Les Andalouses

LES ANDALOUSES

It is a complete surprise to find next after the Portus Divini an almost fully equipped Phoenician/Punic/Berber settlement on a spot that is not so favourable at all. Why did the Phoenicians make or took over on this bay between the Cape Falcon and the Cape Lindless this settlement with no significant harbour. It is true: there are some little islands in front of it: Isle Plane and the isles Habibas. They were visited by the Phoenicians, because one has found Campanian pottery here from the 6^th century BC. A large settlement however was developed on the coast on both sides of the mouth of the Oued Sidi Hamadi. The reason why maybe the favourable agricultural possibilities, that were already exploited by the indigenous population. The site of Les Andalouses is located at the fertile plain some 30 km to the west of Oran.

It was identified by Ps.Skylax (111) as Mes in the 4^th century BC and in the Itinenario Antonius as Castra Puerorum, XVIII miles west of Portus Divini. If Mes is the same as Mής, then it could mean in Greek: to suck. Les Andalouses becomes: City of the sucking child? Castra Puerorum can be translated as Camp of the Children.

Necropoli.

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There are several cemeteries found. The necropolis of the east contains graves from the 4^th-2^nd century BC. Here we encounter different funeral rites and structures with dominant Iberian influences. To the west on the right side of the Oued Sidi Hamadi the tumuli are containing Punic findings from the 6^th century BC.

Settlement.

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Between these two cemeteries lies the Punic town of about 3 hectares in surface. It has a rectangular plan. The houses are built on stretched stones of tuff mingled with earth. The use of windows was known. The population is for a part indigenous with a strong Punic influence. Maybe it is better to speak of Liby-Phoenicians?

Findings in Les Andalouses.

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- Carthagian wheel-made pottery

- Iberian pottery

- lamps

- jewelry

- ostrich eggshells

- suction bottles for children!

- steles, for instance: Masop, the son of Negasen

- shells of the murex

- purple dyeing factories

- Numidian, Mauretan, Hispano-Phoenician coinage

- Graffiti, for instance neopunic on Campanian B vessel and: g’, ’Ṣ, ḥ, Ṣzg‘n, gnk.

- Inscriptions: MTNT S W.TG.RS = gift of Wartagars (2^nd cent.BC), URGHN (2^nd/1^st cent.BC), K?š (1^st cent.BC), Masop.

- Coins: from Gadir: gdr, from Almunecar: ṢkṢ, Vermina, Bocchus.

- Paintings on pottery.

This list is far from complete. An incredible amount of material has been found by G.Vuillemot. See: Reconnaissances aux échelles punique d’Oranie, Autun 1965 and Vestiges puniques aux Andalouses, BSGAO 1951.

There are separated quarters of the settlement:

Mingeonnet.

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Houses next to the sea. In the excavation here are 7 strata distinguishable.

1.Roman walls and Italic amphorae (2^nd cent.BC)

2.Destroyed house

3.Punic walls of unpolished stones and pottery

4.Punic amphorae and fars

5.Ash-layer

6.beginning of the settlement (end 4^th cent.BC)

7.virgin soil on 8.70 meters depth

Tassa.

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A late settlement (2^nd-1^st century BC).

We find here millstones, an oil press and mostly craft equipment and buildings.

Les Andalouses lived mostly on cattle-breeding (cows, horses, pigs, sheep, goats) and agriculture (grain and wine). For trade there were strong connections with the Iberian Peninsula.

The Romans came here only for a short period. They made a small settlement on the left bank of the Oued Sidi Hamadi. The settlements were abandoned by the end of the 1^st cent. BC. One can only guess for what reason and where did they go? Why giving up such a fertile region?  Just a castle remains here: Castrum Puerorum. We don’t know the Phoenician/Punic name for this location, but there is a big chance it has to do something with children.

ncfps

PORTUS DIVINI

PORTUS DIVINI

This is the gulf of Oran. From Arzew to Oran or Mers el Kebir it is a distance of 50-60 km (Itin.Ant.36 miles). That can be done with difficulty in a one-days-sailing. We can be short about Oran or Warhan (arab). Nothing pre-Roman has been found here. Only the name survived, if E.Lipinski is right in his explanation (Itineraria, p.411-412). Ps.Skylax mentions after Chalka (Quiza) the harbour Arylon (Αρύλων). This is not a Greek name, but Phoenician: ‘Ar-’ilon = Precinct of God. This noun is attested in a Phoenician inscription from Kition (Cyprus), where it designates the “precinct” of a temple. See: Fouilles de Kition III. Inscriptions phéniciennes, Nicosia 1977, C1, A6/7) by M.G.G.Amadasi/V.Karageorghis.

