MTAS
The orientation of the MTAS proposal is to adopt a long-term diachronic perspective, prioritising certain aspects without neglecting others.
Proposing Institution
Institute of Earth and Memory
Research Unit
Centre for Geosciences (CGeo, University of Coimbra)
Participating Institutions
Institute of Archaeology of Mérida (IAM-CSIC)
Institute of Prehistoric Studies (ACINEP)
University of Coimbra (UC)
University of Trento (UniTN)
Durham University (UniD)
Researchers
Luiz Oosterbeek (PI), Anabela Borralheiro, Chris Scarre, Cristiana Ferreira, Darko Stojanovski, Davide Delfino, Enrique Cerrillo Cuenca, Ethe Allué, Fernando Coimbra, Francesc Burjachs, Hipólito Collado, Hugo Gomes, Jorge Cristóvão, Lídia Catarino, Mário Ferreira, Nelson J. Almeida, Palmira Saladié Ballesté, Pierluigi Rosina, Rita Anastácio, Rui Pena dos Reis, Sara Cura, Sara Garcês, Stefano Grimaldi.
The MTAS project (PTDC/EPH-ARQ/4356/2014), funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (2016–2019), builds upon information previously gathered by several research teams and specialists. It focuses on four main objectives considered essential for producing up-to-date knowledge on the last hunter-gatherer groups and the first production-based economies:
- Occupation patterns
- Stratigraphic revision and acquisition of new data
- Lithic economies
- Settlement characterisation
The orientation of the MTAS proposal is to adopt a long-term diachronic perspective, prioritising certain aspects without neglecting others. The geographical focus is Alto Ribatejo, a transitional region between the interior and the coastal areas of the Iberian Peninsula.
Due to its geographical position and geological units, Alto Ribatejo has been intensively studied and surveyed, mainly in areas known for intensive human occupation, such as river valleys and the Limestone Massif.
Other landscape units, namely the Hesperian Massif and the Tagus Basin, have generally been considered secondary, resulting in a pattern of intensive occupation in some areas (the Limestone Massif, where cave-necropolis sites predominate) and only sporadic evidence in others (with the exception of megalithism).
As observed in other inland regions of both Portugal and Spain, important sites have nevertheless been identified, with chronologies ranging from the Epipalaeolithic to the Early Neolithic (e.g. Santa Cita, Fontes, Amoreira).
In light of this, human dynamics may appear biased due to factors related to the history of surface surveys and the methodologies employed. We propose that the most effective way to improve the understanding of occupation and exploitation patterns in Alto Ribatejo is through intensive survey strategies that prioritise less-studied areas (the Tagus Basin and the Hesperian Massif), while not neglecting the remaining areas (the Limestone Massif).
The data collected will be integrated with information resulting from studies conducted over the last three decades into a publicly accessible Geoportal.
The MTAS project aims to update existing knowledge on the dynamics of Neolithisation in Alto Ribatejo, which will be prioritised, while also addressing the immediately preceding and subsequent periods.
Project Evaluation and Outcomes
The project PTDC/EPH-ARQ/4356/2014 – Final Report APPROVED – was positively evaluated, with the scientific objectives being fully achieved. The results demonstrate a high level of scientific quality, particularly in terms of publications in peer-reviewed international journals. The project also contributed significantly to the training of early-career researchers and to the international visibility of the research team involved.
Read more about the project PTDC/EPH-ARQ/4356/2014
The project PTDC/EPH-ARQ/4356/2014, entitled Moving Tasks Across Shapes: the Agro-Pastoralist Spread Towards and From the Alto Ribatejo, focuses on the long diachronic perspective of the Middle Tagus region, ranging from the Epipalaeolithic and Mesolithic to the Bronze Age, with particular emphasis on the transition from hunter-gatherer communities to the first agricultural societies.
The project addressed settlement models, supported by the acquisition of new fieldwork data obtained through the re-excavation of three archaeological sites, alongside the study of lithic economies and the characterisation of populations using DNA and stable isotope analyses.
Formally structured into four independent components, the final report covers: (i) the description of strategic activities; (ii) final scientific results; (iii) outputs; and (iv) a summary of the financial report.
The first component addressed settlement concepts, particularly those related to implantation and visibility, comparing Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Bronze Age sites, including caves, megalithic monuments, settlements, workshops and rock art, grouped into three major categories. In parallel, a GIS-based database and an open-access geoportal were developed.
Another major axis of the project focused on the acquisition of new data through stratigraphic revision and chronometric dating of several sites, including the (re)excavation of Gruta do Cadaval, Gruta do Morgado Superior and Anta 1 de Val da Laje, as well as the identification of Anta da Lajinha and Salvador during the project. The results suggest a clear discontinuity between Epipalaeolithic and Early Neolithic occupations, as well as between these and the Final Neolithic contexts.
The data also revealed a long diachrony of rock art, ranging from semi-naturalistic zoomorphic representations to later schematic styles dominated by anthropomorphic and geometric motifs.
Regarding lithic economies, macroscopic analyses suggested patterns of raw material procurement, complemented by significant results from residue analyses on ceramics from Anta 1 de Val da Laje. The analysed contexts confirm the lack of continuity between Epipalaeolithic and Mesolithic communities, while also identifying two distinct technological and architectural traditions in Early Neolithic contexts, confirming earlier hypotheses proposed in 2013.
The project further recognised the presence of a clear coastal epicardial tradition in the Tagus Valley, albeit without a direct connection to the fluvial megalithic tradition, suggesting broader patterns of mobility.
In terms of outputs, the project produced a remarkable number of publications, including the 500-page volume: Oosterbeek, L.; Pereira, T.; Almeida, N.J. (2020). Moving Tasks Across Shapes. Reassessing the Mechanisms of the Agropastoralist Spread in Central Portugal. Mação: Instituto Terra e Memória, ARKEOS series, vol. 50.
A total of 11 books were published (four initially expected), many by international publishers, including Oxford-based presses, alongside five additional volumes in the ARKEOS series. The number of international articles and book chapters far exceeded expectations, reaching 33 publications, compared to the ten originally planned.
Conference presentations, reports, doctoral and master’s theses also surpassed projected targets. Although the planned exhibition MTAS – Moving Tasks Across Shapes and the final seminar could not be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project achieved substantial national and international visibility.
