Archaeology Magazine - July/August 1984 - 75

Passport
continued from page 65
natural hollowat the foot of the acropolis.
Coimbra and Conimbriga
As you drive 120miles north of Lisbon
toward Coimbra and the Conimbriga
ruins, it's worthwhile to detour through
Nazaré, where picturesque seafaring
inhabitants evoke their ancient Phoenician forebears. Coimbra, a powerful city
under Rome, has a fine collection of
archaeologicalmaterial in the Municipal
Museum, which is also an archaeological
conservation training center.
Conimbriga on a triangular spur nine
miles southwest of Coimbra is the largest
site excavated in Portugal. Its first
known people were the Conii, a preCeltic tribe who lived there until the
Roman conquest. Roman occupation
lasted from 150 b.c. to A.D.465.
Begin your tour with the site museum
for ceramics, extraordinary mosaics and
sculpture discovered during the dig.
Entering the reborn city, you'll walk
along a Roman road that linked the
centers of Braga (Bracara) and Lisbon
(Olissipo). Imagine yourself a guest
in the sumptuous villa known as the
House of the Fountains as you stroll
the mosaic-carpeted floors, recline in the
sitting-dining room, or sleep in the small
bedroom. Visit the aqueduct, monumental public baths, temple to Augustus,
and craftsmen's quarter.
Braga and Briteiros
Continuing northward to Braga,
you'll pass Oporto, reputed to have been
founded by Noah. Certainly by 2000
b.c. the Douro River had attracted a
settlement, later called Cale. Cale's
fishermen moored boats on the opposite
bank, calling it "portus." Portus and Cale
combined names, and eventually the
nation itself came to be called Portugal.
Braga, 30 miles north of Oporto, is
home to Boston University's archaeological field school. Artifacts from the
important Roman settlement of Bracara
Augusta are displayed in the Biblioteca
Pública. The region around Braga is
dotted with hilltop towns (castros) surrounded by walls (citânias) built mainly
between 800-600b.c. by Indo-Europeanspeaking Celts who intermarried with
local people. Stop at the museum of the
Society of Martins Sarmento in Guimarães to see granite sculptures- selfportraits of these Lusitanian warriorsimpressive stonework, weapons, and
utensils excavated at Citânia de Briteiros
and Sabroso during the 1850s.
Briteiros rises dramatically above an
1,100-foot-highhill, its stone houses built
along a grid of streets surrounded by a
triple stone wall. Tworound houses have
been reconstructed (houses were also oval
or square). Vents in stone blocks allowed
smoke to escape- necessary because the
houses lacked windows. House doors
sometimes had decoratively carved

jambs and usually had porches. Abutting corrals often had sliding stone doors
and stone rings for tethering animals.
Tombs were closed with huge reliefcarved stone slabs with semi-circular
openings at the base to pass offerings to
the dead.
From Sabroso, crowning the summit
of a hill 1.5 miles southwest of Briteiros,
you'll have a superb view. Excavation
shows occupation at least 500 years
before the Romans. Sabroso's settlement
of mostly round houses was protected
by a wall built of huge Cyclopean stones.
Portugal is well known for being one of
the great bargain spots of Europe where
sea, sun and tranquility make travel a
joy- no visa needed. Benn's Blue Guide
is highly recommended; it contains the
most complete information on archaeology, history, art, and culture of Portugal. The Portuguese National Tourist
Offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Montreal, and New York will gladly advise
and supply free maps and brochures.
TAP Air Portugal will also give general
information and brochures describing
their inexpensive package tours. TAP's
flights (round-trip fare starts at $509)
take off four times weekly from New
York to Lisbon and twice weekly from
Montreal.
Check with your travel agent for other
special values. For example, if you fly
transatlantic with them before the end
of 1984, Iberia will include car rental for
little extra. Eurailpass is excellent and Portugal's special Tourist Ticket can send
you comfortably around the country by
train. Bus travel is good and low cost.
Local ferries operate at several places.
Taxis are plentiful, but if you take one
outside Lisbon remember that the driver
is entitled to charge return fare even if
you don't return with him.
Roads are good and rental cars convenient. Driving is on the right and your
own driver's license is acceptable; be sure
all paperwork is in order and that you
have plenty of insurance. Another possibility is to hire a car with a driver. To
arrange for a knowledgeable guide,
contact the Syndicate of Tourist Guides,
Rua Telhai 4, Lisbon 1900, tel. 367-170.
Cost for guiding up to 20 people will be
about $45 daily.
Accommodations are available in
hotels of all categories, private homes
(even mansions! ), spas, or youth hostels.
But your most memorable stays are sure
to be in pousadas , government inns
housed in historic buildings, castles,
palaces, monasteries, and gracious man
ors where you can enjoy traditional
culture at seaside or country sites that
are often overwhelmingly beautiful. Just
be sure to reserve as far ahead as possible- pousadas are popular.
Portuguese explorers seeking wealth
discovered much of the known world.
Today archaeological sites of great
wealth await discovery by the sophisticated traveler to Portugal.

vsii

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1984
July/August

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Archaeology Magazine - July/August 1984

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