Ourique: History Center works reveal past.
The rehabilitation works of the Ourique Historic Town Center, accompanied by a team of archaeologists, They brought to light a number of important patrimonial testimonies revealing the history of Ourique, of the population and its community habits of yesteryear.
In the framework of the development of the territory's recovery intervention of the Ourique Historic Town Center, on the access roads to the "castle" were discovered over 100 medieval silos. These silos are carved cavities in underground rock, with shapes similar to pulleys and with dimensions ranging from depths of 1,00 m. and 3,76 m. and diameters between 0,70 m. and 2,40 meters.
Seconds archaeologists, originally, these silos or bread pits, as they are referred to in documents of the time, They were used as cereal containers. From the XVI / XVII, with the abandonment of this storage function, They began to be used as domestic refuse. Is this the reason why the silos were found traces of kitchen wares, tableware table, glasses, shells, various animal bones and metal objects such as a sword, pins, rings, coins, buttons and thimbles.
another location, in the Town Hall Square, They were found the foundations of a large building, corresponding possibly to the Church that existed until the eighteenth century. In the surrounding of that church, as was common practice until about a century, it was discovered the ancient cemetery, having already identified archaeological work
next to 20 skeletons buried supine (belly up) and facing east, as Christian funeral rites.
After the excavations, the work will continue with treatment, analysis and study of archaeological materials collected, to obtain more information about the past Ouriquense.
During the field work has been carried out 3D models of archaeological finds from photogrammetric surveys, that will allow the digital presentation of silos and graves, an impulse that will result in better conditions for development of the historical heritage and its public disclosure.
Opportunely, the Municipality of Ourique, the ATALAIA-Association of Friends of Culture and Arts, developing the archaeological work, and Archeology Center Caetano de Mello Beirão, publicly present the archaeological findings.
Aware of the importance of memory in shaping the identity of a community and of a territory, the Ourique Municipality will continue to combine their actions in the past, the present and the future.
