The Islamic Neighbourhood, Mértola
House I
Tuesday to Sunday
Morning: 9:10 AM to 12:30 PM / Afternoon: 2:00 PM to 5:20 PM;
Closed on Mondays and on national holidays (January 1st, May 1st, Easter Sunday,
and December 25th), and on December 24th (Christmas Eve).
About
House I
Located in an alley in the far North of the Almohad neighbourhood, so-called House I has approximately 79.38 m2. A spacious atrium, with unaligned passageways, connected the street to the house's inner courtyard.
In the Eastern area, a twinned door, possibly topped with horseshoe arches, led to a large room with a platform that provided warmth and comfort to the house owners to the North. Next to it, a smaller compartment served several purposes, including the daily jobs of the women, such as spinning and weaving.
We find the kitchen and the latrine on the Western side of the house, which leans against the town’s wall. The kitchen has a fire area paved with tiles and a space used as a pantry with brick flooring. The latrine, also paved with brick, has a narrow bulkhead to preserve privacy and an aperture, which the residents used for their physiological needs. This small opening was connected to a sanitation pipeline that discharged in an area outside the city walls. The archaeological excavation of this room identified a water jar and a basin which the residents used for their hygiene.
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Bibliography & useful links
GÓMEZ MARTÍNEZ, Susana, coord. (2014). Museu de Mértola. Catálogo Geral, Campo Arqueológico de Mértola, Mértola, pp. 64-83.
MACIAS, Santiago (2005). Mértola: O último porto do Mediterrâneo. Catálogo da exposição Mértola – história e património: séculos V-XIII, 3 vols., Campo Arqueológico de Mértola, Mértola.
PALMA, Maria de Fátima; COSTA, Miguel Reimão; GÓMEZ MARTÍNEZ, Susana; LOPES, Virgílio; ROSADO, Ana Costa (2018). As casas de Mértola. Dois mil anos de formas de habitar. Arqueologia Medieval, 14, Edições Afrontamento, Porto, pp. 63-75.