Archaeological Circuit of Castro da Cola, Ourique
Atalaia
37º35'43.80"N / 8º18'2.55"O
Free access
Reception and Interpretation Centre
Visits to this centre are free.
It closes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, January 1, Easter Sunday, and December 25.
Summer (May 1 to September 15) – 9.30 a.m.-12.30 p.m. / 3 p.m.-6.30 p.m.
Winter (September 16 to April 30) – 9.30 a.m.-12.30 p.m. / 2 p.m. -5.30 p.m.
About
Atalaia
The archaeological site of Atalaia corresponds to a necropolis with several nuclei composed of six different areas. It appeared during the Bronze Age and remained active until the Iron Age (2nd millennium B.C. to the 8th century B.C.). It is one of the most impressive sites of the Southwestern Bronze Age excavated in Southern Portugal.
Each nucleus consists of a cist or pit (individual tomb surrounded by schist slabs), where, quite probably, an individual highly ranked in the hierarchy of a small community was buried. This central grave was covered with a tumulus (artificial semi-circular mound), 6 meters wide, which stood out in the landscape and usually coronated the top of a small hill. While these necropolises were used, other funerary monuments (with one or two graves) appeared leaning against the main tomb, each with its own tumulus. This successive addition of new burial spaces to a main one led to the expression “ensembles with honeycomb-like tumulus”.
Access
Prepare your visit
The archaeological circuit has a Reception and Interpretation Centre near the Church of Nossa Senhora da Cola. It can be visited by people with reduced mobility (wheelchairs, baby strollers).
For more information, contact
colaassociacao@gmail.com / cacmb.ourique@gmail.com
Jorge Silva – 963090894
Support
RESEARCH
Bibliography & useful links
BEIRÃO, Caetano de Mello; CORREIA, Virgílio Hipólito (1994). Novos dados arqueológicos sobre a área de Fernão Vaz. In MANGAS, Julio; ALVAR, Jaime (eds.), Homenaje a José Maria Blázquez, vol. 1, Ediciones Clásicas, Madrid, pp. 285-302. Disponível em: Consultar Artigo Completo → [Consultado a 23/05/2023].
CORREIA, Susana; ALFENIM, Rafael (2001). Circuito Arqueológico da Cola. In Património / Estudos, n.º 1, Instituto Português do Património Arquitetónico, Lisboa, pp. 54-55.
CORREIA, Virgílio Hipólito; PARREIRA, Rui (2002). Roteiros da Arqueologia Portuguesa, 8 – Cola. Circuito Arqueológico. Instituto Português do Património Arquitectónico (IPPAR), Lisboa, pp. 36-39.
RAPOSO, Jorge (2001). Sítios arqueológicos visitáveis em Portugal. In Almadan. 2ª série: 10, Almada, pp. 100-157. Disponível em: Consultar Artigo Completo → [Consultado a 22 de março de 2023].
VILHENA, J. (2006). O Sentido da Permanência. As Envolventes do Castro da Cola nos 2º e 1º Milénios a.C.. Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada à Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa.
https://www.patrimoniocultural.gov.pt/pt/patrimonio/itinerarios/alentejo-algarve/02/
https://arqueologia.patrimoniocultural.pt/index.php?sid=sitios&subsid=56002
http://www.monumentos.gov.pt/Site/APP_PagesUser/SIPA.aspx?id=34044
http://www.cm-ourique.pt/pt/menu/322/circuito-arqueologico-da-cola.aspx
https://www.atlas.cimal.pt/drupal/?q=pt-pt/node/342
https://www.museunacionalarqueologia.gov.pt/wp-content/uploads/Cat-A-Idade-Bronze-Portugal-COMP.pdf