We find ‘Ar also in Transjordanian place names: ‘Ar-Moab and ‘Ar-Gilead. See: Numb 21, Deut 2, Is 15, Judg 12. The second element of Arylon is the singular ‘ilon = God. This toponym survived down to Roman times, when it was translated in Greek by Harbour of Gods (θεϖν λίμήν) in Strabo, Geography XVII 3,9; Ptol, Geo. IV 2,2 and in Latin: Portus Divini = Port of God. It is strange that we find here no pre-Roman relics, because the circumstances for a harbour/port of call by the Phoenicians are even better than it was at Portus Magnus.

Portus Magnus

Portus Magnus

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Sailing along the coast of the Dahra mountains from the east to the west the Phoenicians came to a large gulf where they have left many traces. It looks like they wanted to pass the Dahra coast as quickly as possible. The basis for their exploration of this gulf was without doubt the mouth of the river Chélif with the river-town Quiza. Anchorage is possible in certain periods of the year near the site of Sour Kelmitou (Wall of Chulimath), 7 km from the mouth of the river Chélif (Χυλωάθ). This place lies just below the ancient town of Quiza (Ptolemeus: Κουίςα). The Phoenicians focused however on several spots further away, especially on: Saint Leu or old Arzew (now: Azru), the mouth of the Macta and the little island(s) in front of modern Arzew.

The classical writers were aware of the good anchorage possibilities in this gulf, for they wrote: Pomponius Mela (I 29): …. As well as an harbour, who is because of its surface, called the Magnus. Plinius (NH V 19,2): Portus Magnus a spatium appellato. In the Periplus of Ps.Skylax the “sand”-island is followed immediately by a gulf with an island called Bartas (Βαρτάς). This must have been the Gulf of Arzew, protected by the Djebel Orouss from western winds.

Saint Leu or old Arzew became later the site of the Roman Portus Magnus, that cover over 30 hectares, but is 2 km distant from the sea. The rectilinear coast line in front of Saint Leu does not offer any shelter to ships, but the Phoenicians were accustomed to pull their ships on the beaches. It would have been no great problem for them, but of course they would look for shelter in the neighbourhood. West from modern Arzew lies the “ilot d’Arzew”, but that is too little to function as a harbour. In the 19^th century AD another island was still visible in front of Saint Leu. A.Béard described the coast line from the Macta river to the warehouses of Arzew (Description nautique des côtes de l’Algérie, Paris, 1839, p.166). He sees s small flat island, a bare rock, very close to the beach, that was called the Island Tujisme. That name could be a Berber name: Tu-gisme. In Arabic gismi means ‘massive’, which reminds us of the name Portus Magnus. Tujisme could have served as a breakwater helping to protect the ships on the beach. This breakwater is now vanished, or it has become a part of the harbour-dams of modern Arzew.

The Phoenicians must have used also the mouth of the Macta, or the Sig, or the Oued Tinn. In ancient times it was called the Tasacora or Macsa. At that time this area must have been an inlet from the sea. G.Vuillemot has made here inquiries in the places Sbara, Fornaka and Port aux Poules, but there were no decisive results for a Phoenician or Punic presence.

The Roman town Arzew is located on a plateau 2 km away from the coast. The excavations have not yet reached the pre-Roman levels, but the traces and relics pointing undoubtedly to a Punic culture. In Saint Leu we find an open air sanctuary to the north of the town between the sea and the town. Here they have found the neo-Punic steles NP 78 + 79 and also Latin steles. Furthermore there are urns in holes in a ridge of tuff, which contained burned bones of mummified birds. NP 78 is dedicated to Baal Hammon and a Latin stele has the name of Saturnus. There must have been a sanctuary from the 1^st century BC to the 1 st century AD, if not already earlier. Other findings are a fertility symbol, graves with late Campanian pottery (end 2^nd century BC). Above the graves were standing steles with sometimes neo-Punic signs. One has found one Carthaginian coin (head of Ceres?), one monumental Punic inscription, an Iberian vase, a bas-relief of a man flanked by two horses.

