Campo de Trabalho Internacional da Gruta da Avecasta - Agosto de 2022

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Dando continuidade ao programa de escavação, estudo e musealização virtual da gruta-povoado da Avecasta, a Double-u Replay reabre entre 1 e 12 Agosto o campo arqueológico, sob a tripla tutela da DGPC, da CMFZ e do IPJD.

Os trabalhos serão dirigidos por José Mateus e Paula Queiroz (responsáveis pelo sítio arqueológico) com a cooperação de Artur Mateus e Denise Silva. Prevê-se a continuação da escavação na área da sondagem central (sectores A e C), cobrindo níveis medievais e de Época Romana (quando a gruta albergava uma unidade artesanal de fundição do ferro) e ainda níveis da aldeia da Idade do Cobre (igualmente com estruturas metalúrgicas de fundição).

Os trabalhos de desmontagem arqueológica implicam escavação minuciosa com registo exaustivo dos achados e vestígios, tirando partido das novas tecnologias 3D. São complementados pela crivagem dos sedimentos (em peneiros de malha fina, média e larga) e seu escrutínio sistemático sob lupa binocular para recolha de microfauna, carvões, sementes, e outras micro-vestígios. Haverá ainda lugar a algum trabalho de tratamento sumário do espólio recolhido.

Os participantes terão oportunidade (para além do contacto com a diversidade dos 'materiais arqueológicos') de ser introduzidos às metodologias arqueológicas de escavação e registo e ainda ao caleidoscópio de disciplinas arqueométricas, bio-arqueológicas e paleoecológicas que integram o programa de estudo deste sítio fantástico. Esta aprendizagem informal acontece durante o trabalho normal da jornada ou em sessões especiais de formação, ao fim do dia e ao sábado.

Finalmente os participantes serão convidados a participar de várias actividades lúdico-criativas extra-escavação (como música, jogos de tabuleiro, sketching (desenho expedito), exploração botânica), para além de visitas a locais de interesse turístico-cultural e recreativo no concelho de Ferreira de Zêzere, nomeadamente Dornes, Lago Azul, Areias, Aldeia da Avecasta.

As refeições (à excepção do pique-nique de almoço, na gruta) terão lugar no Centro de Reabilitação Infantil de Ferreira do Zêzere (CRIFZ) e as dormidas (em amplas camaratas, servidas de duches quentes) no Centro de Actividades Escutistas de FZ (ver fotos)
Os custos de logística serão suportados pela organização com o apoio do IPJD e Câmara Municipal de Ferreira do Zêzere. Haverá um seguro para os participantes,

The Avecasta Cave-Settlement International Archaeological Working Camp is taken place in Central Portugal (Areias - Ferreira do Zêzere (FZ)) under the scientific coordination of the inter-disciplinary research team of the Double-u Replay Association - WR (led by José Mateus and Paula Queiroz) and the full support of the Ferreira do Zêzere Municipality. The archaeological site is unique: a vast (hall-shaped) cave, its associated karts doline (on a densely wild forested hill) which has been occupied for many centuries, mostly from the Neolithic till the dawn of the Modern Age - a unique collection of overlapping villages extraordinarily well preserved in muddy clay. The excavation is meticulous, dismounting layer by layer the ancient dwelling ground-surfaces with their domestic and artisanal structures and implies a plural scientific approach, where natural sciences, physical-chemistry (archaeometry) and geomatics (3D registration and virtualization) join the traditional archaeological disciplines

The work implies: meticulous (but technically simple) digging in clayey sand (with fine tools, such as trowels and brushes); drawing sketches (for the occurrence of the findings) on top of photographic prints of excavated soil surfaces (or as CAD-layers on digital images on tablets); collecting ancient artifacts on bags with adequate labeling and packaging (according to fragility); taking photos of the findings “in situ”; Sieving the sediments (collected in buckets) under hose water-jet (on a protected shadowed sieving installation, just outside the cave) for collecting the interesting small objects (previously unnoticed during digging); cleaning artifacts and unique identification labelling; Screening micro-fossil assemblages (seeds, charcoal, micro-mammal bones) under stereo microscopes. All participants will experience all the activities on a turn-basis schedule.

Avecasta is a rich field-laboratory where the participants will have the opportunity to have direct contact with many diverse archaeological findings from many epochs and domains of ancient craftwork, such as ceramic shards, lithic and bone tools, metallic objects, bones (from domestic and wild macro & microfauna), as well as seeds and charcoal. They will learn about the new interdisciplinary research strategies (namely archaeometry, palynology, macropalaeobotany, micro-faunal analysis, provenance analysis, traceology) and their on-going museographic re-creative and edutainment outreach strategies.

The Ferreira do Zêzere region is full of beautiful sites to visit and enjoy during the daily spare time of the archaeological campaign. With the logistic support of the Ferreira do Zêzere Municipality and under the WR (hosting organization) assistance and guidance we will visit the Lago Azul (“Blue-Lake‘’ in the margins of the vast Zêzere river dam-lake), Dornes (the old riverine medieval settlement), and the Areias village (with its renaissance old church). Music, nature exploration, speleological introductory practice will be among the extra-work activities organized and monitored by the WR experienced team.

The Avecasta cave large-hall with its high vault (like a natural cathedral, frankly open to the exterior) is a very pleasant (and beautiful) place for staying and digging in day’s journeys. The atmosphere is always fresh (but dry in Summer) and inspired by the wild beautiful and dense oak forest around, which is part of a Nature Protected NATURA 2000 site. The modern village of Avecasta, nearby, is well preserved in what concerns traditional and old rural architecture.

Participants will stay overnight in the well-equipped installations of the Scouts Centre of the town (Ferreira do Zêzere), twenty minutes (by bus) from the Avecasta cave. They will use large collective dormitories with several bunk-beds which are supported by 8 WCs and 2 large bathrooms (masculine & feminine) with many (hot-water) showers. Breakfast and dinner will be served (around 8.00 and 19.00) in a well-equipped canteen (CRIFZ – with traditional Portuguese food but where a vegetarian choice may be previewed); Lunch (and tea-break in the afternoon) will be taken in the field (pick-nick) based on fruit, sandwiches and juices.

Participants should confine strictly to the daily time schedules (breakfast, transport, dinner) as the logistic support relies on precise timings and services from personal outside the scope of Double-u Replay. After 23.00h silence must prevail in the dormitories and associated installations.

The insurance covers: death or permanent invalidity by accident; treatment costs, medical transportation and repatriation (on accidents).