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The results of the excavations carried out by one of the authors in the early Christian baptisteries of Idanha-a-Velha, in Suebi-Visigothic Egitania, are presented. Chronostratigraphic data (stratigraphic sequence, typological analysis) are compared with radiocarbon and luminescence dates in order to establish a hypothesis concerning the construction date of both north and south baptisteries. The results have shown that the baptisteries are dated earlier than what had been proposed based on their constructive typology. The dates proposed in this article will generate a change in the paradigm established for this type of constructions in the Iberian Peninsula.

En el ámbito del proyecto de investigación IGAEDIS (Da civitas Igaeditanorum à Egitânia. A construção e evolução da cidade e a definição dos seus territórios da Época Romana até à doação dos Templários - séculos I a XII) se han realizado diferentes actuaciones arqueológicas en la actual aldea histórica de Idanha-a-Velha (Portugal). Además, la revisión de anteriores intervenciones, complementadas con la realización de dataciones absolutas, han permitido atribuir una cronología más temprana de la asignada hasta ahora a los dos “baptisterios” documentados en el yacimiento. Esta nueva lectura nos lleva a plantear un renovado marco de reflexión y crítica histórica, tanto de estas construcciones - piscinas bautismales - como del contexto en el que se insertan. Un ejercicio presentado en este trabajo de manera diacrónica, con el objetivo de mejorar el conocimiento sobre la evolución histórica de este sitio arqueológico entre los siglos IV-VIII. _____________________________________________ ABSTRACT In the scope of the research project IGAEDIS (From the civitas Igaeditanorum to Egypt. The construction and evolution of the city and the definition of its territories from the Roman era until the donation of the Templars -1st to 12th centuries) several archaeological activities have been carried out in the historic village of Idanha-a-Velha (Portugal). The project, as also the aim to review the previous archaeological interventions, studying the stratigraphy, the correlated archaeological artefacts and promoting several radiocarbon and OSL analysis. In what the two “baptisteries” concerns, the research permitted to review the chronology of these structures, that are earlier than the several chronologies proposed until now. These results implied a new reflection about meaning of the both baptismal fonts and their historical and religious contexts. In this paper is presented and interpretation of the archaeological contexts of these structures and is discussed their meaning within the scope of the urban changes that occurred in Idanha-a-Velha between 4th to 7th centuries.

Las intervenciones arqueologicas realizadas de forma mas o menos continuada desde la decada de los 90 del siglo XX en el espacio del antiguo foro y criptoportico de Aeminium (Coimbra) permitieron exhumar una importante coleccion de material ceramico de epoca romana. Los conjuntos ceramicos mas relevantes provienen de contextos sellados y asociados a los niveles de relleno coetaneos a la construccion del forum , a mediados del siglo I d.C. En este trabajo se presenta el importante conjunto de ceramica importada recuperada en los niveles altoimperiales que, articulados con otros indicadores cronologicos, han sustentado una cronologia rigurosa para la edificacion del complejo forense en epoca del emperador Claudio, sucediendo a un edificio inicial de epoca augustea.

Res_por:O estudo da Historia Antiga e um processo que envolve diversas areas do saber, variados metodos, diversos tipos de fontes e que implica, por vezes, comparacoes com outras civilizacoes da antiguidade ou de outras epocas. Os textos historiograficos suscitam uma metodica critica na qual entram os dados da arqueologia, mas tambem da literatura, e, dentro desta, do teatro, da retorica, dos dialogos e dos tratados especificos das varias disciplinas. Como reflexo de tal multidisciplinaridade, neste volume compila-se uma serie de textos em que a Historia Antiga entra em dialogo com outras areas tematicas, a saber: hermeneutica das fontes, literatura e artes, retorica politica, filosofia, religiao e rececao da Historia Antiga na modernidade.

A época de Augusto nos territórios do Norte da Lusitânia é avaliada do ponto de vista do registo arqueológico e a partir da documentação epigráfica regional referente ao fundador do império, analisando-se, em síntese, o processo de integração territorial e o estabelecimento de um novo quadro de povoamento, notando as nuances percecionáveis entre o litoral e o interior num cenário que se afigura de continuidade e de mudança. This text focuses on the archaeological traces in the northern territories of Lusitania during the Augustan period, based on regional epigraphic documents relating to the founder of the Empire. The process of territorial integration and the establishment of a new framework for population settlement are briefly presented, and the analysis points to the perceptible nuances between the littoral and the interior in a scenario of both continuity and change.