The Romans left in old-Arzew mosaics, artworks and two houses with a peristyle (gallery of columns) behind. Os course there was also a forum and a temple, but that is all destroyed.

Neo-Punic Inscriptions:

N1 with the names b ‘ l b ‘ l (erratic for b ‘ l ḥ m n?) and b ‘ t ’ (=Beatus?) and m š g w ‘ n.

N2. ndr ’š nd[r] g p w m (or: gṭ’) yšm’’ ql’ (gpwm = name).

Those names in the inscriptions can be found in Names, Jongeling, p.156+158+162+188.

Vuillemot has found also an inscription in St.Leu. These are partly Punic letters, but the meaning is uncertain.

Nowadays:

The archaeological site of Portus Magnus (36 hectares) is stretched out as far as Bethioua and is threatened and for a part destroyed by an industrial area. Nowadays the Association for the protection of Roman ruins wants to protect the site and make it accessible for the public and create a museum on the spot. Beautiful plan, but will all of it be realised? In the past many stones from the site were used by the residents of Saint Leu and Bethioua for building activities on their own houses. Not long ago tourists were treated here in a bad way. But it is true: today there is more security and protection. However, so many is already lost.

Literature:

- Oranie, Vuillemot

- Ricerche Puniche, Bouchenaki

- Names in Neo-Punic, Jongeling

- Itineraria Phoenicia, Lipinski

- Ports, Carayon

- Maison à Peristyle, Rebuffat

- Le champ de stèles de Saint Leu, Gsell

- Sépultures punico-romaines, Vivant

- Vase ibérique du cimetière, Vincent

- La site de Saint Leu, Lassus

- Inscription punique de Saint Leu, Vuillemot

- Saturne Africain, Leglay

ncfps

CARTENNAE

CARTENNAE

Location:

Nowadays Ténès is situated c.50 km west of Gouraya (Gunugu), the perfect distance for a day sailing by the Phoenicians. It is a small flat coast, where we find the old settlement (Al-Atika) next to a cape with the same name Ténès and the lighthouse of Sufism. Here we find Phoenician steles and pottery. There are also Phoenician graves on the west-coast next to the town with rings on the quayside on the rocks of Sidi Adasmas (Traghnia) for the landing of ships. On the cape the Phoenician/Punic necropolis has been found, but a large part of it is already fallen into the sea.

Name:

There are several explanations.

1. Carthenna is made of two words. Carth = town. Thenna = the name of the river in this region.

2. Carthennas is of Punic origin and consists of Qart = town and Tennes (Greek name). We are aware of a Sidonian king Tennes, but in reality he was known as Tabnit. His name means ‘model’ or ‘picture’ in Hebrew. Tabnit was translated by the Greeks to Thamn(e)i or Thammai(on) and finally Tennes. T b n y is also a king of Israel (1 Kings 16.21-22).  Our Sidonian king Tabnit (II) revolted to the Persians between 351/0-346/5 BC. His revolt failed in the end and he was beheaded. Sidon was taken and destroyed. Maybe fugitives from Sidon fled in that period all the way to Cartennae and called it the town of Tennes.

3.There could be a similarity in the name with Krṭn, Sbrtn, ṭp‘tn and if so, then the name is of Libyco-Berber origin.

Which one of this explanation is true, is impossible to say.

Legend:

There is an old legend of 3000 years ago, that says: “In the time of Moses, the people of Ténès were renowned magicians. The pharaoh of Egypt invited some of the best to come over and confront a thaumaturgic (making wonders) Israelite, who slew all the magicians on the banks of the Nile” (Shaw).

