But more than that. Carefully analyzed, it
revealed something I have suggested before: that the eyes had inlays of small
stones (looks likes a quartz stone) fixed with a “white clay”.
Excavations 2024
This is a temporary blog for presenting the excavations at Perdigões. Posts from 2011 to 2023 are available.
Wednesday, 13 August 2014
069 – Post scriptum
At the office, comparing material from this year excavation with materials from previous campaigns, a head of an ivory figurine collected this year found its body collected two years ago.
In fact, the large and deep eye holes from
other figurines of the type suggested that they may have inlayed material to
give a more dramatic expression to the faces. That idea seems now to be true,
at least in some of those figurines. More detailed analyses will now be done.
Saturday, 9 August 2014
Friday, 8 August 2014
067 – New feature type
In sector Q a new type of feature,
previously unknown in Perdigões, was recorded this year.
At the NW of survey 1 we have an overlapping
of several structures. After some Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic pits, a large
and apparently circular structure, with a depth of 30/40 cm, was excavated in
the bedrock, cutting the previous features. Inside, at one meter from that
cutting interface and running parallel to it, there was a narrow ditch. With a
circular shape, it was defined in a quarter of a circle (also cutting previous
structures), suggesting a structure with 8 m of diameter. Inside the ditch
there were stones that might been used to sustained post.
It is soon to interpret this structure,
but, being partially excavated in the bedrock, it seems to be a positive
feature. Maybe a hut or maybe a small enclosed space of a different nature.
Next year we will enlarge the survey in this area, for this is an important
structure to understand in Perdigões.
Thursday, 7 August 2014
066 – Ditch 7
To get to the bottom was an objective. But layers like these make it
impossible. Layers of stones, pottery and faunal remains like this one take a
lot of time to define and record. To
understand the filling processes of ditches is not cheap.
But when they are present and well recorded,
we can appreciate the complexity and intentionality of filling processes. And
that is food for thought.
Wednesday, 6 August 2014
065 – A Button?
It is a cylinder made of polished ivory
and it has a V shape perforation in the middle. It looks like one of those
buttons of some winter coats, but much longer. Is it really a button or
something else?
One thing is certain. Is the first ivory
object contextualized recovered at Perdigões not associated with funerary contexts.
It comes from Chalcolithic ditch 7.
Tuesday, 5 August 2014
064 – After about 4500 years…
… it was lifted from the bed of stones where it was put,
probably with a similar care, but certainly with a different meaning.
And next to it there was a half plate. Especially
for those who realize the importance of fragmentation and of half parts for
these communities.
Monday, 4 August 2014
063 – Daily tasks
Recording at the field…
… and cleaning and classifying materials at
home.
Daily tasks of an archaeological
excavation that is made of something else besides interesting or spectacular findings.
Sunday, 3 August 2014
062 – Excavating pit 50…
… on a quiet Saturday afternoon. The pot deposited over a layer of small stones and, in the next layer, fragments of plate, possibly corresponding to an half part.
Saturday, 2 August 2014
061 – Here comes the Sun… or a comet
Some jump into the interpretation of a Sun
representation. Others argue that some may represent comets.
I just listen to the arguments and start
to be convinced that these depictions may represent a variety of astronomic
events.
And this shard, from Perdigões
Chalcolithic ditch 7 and collected yesterday, may very well sugest a tail and
the shining (dots inside the circle) of a comet.
Found especially for you, Paulo.
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