{"id":960,"date":"2025-07-04T15:00:21","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T15:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mertola.buzzvel.work\/en\/research-and-news\/os-castros\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T18:00:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T18:00:35","slug":"os-castros","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/en\/research-and-news\/os-castros\/","title":{"rendered":"Discovering M\u00e9rtola to &#8216;activate&#8217; its historical heritage"},"content":{"rendered":" <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. What Are the Castros?<\/h2>   <p><strong>Castros<\/strong> are ancient fortified settlements dating back to the Iron Age, built between the 9th century BCE and the 1st century CE across various regions of the northwestern Iberian Peninsula. Typically situated on natural elevations\u2014such as hills, mounds, or mounts\u2014castros are notable for their defensive structures, including walls and ditches, as well as their circular or oval urban organization. (18px)<\/p>   <p><br>These settlements were the center of life for agro-pastoral communities, which developed an economy based on agriculture, livestock raising, and, in many cases, metallurgy. Their longevity and visible presence in today\u2019s landscapes make them a remarkable testimony to pre-Roman life on the Iberian Peninsula. (18px)<\/p>   <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. A History of Resistance and Transformation<\/h2>   <p>The development of castros is closely linked to the transition from nomadic to sedentary societies, at a time when communities sought stability, protection, and control over local resources. (18px)<\/p>   <p><br>These settlements were inhabited over centuries, sometimes resisting Roman influence, which began intensifying from the 2nd century BCE. Some castros were abandoned upon the arrival of the Romans; others were adapted, Romanized, or transformed into new administrative centers. (18px)<\/p>   <p><br>This cultural overlap contributes to the complexity and richness of the castro archaeological record. These are places where indigenous memory and imperial transformation coexist in visible historical layers. (18px)<\/p>  <div id=\"\" class=\"three-images-block\">\n      <div class=\"three-images-item\">\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ee6bcdbaf7235d4f0ea94632914a042573735af3-scaled.jpg\" class=\"three-images-img\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ee6bcdbaf7235d4f0ea94632914a042573735af3-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ee6bcdbaf7235d4f0ea94632914a042573735af3-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ee6bcdbaf7235d4f0ea94632914a042573735af3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ee6bcdbaf7235d4f0ea94632914a042573735af3-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ee6bcdbaf7235d4f0ea94632914a042573735af3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ee6bcdbaf7235d4f0ea94632914a042573735af3-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n<script>\n  const threeImagesBlock = document.querySelectorAll('.three-images-block');\n\n  const imagesClass = {\n    1: 'md:grid-cols-1',\n    2: 'md:grid-cols-2',\n  }\n\n  if (threeImagesBlock) {\n    threeImagesBlock.forEach(block => {\n      const images = block.querySelectorAll('.three-images-item').length;\n      \n      if (images && imagesClass[images]) {\n        block.classList.add(imagesClass[images]);\n      }\n\n    });\n  }\n<\/script>  <p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.<\/p>   <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Architecture, Daily Life, and Social Organization (40px)<\/h2>   <p>The structures of a castro reflect a high capacity to adapt to the natural environment and a relatively sophisticated social organization. (18px)<br>Settlements were generally surrounded by stone walls built with advanced techniques and featured controlled access points with reinforced entrances. Houses, often circular in plan, were built with stone walls and covered with vegetal materials such as thatch or straw. (18px)<br>Internally, castros were organized into family units, with living areas, storage spaces, animal enclosures, and communal areas. These elements reveal a vibrant communal life, with economic, ritual, and political ties, sometimes evidenced by finds such as cult objects, pottery, and metal tools. (18px)<\/p>   <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Barroso and the Castro Legacy (40px)<\/h2>   <p>The Barroso region, located in northern Portugal in today\u2019s municipalities of Montalegre and Boticas, is a true archaeological sanctuary of castros. (18px)<\/p>   <p><br>This territory, characterized by granite mountains, pastures, forests, and rivers, preserves dozens of identified castro sites, many of which remain largely unexcavated. The persistence of geographic isolation, combined with traditional ways of life, has allowed the preservation of many of these sites with little or no modern urban destruction. (18px)<\/p>   <p><br>The castros of Barroso tell a story of resistance, rootedness, and belonging. They are material testimonies to the temporal depth of human occupation and the community roots still expressed today in the region\u2019s agricultural and social practices\u2014earning recognition from the FAO as an Important Agricultural Heritage System (IAHS). (18px)<\/p>  <div id=\"\" class=\"three-images-block\">\n      <div class=\"three-images-item\">\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/066474e52f19d4cebfed4d88b706ac799e520f84-scaled.jpg\" class=\"three-images-img\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/066474e52f19d4cebfed4d88b706ac799e520f84-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/066474e52f19d4cebfed4d88b706ac799e520f84-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/066474e52f19d4cebfed4d88b706ac799e520f84-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/066474e52f19d4cebfed4d88b706ac799e520f84-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/066474e52f19d4cebfed4d88b706ac799e520f84-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/066474e52f19d4cebfed4d88b706ac799e520f84-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>    <\/div>\n      <div class=\"three-images-item\">\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-scaled.jpg\" class=\"three-images-img\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n<script>\n  const threeImagesBlock = document.querySelectorAll('.three-images-block');\n\n  const imagesClass = {\n    1: 'md:grid-cols-1',\n    2: 'md:grid-cols-2',\n  }\n\n  if (threeImagesBlock) {\n    threeImagesBlock.forEach(block => {\n      const images = block.querySelectorAll('.three-images-item').length;\n      \n      if (images && imagesClass[images]) {\n        block.classList.add(imagesClass[images]);\n      }\n\n    });\n  }\n<\/script>  <p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.<\/p>   <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. The Atlas of the Castros of Barroso: A Shared Knowledge Project (40px)<\/h2>   <p>The Atlas of the Castros of Barroso is an initiative to map, study, and disseminate information about the region\u2019s castros. This collaborative and scientific project aims to systematize existing knowledge, promote archaeological research, and encourage local community involvement in the valorization of this heritage. (18px)<\/p>   <p><br>Through the creation of an accessible digital repository, the Atlas provides detailed information on the location, characteristics, conservation status, and potential of each identified castro. (18px)<\/p>   <p><br>Additionally, it functions as an educational tool, allowing schools, cultural centers, visitors, and researchers to deepen their engagement with this historical legacy. The Atlas serves as a bridge between ancestral memory and contemporary challenges in heritage preservation. (18px)<\/p>  <div id=\"\" class=\"three-images-block\">\n      <div class=\"three-images-item\">\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-scaled.jpg\" class=\"three-images-img\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n<script>\n  const threeImagesBlock = document.querySelectorAll('.three-images-block');\n\n  const imagesClass = {\n    1: 'md:grid-cols-1',\n    2: 'md:grid-cols-2',\n  }\n\n  if (threeImagesBlock) {\n    threeImagesBlock.forEach(block => {\n      const images = block.querySelectorAll('.three-images-item').length;\n      \n      if (images && imagesClass[images]) {\n        block.classList.add(imagesClass[images]);\n      }\n\n    });\n  }\n<\/script> <div id=\"\" class=\"three-images-block\">\n      <div class=\"three-images-item\">\n      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-scaled.jpg\" class=\"three-images-img\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/8508a7df97b53c239663163d628181846af4190e-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n<script>\n  const threeImagesBlock = document.querySelectorAll('.three-images-block');\n\n  const imagesClass = {\n    1: 'md:grid-cols-1',\n    2: 'md:grid-cols-2',\n  }\n\n  if (threeImagesBlock) {\n    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Nunc vulputate libero et velit interdum, ac aliquet odio mattis.<\/div>\n                    <a class=\"showcase-btn-link btn-primary btn-primary--terracotta\" href=\"https:\/\/mertola.buzzvel.work\/investigacao-e-noticias\/os-castros\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">\n          <span>\n            Explore Now          <\/span>\n\n          <svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n            <path\n              d=\"M12 4.92505C12.1643 4.92505 12.2663 4.97355 12.3467 5.05396L18.9463 11.6536L18.9629 11.6692L18.9795 11.6838C18.9937 11.6957 19.0059 11.7085 19.0156 11.7229L19.0391 11.7717C19.0629 11.845 19.0752 11.9207 19.0752 12.0002C19.0752 12.0797 19.0633 12.147 19.043 12.2053C19.0292 12.2436 19.0016 12.2916 18.9463 12.3469L12.3467 18.9465C12.2663 19.0269 12.1643 19.0754 12 19.0754C11.8357 19.0754 11.7337 19.0269 11.6533 18.9465C11.5899 18.8831 11.5452 18.8062 11.5244 18.7004L11.5117 18.5852C11.5074 18.4255 11.5526 18.3295 11.6289 18.2532L17.3818 12.5002H5C4.84291 12.5002 4.73438 12.4524 4.64062 12.3586C4.5479 12.2659 4.50004 12.1578 4.5 12.0002C4.5 11.8425 4.54827 11.7336 4.6416 11.6399L4.64062 11.6389C4.73395 11.5466 4.84314 11.5002 5 11.5002H17.3818L16.5283 10.6467L11.6289 5.74634C11.5526 5.67004 11.5074 5.57472 11.5117 5.41528C11.5169 5.24649 11.569 5.13845 11.6533 5.05396C11.7337 4.97355 11.8357 4.92505 12 4.92505Z\"\n              fill=\"#0A0A0A\" stroke=\"white\" \/>\n          <\/svg>\n        <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n  <\/section>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1. What Are the Castros? Castros are ancient fortified settlements dating back to the Iron Age, built between the 9th century BCE and the 1st century CE across various regions of the northwestern Iberian Peninsula. Typically situated on natural elevations\u2014such as hills, mounds, or mounts\u2014castros are notable for their defensive structures, including walls and ditches,<a href=\"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/en\/research-and-news\/os-castros\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"sr-only\">&#8220;Discovering M\u00e9rtola to &#8216;activate&#8217; its historical heritage&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":958,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"autor":[],"class_list":["post-960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=960"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/960\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1605,"href":"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/960\/revisions\/1605"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=960"},{"taxonomy":"autor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rotamertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/autor?post=960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}