Para poder comprender la ocupación del territorio en torno de Idanha-a-Velha (capital de la civitas Igaeditanorum) y las dinámicas del poblamiento que ahí se desarrollaron, construimos un Mapa de Usos Potenciales de la Tierra que cruzamos con los asentamientos rurales romanos identificados en trabajos de prospección intensiva. Esta cartografía digital arqueológica representa una metodología innovadora que raramente ha sido aplicada en territorio portugués. Se distingue de la cartografía tradicional de los suelos por el hecho de ser contextual, permitiendo al investigador producir el mapa en función de las particularidades del período estudiado. [pt] Para compreendermos a ocupação do território em torno de Idanha-a-Velha (capital da civitas Igaeditanorum) e as dinâmicas de povoamento que aí se desenvolveram, construímos um Mapa de Usos Potenciais da Terra que cruzámos com os assentamentos rurais romanos identificados em trabalhos de prospeção intensiva. Esta cartografia digital arqueológica representa uma metodologia inovadora raramente aplicada em território português. Distingue-se da cartografia tradicional de solos pelo facto de ser contextual, permitindo ao investigador produzi-lo em função das particularidades do período a estudar.

Restoration of historical buildings is a delicate operation as they are often built over more ancient and important structures. The Machado de Castro Museum, Coimbra, Central Portugal, has suffered several interventions in historical times and lies over the ancient Roman forum of Coimbra. This building went through a restoration project. These works were preceded by an extensive geophysical survey that aimed at investigating subsurface stratigraphy, including archeological remains, and the internal structure of the actual walls. Owing to the needs of the project, geophysical data interpretation required not only integration but also high resolution. The study consisted of data acquisition over perpendicular planes and different levels that required detailed survey planning and integration of data from different locations that complement images of the surveyed area. Therefore a multi-method, resistivity imaging and a 3D ground probing radar (GPR), high-resolution geophysical survey was done inside the museum. Herein, radargrams are compared with the revealed stratigraphy so that signatures are interpreted, characterized and assigned to archeological structures. Although resistivity and GPR have different resolution capabilities, their data are overlapped and compared, bearing in mind the specific characteristics of this survey. It was also possible to unravel the inner structure of the actual walls, to establish connections between walls, foundations and to find older remains with the combined use and spatial integration of the GPR and resistivity imaging data.

This paper presents the forums of the Roman cities of Conimbriga (Condeixa-a-Velha, Portugal) and Aeminium (Coimbra, Portugal), both of which date from the time of Augustus. The Aeminium forum was completely rebuilt in the time of Claudius/Nero, while the Conimbriga one was remodelled in the same period, before being demolished under the Flavians to make way for a completely new construction. This article offers a state-of-the-art comparison of the architectural models used in these two cities, based on the analysis and review of the available data, partly supplied by recent archaeological excavations. The geographic and chronological proximity of these two forums mean that it is of interest to compare their architectural design, which differ considerably in aspects such as volumetry, layout and the conceptual model used. The article discusses the proposals for the development of the Conimbriga forum and indicates an up-to-date bibliography for both public spaces, resulting, in the case of Aeminium, from a large-scale research and intervention project carried out in recent years.

Res_por:Apresenta-se o resultado de prospeccoes intensivas efectuadas ao longo do curso da Ribeira da Meimoa (Fundao, Castelo Branco) e analisa-se a forma como o povoamento rural romano se encontra distribuido pela paisagem e se relaciona com os recursos naturais e o territorio construido.

De modo sucinto serão apresentados, por agora, os restos de uma construção romana – com paredes em taipa e adobe – recentemente descoberta em Idanha-a-Velha no decurso de escavações arqueológicas. Esta construção em terra, com funcionalidade ainda algo indefinida, apresenta uma cronologia de ocupação seguramente inscrita na época augustana, tendo sido expropriada e demolida nos primeiros anos do séc. I d.C., aquando da construção do forum da cidade capital dos Igaeditani.

This article presents the previously unpublished results of the archaeological excavations carried out between 2007 and 2008 in the forum of the capital of Igaeditani. Among the novelties found during the two excavation campaigns we can highlight the date of the forum’s construction (with verified Augustan chronology based for the first time on the stratigraphic record and different from what has lately been put forward) or the presence of a singular building with dividing walls built of earth, which was destroyed during the building of the forum. Also based on these findings from the excavations we discuss the possibility of its occupation during the Iron Age as well as the date of the founding of the Roman city, endeavouring to relate the moment when the forum was built to the process of political and juridical promotion of this civitas in the north inland part of Lusitania., Se pretende dar a conocer los resultados —aún inéditos— de las excavaciones arqueológicas llevadas a cabo en 2007 y 2008 en el forum de la capital de Igaeditani. Entre las principales novedades recogidas durante las dos campañas de excavación se destaca la fecha de construcción del forum (con comprobada cronología Augustiana, fundamentada ésta, por primera vez, en el registro estratigráfico y siendo diferente de la que ha sido generalmente avanzada últimamente), o la presencia de un edificio singular con paredes divisorias construidas en tierra, que fue destruido durante la construcción del conjunto forense. También con base en los resultados de estas excavaciones, se discute la posibilidad de una ocupación del local durante la Edad del Hierro así como la fecha de la fundación de la ciudad romana, procurando también integrar el momento de construcción del forum en el proceso de promoción política y jurídica de esta civitas del interior norte de la Lusitania.