(De)constructing the Iron Age and Roman Landscape of Citânia de Sanfins (Portugal)
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 04/12/2020

The study of landscape is a fundamental step in the structural process of interpreting the life of past communities. It is the stage of diverse and complex dynamics that occurred at several levels such as political, economic, social and symbolic and left their imprint on the landscape. In this paper we present a process of deconstructing the landscape using the infinite possibilities that geospatial tools give us, to better understand those complex dynamics that happened in the Iron Age and Roman landscape of Citânia de Sanfins. And present the construction of an interpretative model based on the preexisting data, especially bibliographic data, and the data obtained by archaeological survey and the usage of the geospatial tools. To do so we established a physiographic unit of the territory that comprehends the natural limits, where the hillfort of Citânia de Sanfins is located. Within this territory we defined two micro units based on the characteristics of the territory, that we were able to study individually applying different sets of analysis, for instance locational, accessibility, mobility and visibility so that in the next step we could study this area at a macro level. This process allowed us to observe the diachronic and synchronic relationships displayed in this territory between the final stage of the Iron Age and the romanization process and establishment, also relate them to political, social, economic and spatial macro logics.


Sílvia Maciel, Rebeca Blanco-Rotea, Natália Botica, Manuela Martins