IGAEDIS – The historical village of Idanha-a-Velha: city, territory and population in ancient times (1st century BC. 12th century AD)
PTDC/HAR-ARQ/6273/2020
Research Unit: IEM-NOVA FCSH
Participant Institutions: Idanha-a-Nova Municipal Council; University of Coimbra and NOVA University
Lead Researchers: Pedro C. Carvalho and Catarina Tente
Research Team: Tomás Cordero Ruiz, Brais X. Currás, Ricardo Costeira da Silva, Adolfo Fernández, Patrícia Dias, José Cristóvão, Gabriel de Souza, Sofia Tereso, João Pedro Tereso, José Ruivo, Vera Pereira, Lídia Fernandes, Armando Redentor, Catarina Meira, Bruno Franco Moreno, Paulo Almeida Fernandes and Saul Gomes
Duration: 2017 – active
The IGAEDIS – The historical village of Idanha-a-Velha: city, territory and population in ancient times (1st century BC. – 12th century AD), project was one of three archaeological projects to receive financing in the last call for tenders in all scientific domains of the FCT (2020 Call for SR&TD Project Grants). The project results from a partnership between the University of Coimbra, NOVA University, Idanha-a-Nova Municipal Council and the Centro Regional Directorate of Culture. The now financed project is led by Pedro C. Carvalho of CEIS 20/UC and by Catarina Tente of IEM /NOVA FCSH and brings together a multidisciplinary and international team from different national and international institutional backgrounds. The team shall collectively strive to deepen the study of the historical Idanha-a-Velha village (Idanha-a-Nova Council), that was formerly a capital city (Roman), capital of a diocese (Suevi-Visigoth) and also a key strategic settlement for the Templars. The Historical Village, a National Monument, where today around 50 people life, was perhaps the most important location in current Portuguese inland regions, between the Tagus and the Douro, throughout almost 1,200 years. The village hosts important monuments of this historical legacy.
The project seeks to expand the scale of intervention of a preceding project (2016-2019) and holds the following objectives: 1) characterise the urban evolution of the classical city and its territories in a diachronic approach (from the 1st century BC to the 12th century); 2) understanding patterns of production and consumption in the city and its hinterland; 3) studying the historical populations residing here. Methodologically, the study of the classical city is leveraged by the archaeological excavation plan undertaken in the areas constituting key public spaces and shall enable particular cultural/commercial contacts and the production and consumption of goods, both foodstuffs and other daily objects. The long term study of the territory focuses on the settlement strategies and the exploitation of resources and carried out in a systematic and integrated approach, making recourse to SIG analysis, remote detection and prospecting.
The study of historical populations involves analysis of the remains recovered from necropolis, including the anthropological study of the osteological remains as well as chemical analysis to ascertain dietary and mobility patterns in addition to extracting and sequencing of the DNA.
Another strength derives from the dissemination and the social returns of this knowledge. This requires involving the local population, especially the schools, in this heritage that belongs to them, contributing to strengthening their identity and social cohesion.