Tradition:

Pomponius Mela (c.44/43 AD) reports in: De Chorographia I 31: “Diesseits davon – denn Io; liegt fast in der Mitte der Küste – sind die Städte Kartinna (Ténès] and Arsinna sowie das Kastell Quiza, der Laterus-Golf (Arzew) und der Sarbale Fluss..... (Kai Brodersen in: Kreuzfahrt durch die Alte Welt).  Pomponius Mela calls the town Kartinna, another variation on Qart-tennes.

Roman colonization:

From c.150 BC Cartennae was already dominated by the Romans, although in name it was a part of the Numidian/Mauretanian kingdoms. Effective colonization begins between 43-25 BC together with Igilgili, Saldae, Rusazus, Rusguniae and Gunugu on the coast. In the interior: Tubusuctu, Aquae Calidae and Zucchabar. A Roman road is made from Cartennae to Castellum Tingitanum in the Zalacus mons. Augustus brought there a colony of veterans of the legion II Augusta. The feminine name of the place is Cartenna on the Wadi Allal and that was a Berber-town. The masculine name was Cartennas and that was former Phoenician port of call. Gaius Fulcinus Optatus defended successfully the town against attacks of the Baquates. The Greeks called this tribe: Bakoutai. Plinius mentions the tribe also.

Rogatus is a Donatist bishop. Vincentius is his Catholic successor. Bishop Rusticus is mentioned in 411 AD. St.Augustinus writes a letter, where the town also mentioned. After that the Vandals came and in that period a Roman woman buried all her jewelry in a hole in the ground and that was found intact in our days.

Conclusion:

Qart-tennes was a small port of call in Phoenician/Punic times. It was a part of the Mauretan/Numidian kingdoms and in Roman times it became a Roman colony. It was however never an important town, although her size reached the circumference of 700 x 400m. Almost all the Roman buildings are now gone.

Literature:

Salomon Reinach, Antiquités découvertes aux environs de Ténès – rapport sur une communication de M.Brunet, p.81. BCTH 1893.

Jacques Heurgon, Médaillon du trésor de Ténès, p.45-46. BCTH 1958.

F.Decret – M.Fantar, L’Afrique du Nord dans l’antiquité, Paris 1981.

G.Vuillemot, Réconnaissances aux échelles puniques d’Oranie, Autun, Musée Rolin, 1965.

Nicolas Carayon does not include the place in his catalog: “Les ports Phéniciens et Puniques, Geomorphologie et infrastructures, Strassbourg, 2008.”à but this time he seems to be wrong!

CARTILI

CARTILI

About 15 km west of Gouraya on the Corniche des Dahra the mouth of the wadi Damous would mark the site of the city Cartili in Roman times. The place Dupleix on the right bank of the river delivered some Roman relics. Nothing has been found here from the Phoenician/Punic period. About the name however a lot of speculations are going around:

1.Cartili has been regarded as a Phoenician foundation (Gsell, HAAN p.162-3), possibly named “City of God” = Qart-’ili. See: F.Vattioni (Per una ricerca sull’antroponima fenicio-punica, Studi Magrebini II, 1979, p.42-123).

2.Another explanation can be the relation with Q r t l y occurring in a neo-Punic inscription from Tunesia (NP 114: J.B.Chabot, Punica XVII,5 in Journal Asiatique 11^th serie no.10, 1917-22). Q r tl y is the same for the Latin name Cartilius and the name Cartili for this location might have the same origin. Also the feminine form Cartilia is attested in North-Africa (CIL VIII 5682; 21022).

3.The modern name Damous could have had a very old past?! Damusi is the name of the king of Qarti-Hadašt on Cyprus in 673/2, named by Asarhaddon and Assurbanipal (as: Da-mu-u-si/su). This name is connected with Tammuz/Dumuzi, the equivalent of the Mesopotamian Adonis. In Phoenician the name D ‘ m ’ š = Damu has given.

The result of it all is that Nicolas Carayon does not include the place in his catalog: “Les ports Phéniciens et Puniques, Geomorphologie et infrastructures, Strassbourg, 2008). à Même si la situation maritime du site ménage des avantages portuaires naturels, les informations disponibles sont insuffisantes pour que l’on puisse intégrer la cite à ce catalogue.

If there was a Phoenician/Punic settlement then it must have been a very small provisional port of call. The distance to Gunugu in the east was not far away and therefore there was no necessity to make here a full equipped settlement despite the favourable harbour possibilities.

