The Fortified Chalcolithic Settlement of Outeiro Redondo (Sesimbra, Portugal). An Account of the Excavations Conducted between 2005 and 2016

Résumé

This paper presents a synthesis of the results obtained during the eight archaeological field seasons conducted at the prehistoric fortified settlement of Outeiro Redondo(Sesimbra) between 2005 and 2016. According to the results of the radiocarbon analyses, the occupation of the site can be dated to between 2600 and 2100 cal BC. During these ca. 500 years of human presence on that rocky hill, dominating the bay of Sesimbra, a mighty defensive system was built, using large blocks of locally available hard limestones, with an ellipsoidal plan and surrounding the highest part of the hill. This walled line defended an area occupied by several circular or ellipsoidal habitational structures, accompanied by several combustion structures, in some cases used for copper metallurgy, a very well documented economic activity at this site. The joint analysis of the absolute chronology, the stratigraphic sequence, the typology of the recovered archaeological assemblages and the construction sequence of both habitational and defensive structures, supports the following correlations: First cultural phase – Early Chalcolithic (2600–2500 cal BC): scarce metallurgical evidence; ceramic production with fluted decoration; absence of defensive structures; habitational structures represented by sub-circular huts and structured hearths. Short occupation hiatus (which might be only partial), perhaps of one or two decades, following a major fire that destroyed the most densely populated part of the settlement, corresponding to the platform located on its eastern side. Second cultural phase – Full/Final Chalcolithic (2440–2110 cal BC): strong evidence of copper metallurgy; ceramics with ›acacia leaf‹ and ›cruciferae‹ decorative patterns; defensive structures built during a single construction phase; ellipsoidal huts and structured hearths.