The Archaeology of Vila do Bispo, Algarve
On Tuesday 2nd December, the Algarve Archaeological Association (AAA) will be presenting two lectures, in English, by Archaeologists Ricardo Soares and Ramiro Santos. The first lecture will be at 2.30pm at the Museu do Traje in São Bras de Alportel, the second lecture will be at 6pm at the Convento de São José in Lagoa.
In this lecture, Ricardo Soares and Ramiro Santos aim to convey the importance of the Carta Arqueológica do Concelho de Vila do Bispo (Archaeological Map of the Municipality of Vila do Bispo) as a municipal research project which involved the cataloguing and mapping of the archaeological sites and artefacts found and excavated within the territory of Vila do Bispo, Algarve. In 2014 the AAA contributed to this project by supporting an archaeology student involved in the process. The resulting map is important for deriving the historical sequence of human presence in the Vila do Bispo territory and the project is a driver of knowledge as well as a tool for heritage management and enhancement. Ricardo and Ramiro will lead us through this long journey which spans 35,000 years, with stops along the way at the most significant archaeological sites in the landscape with vestiges and monuments that are especially representative of each archaeological and historical period or episode. Particular focus will be given to the menhirs of Vila do Bispo, as a pioneering and distinctive mark of a process of Neolithisation and megalithic monumentalisation that spread to various cultural landscapes in Western Europe. In 2002 the AAA supported the publication of a book on the menhirs in Vila do Bispo.
Ricardo Soares was born in Setúbal in 1974 and has lived in Vila do Bispo since 2014. He is an archaeologist, museologist, speleologist and photographer. Serving the Municipality and Community of Vila do Bispo, from an archaeological, historical and anthropological perspective, he has dedicated the last decade to the relentless investigation of the sequence of human occupation of the territory of Sagres, the ancient Mediterranean Finisterre. He has promoted and participated in various projects and initiatives for education, communication and sharing of local heritage, mainly dedicated to the community. He was responsible for the museological project of the Vila do Bispo Museum – Celeiro da História, which opened to the public in January 2024.
Ramiro Santos was born in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1991, but grew up between the city of Lagos and the countryside of Vila do Bispo, where he developed a strong connection to nature, history and local heritage. An archaeologist, fisherman and hiking guide, he has been dedicated to serving the community as an employee of the Municipality of Vila do Bispo since 2022. He has been working in the areas of Natural and Cultural Heritage and Scientific Research, where he participates in study, conservation and dissemination projects. He was part of the founding team of the Vila do Bispo Museum - Celeiro da História.
Non-members are welcome to attend AAA lectures for a 5-euro admission fee, with all money raised by the AAA being used for archaeological grants and speakers. For more information contact
aW5mbyAhIGFsZ2FydmVhcnF1ZW8gfCBnbWFpbCAhIGNvbQ==, visit arquealgarve.weebly.com or Facebook 'Algarve Archaeological Association'. Please check the website or Facebook page for any last-minute changes.
Also check out other Trips & Adventurous Activities in Loulé.
