when the Portuguese archaeologist Francisco Martins Sarmento began annual excavation campaigns while helping to develop methods of archaeological research and preservation in Portugal; Sarmento's campaigns led to the discovery of much of the ruins of the acropolis (the highest portion of the settlement), and he reconstructed a pair of dwellings on the site from his research. Continuing discoveries during the first decades of work led Martins Sarmento to purchase the land on which the settlement lay. The land and Martins Sarmento's research materials were bequeathed to the Martins Sarmento Society; from the 1930s through the 1960s, new excavations were carried out by the Society, supervised by Mário Cardozo, which led to the discovery of large parts of the settlement on the eastern slope and additional portions of the acropolis. Further surveys were made in the 1970s (in the north-eastern section), and in 2002, 2005 and 2006.As research methods developed over the 19th and 20th centuries, the successive excavations at the Briteiros site adapted to evolving concepts, and gaps remain in the scientific knowledge of the site. In 2004 a project was initiated under the responsibility of Minho University with the collaboration of the Martins Sarmento Society to integrate the past studies and improve the conservation of the site.
The site was classified and protected by IPPAR
IPPAR
The Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico , former Instituto Português do Património Arquitectónico , is the public institute tasked with the conservation, preservation, and inventory of the Portuguese architectural heritage. This includes buildings and sites of...
as a Portuguese National Monument in 1910.
Settlement history
Notes by Martins Sarmento and from recent explorations show that the Monte de São Romão was a favored location for rock art engravings of the Atlantic Bronze AgeAtlantic Bronze Age
The Atlantic Bronze Age is a cultural complex of the Bronze Age period of approximately 1300–700 BC that includes different cultures in Portugal, Andalusia, Galicia, Armorica and the British Isles.-Trade:...
, in the beginning of the first millennium BCE; it is not known when or why this first group left.
Numerous early engraved rock surfaces were destroyed when many boulders were cut to build the ramparts and family compounds as the Castro settlement grew. Little is known of the beginnings of the Castro occupation, as no structures from the late Bronze Age have been found. Pottery from the early Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
has been found, when the settlement would already have been fortified. The majority of the ruins visible today have been dated from the second Iron Age, especially the last two centuries BCE. This period was the peak of occupation of the site, by Celtiberians
Celtiberians
The Celtiberians were Celtic-speaking people of the Iberian Peninsula in the final centuries BC. The group used the Celtic Celtiberian language.Archaeologically, the Celtiberians participated in the Hallstatt culture in what is now north-central Spain...
.
Expansion of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
into the region has left evidence in the oppidum at Briteiros, in the form of coins (those of Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
and Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
are the most numerous found, with smaller numbers of coins of the Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
, and the Flavians
Flavian dynasty
The Flavian dynasty was a Roman Imperial Dynasty, which ruled the Roman Empire between 69 and 96 AD, encompassing the reigns of Vespasian , and his two sons Titus and Domitian . The Flavians rose to power during the civil war of 69, known as the Year of the Four Emperors...
and the Antonines) ranging from the 1st century BCE to the 2nd century CE. A small number of amphora
Amphora
An amphora is a type of vase-shaped, usually ceramic container with two handles and a long neck narrower than the body...
e and red pottery pieces have been found, and there is some evidence of Romanization
Romanization (cultural)
Romanization or latinization indicate different historical processes, such as acculturation, integration and assimilation of newly incorporated and peripheral populations by the Roman Republic and the later Roman Empire...
in the architecture of the alleys and buildings of the eastern slope, but overall the visible impact of Roman occupiers is not strong.
The reduced number of later coin and pottery finds suggests that occupation of the oppidum was declining from the 1st century CE, resulting in the 2nd century with very few people living within the ramparts. Evidence shows that there was a transitory reoccupation in the High Middle Ages
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages was the period of European history around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries . The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500....
, which included the building of a medieval chapel and graveyard on the acropolis.
Characteristics of the Castro settlement
The visible ruins of the walled village or hill fortHill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
cover an area of about 24 hectares. The Briteiros site is called a citânia or cividade (from Latin civitas, city), due to its large size and city-like structure; other examples from the region and period include the Citânia de Sanfins and Cividade de Terroso
Cividade de Terroso
Cividade de Terroso was an important city of the Castro culture in North-western Iberian Peninsula, located in Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal.The city, known in the Middle Ages as Civitas Teroso, was built at the top of Cividade Hill, in the parish of Terroso, in Póvoa de Varzim, less than 5 km...
.
The defensive system includes three lines of ramparts, with a partial fourth line to the north and a pair of moats. The preserved walls measure one to three meters thick and less than two meters high; a portion of wall restored by Martins Sarmento measures almost four meters high. The walls were built using irregular dry stone
Dry stone
Dry stone is a building method by which structures are constructed from stones without any mortar to bind them together. Dry stone structures are stable because of their unique construction method, which is characterized by the presence of a load-bearing facade of carefully selected interlocking...
masonry methods, edged on both sides. The innermost rampart was partially absorbed into the urban development by being incorporated as a support wall for several family compounds. Gates were cut through each of the ramparts to provide passage; some of the gate openings still have hollows where vertically-moving palisades were placed. Ramps and stairs providing access to the top of the third rampart are evident.
The known urban area of the settlement includes the acropolis, at the highest elevation, surrounded by the first rampart, and covering an area of about 7 hectares. Around 100 family dwelling compounds were found in this area, grouped into small blocks, with the blocks divided by several streets; Briteiros is unusual among castros in having its streets arranged in a rough grid pattern. The ramparts and main roads form the most visible aspects of the urban organization for public use, but other community elements exist: conduits which carried water from a spring on the hill, fountains, at least two public bath structures, and a large meeting or council house. One bath ruin, an accidental find during road work in the 1930s, is one of the best-preserved constructions of its kind in northern Portugal and Galicia, and includes a decorative monolith of almost 3 meters square, called the Pedra Formosa (the "handsome stone", thought once to have formed part of a burial chamber).
Each of the family compounds, delimited by masonry walls, provided living and working space for a large family. Most compounds included one to three circular stone houses, some of them large and with an atrium, where the nuclear family lived; other structures within the compound housed other family members, served as stables, or stored agricultural tools, food, and rain or spring water.
Daily tasks and crafts were performed in the stone-paved courtyard of the compound, which formed the center of family life in the citânia. Assuming around 6 people per family unit, a population of the acropolis of around 625 people has been estimated, but estimates may reach as many as 1500 for the entire settlement when excavations are made of the eastern and south-western extremities.
See also
- Castro cultureCastro cultureCastro culture is the archaeological term for naming the Celtic archaeological culture of the northwestern regions of the Iberian Peninsula from the end of the Bronze Age until it was subsumed in local Roman culture...
- Hill fort (Spain and Portugal)
External links
- Citânia de Briteiros: virtual visit (in English and Portuguese)