Largo de Santa Cruz do Castelo 6-7 (Lisbon, Portugal)

Largo de Santa Cruz do Castelo is located at the top of São Jorge Castle Hill, corresponding to the primary nucleus of Iron Age occupation in Lisbon. The archaeological excavations conducted at Building 6–7 between 2015 and 2016 led by S. Guerra, allowed the identification of a long diachrony of occupation, starting in the 7th century BC and extending to the present day (Sousa and Guerra 2018, in press; Guerra and Sousa 2021).

Regarding the Iron Age phase, it is worth highlighting the excellent state of preservation of the structures, characterized using stone foundations forming securely orthogonal plans, upon which walls in cob and adobe were erected. Significant artifact assemblages were associated with various constructive moments between the 7th and 4th centuries BC, exceeding a thousand diagnosable specimens. Along with the architectural elements and construction techniques, these artifacts reflect the predominance of Phoenician-Western cultural traditions of the communities that lived in this space (Sousa 2018).

The data recovered at Largo de Santa Cruz 6-7 should be interpreted as part of an integrated space within the urban occupation nucleus that developed along the elevation where the Castle is currently located. The limits of this urban space during the Iron Age varied between 11 and 15 hectares, making it one of the largest settlements on the Portuguese coast (Arruda 1999-2000; Sousa 2014). Unfortunately, the nearly uninterrupted urban dynamics of this space until today limit our knowledge of the city's earlier phases. This intervention's stratigraphic, architectural, and material data assume a unique value in reconstructing these more remote moments.  

References:

Arruda, A. M. (1999-2000): Los Fenicios en Portugal. Fenicios y mundo indígena en el centro y sur de Portugal (siglos VIII-VI a.C.). Barcelona: Universidad Pompeu Fabra.

Guerra, S.; Sousa, E.  (2021): Intervenções no Largo de Santa Cruz do Castelo 6-7: dados preliminares sobre a ocupação da Idade do Ferro. In II Encontro de Arqueologia de Lisboa. Atas. Lisboa: Centro de Arqueologia de Lisboa e Câmara Municipal de Lisboa, p. 11-35.

Sousa, E. (2014): A ocupação pré-romana da foz do Estuário do Tejo. Lisboa: Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa.

Sousa, E. (2018): A tale of two (?) cities: Lisbon and Almaraz at the dawn of the Iron Age. Rivista di Studi Fenici, 46, p. 137-151.

Sousa, E.; Guerra, S. (2018): A presença fenícia em Lisboa: novos vestígios descobertos no alto da colina do Castelo de São Jorge. Saguntum, 50, p. 57-88. DOI: 10.7203/SAGVNTVM.50.10636

Sousa, E.; Guerra, S. (no prelo): A ocupação da Idade do Ferro de Lisboa (Portugal): novos dados sobre as intervenções realizadas no Largo de Santa Cruz do Castelo.