We lack here adequate further excavations.

Literature:

K.Jongeling, Personal names in Neo-Punic inscriptions, Grongingen, 1973

E.Lipinski, Itineraria Phoenicia, Leuven, OLA 127, 2004

GUNUGU

GUNUGU

 

This Phoenician settlement is located 33 km west of Cherchel in Algeria. It is the Qubba/Marabout of Sidi Brahim-el-Krouas next to Gouraya.

 

The Phoenician name of the settlement is not directly known, but an attempt to find it in Punic can be made by the following information:

The town is mentioned by

- Plinius (NH V, 20) > Gunugu is a colony of Augustus;

- CIV VIII 9071, 9423;

- Ptolemeus (IV 2,5) κανουίς ;

- It.Ant.(p.15) resp(tiblica) G(unugitanomm);

- Coin from Bocchus II of Mauretania with neo-Punic letters : g n g n.

The name Gunugu could be Libyco-Berber. We find g n w k n in the inscription CIS I 1443,3 and the corresponding K N K N in the inscription RIL 627. K.Jongeling gives a survey of all the Berber names ending on –kn op p.60-61 of his dissertation Personal names in neo-Punic inscriptions.

 

Excavations of the three necropolis have attested the existence of a pre-roman settlement of certainly the 3^rd and 2^nd century BC. The presence of Attic pottery proves however that the beginning of the settlement goes back at least to the 5^th century BC. See: F.Villard (1959).

We find two necropolis on the eastern bay near Sidi Brahim and another on cape, which separates the western and eastern bay. In 1900 S.Gsell digs up the so-called “maison du charbonnier” = house of the charcoal-burner. It is a pit of 2 meters deep, without a staircase and a room nect to it for the deceased.

 

Shipping and trade.

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Gunugu had overseas connections with Sicily and Spain and even with Lixus on the coast of Morocco and that is surprising for such a small settlement. In particular the connection with Villaricos is important. Here we see in both towns the ability of maintaining and painting egg-shells of the ostrich in almost the same way.

Maybe it has something to do with the pattern of colonisation by the Phoenicians. Briefly: In the beginning they took the northern route along Crete – Sicily – Sardinia to Spain.  In Spain they arrived already in the 9^th-8^th century BC and made there permanent colonies. On the way back they took the southern route along the North-African coast and made there only semi-permanent ports of call. When the Greeks however were threatening to cut off the lifeline to the homeland in the Lebanon, then it was necessary to reinforce the settlements halfway in Africa, Sicily and Sardinia in 6^th-4^th century BC. Most of the North-African Phoenician settlements as permanent towns begin in the 6^th century, but Gunugu is an exception. The beginning here start at least a century earlier. I could elaborate much more about this, but here it is enough to understand, why the spread of the art of ostrich egg-shell painting went probably from Villaricos in Spain to Gunugu in North-Africa.

 

Ostrich egg-shells.

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Gunugu is a centre for the painting and decoration of ostrich egg-shells. The town joins a very old tradition, that started already before 3000 BC at Bahrein! From there it spread to Sumeria -> Syria –> Lebanon and by the Phoenicians all over the Mediterranean. Outstanding are the tombs of Djidjelli and Gouraya, with a rich series of the receptacle type with undecorated whole shells and three-quarter shells. The Gouraya examples are interesting for the iconographical repertoire painted on the three quarter shells. The geometrical and floral motifs, similar to those found at Carthage, do not exclude use of human and animal representations: a winged female figure, a male and an advancing ostrich enliven Phoenico-Punic iconographical influences with a popular stylistic language. In the three quarter shells the type of decoration is in yellow ochre and its style recall complicated designs: four metopes framed vertically by bands with geometrical motifs and horizontally by smooth, figured bands (See: Moscati p.456-463).

