The ‘Ativar – Local Communities and the Origins of the Agricultural Landscape of Barroso’ project aims to uncover the history of the World Agricultural Heritage encompassing Boticas and Montalegre, located in the northern district of Vila Real, an area encompassing over 50 ancient settlements.
“The main objective, essentially, is to socially activate a heritage that is somewhat forgotten, which are the fortifications,” archaeologist João Fonte stated.
An important historical legacy, monumental and, in his perspective, “may be in the remote origins” of this World Agricultural Heritage, classified in 2018.
Researchers carried out fieldwork this week, and activities at the Carvalhelhos settlement in Boticas were observed, a site occupied from the Iron Age to the Roman era.
In this settlement, a defensive system consisting of two lines of walls, two large ditches, and a field of upright stones can be seen. Within the platforms, remnants of circular and rectangular structures are still preserved.
João Fonte explained that a non-invasive mapping of this historical heritage is being conducted, meaning without excavations, using various techniques such as ground-penetrating radar, magnetometers, drones, and LiDAR technology.
LiDAR, whose data is provided by the Direção-Geral do Território (DGT), performs an aerial scan (via a sensor placed on an aircraft), virtually removing vegetation and allowing the identification of walls or ditches.
“We are also conducting drone surveys in more complex sites,” he noted.
Subsequently, by using geophysical techniques like ground-penetrating radar and magnetometers, it is possible to map buried structures.
“By combining these data, we will later reconstruct some of these settlements in 3D,” João Fonte added.
It was Tiago do Pereiro, a specialist in geophysics, who maneuvered the magnetometer—a device with five sensors attached to a cart with an incorporated GPS—conducting an X-ray of the subsoil.
“In this scan, with this method, we will not see round or square houses; those we see with ground-penetrating radar. What we can see here is that, in that area down below, there is probably a furnace or a forge,” he explained, pointing to a tablet with the gathered information.
This is, according to Tiago do Pereiro, a “very important discovery” not detected in excavations conducted there in the last century, and in his opinion, using this technology instead of excavations helps protect archaeological sites.
‘Ativar – Local Communities and the Origins of the Agricultural Landscape of Barroso’ is led by the company Era Arqueologia, in a consortium with the municipalities of Boticas and Montalegre, and is funded by Fundación La Caixa.
The project manager, José Carvalho, mentioned that, in addition to “activating the settlements,” the project also aims to work on memory and identity.
Until November 2026, researchers and specialists will work with communities, schools, and local associations. The histories surrounding these sites and the memories of those living there will be collected.
José Carvalho revealed that a constantly updated website will be created, which will feature the “Atlas of the Barroso Settlements”; new routes between the settlements that could become a new tourist attraction will be developed, and a documentary will be filmed.
João Fonte explained that this atlas will function like Google Maps, where by clicking on a point, the information collected about the settlements, the virtual reconstructions, and oral memories will be available.
Later, in a subsequent phase, archaeological excavations may begin.
“For us, this is a very important project that complements the work we have already been doing,” Nuno Teixeira from the environmental and cultural association Celtiberus stated, highlighting that the initiative emphasizes the “cultural heritage, history, and memories of the people of the region,” noting that Boticas has enormous potential in terms of fortification heritage “that needs to be showcased.”