The geometric pattern and even signs/marks are almost the same, as we can see in Villaricos in Spain. The shells of Gunugu are broken due to earthquakes except one, says M.Astruc (1954). The signes on the shells of Villaricos are the oldest (6^th century BC) according to Astruc. Thereafter comes Gunugu with her signs of the shells in the 5^th century BC. But later Caubet in 1995 thinks that the shells may go back to the 7^th or perhaps 8^th century BC. See: A.Caubet: Documents puniques: les oeufs dáutruche de Gouraya, Actes de IIIe Congrès international des Etudes phéniciennes et puniques, Tunis, 1995 Vol I p.253-259. Moreover there is S.Moscati in the catalogue I Fenici (1988), who claims that the shells from Villaricos are from the 8th century BC. It is still uncertain, what the paintings on the shells mean. Is it religious or just an ornament? For some strange reason this habit of paintings dies out after the 2^nd century BC.

 

Inscriptions.

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Gunugu is a remarkable settlement, because we find there also the incredible amount of at least 22 neo-Punic inscriptions. K.Jongeling traces down the personal names: g n s (N17),

g s m? (N18), z b y g y s/š (N9), y g y š w m (N12), m g w Ṣ (N11). See : Personal names in neo-Punic inscriptions, Groningen, 1974.

There has also been found an Etruscan inscription, engraved on a bronze disk, at Sidi Brahim. It comes from the 3^rd century BC. You can read here (p)unicum Lartha. See: Y.Liebert, Une inscription étrusque d’Algérie, Revue des Etudes Latines 74 (1996) p.38-46.

 

Some history :

Carthage took over control in the 5th century BC.  In the 2^nd – 1^st century BC Gunugu became a part of the Mauretanian kingdom and from there it was a part of the Roman empire. So far nothing new. That happened to all the Phoenician settlements in North-Africa. But in the Roman period there is a difference, because we find hardly any Roman vestiges here.

 

Literature :

S.Gsell, Fouilles de Gouraya, HAAN II, p.161-162, Paris 1903.

F.Missonier, Fouilles dans la nécropole de Gouraya, Melanges de l’école francaise de Rome 50 (1933) p.87-119.

M.Astruc, Supplément aux fouilles de Gouraya, Libyca 2 (1954) p.9-48.

Mazard, Corpus Nummorum Numidiae Mauretaniarque, p.172-173, Paris 1955.

F.Villard, Vases attique du Ve siècle av.J.C.à Gouraya, Libyca 7 (1959) p.7-13.

Lepelley, les cités de l’Afrique romaine du Bas Empire, Paris, 1979-1981.

Leschi, Fouilles de la nécropole punique de Gouraya, BCTH 1932-1933, p.277-278.

ncfps

Santa Olaia

The world of the Mondego.
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To reach this world ships from Nazaré need approximately 70 kilometers to bridge. That is pretty difficult in antiquity. It will be rather on the Rio Lis that the Phoenicians have taken a break. Cities below are present on the river.
1.Tavarede native
2.Santa Olaia major Phoenician influence
3.Montemor-o-velho native
4.Castro the native Soure
5.Conimbriga mainly later Roman
Mondego is mentioned in ancient times the Munda (S) or MUDA. The river then had a large estuary, which reached to the current Coimbra.
Book: OS Materiais PRE ROMANOS de Conimbriga others Presença fenicia no baixo vale do Mondego. Virgilio Hipolito Correia. Separata do livro Estudios Orientais IV Os Fenicios no Territorio Portugues. The Phoenician presence is highlighted in the valley of the Mondego.
The undated book of V.H.Correia contains 283 pages of pre-Roman material from the afore mentioned locations from at least the 10th century BC, including a lot of Phoenician material that is found mostly concentrated in Santa Olaia from the 8th century BC. There is red roasted turned pottery, carved ivory and of course lots of pins, that was a popular subject in these regions. Moreover, there is erected a wall, which is built in Phoenician style. V.H.Correia pinpoints: the relationships that lie at Alcacer do Sal, with several southern Spanish places, Huelva and even Kuass-Tangier. On the ivory are lotus flowers and a sphinx pictured. The pins have a resemblance to that of Bencarron, Acebuchal and Alcores.
At Castro Soure we find ceramics, that show relationships with Sesimbra, Beja and Huelva. For some pins they originated in Cyprus. And this is only a very small excerpt. There is no doubt that we are dealing with a "orientalising world", where the Phoenicians have played an important role, but in consultation with the indigenous world. All this takes place mainly in the 7th-6th century BC.
In a website for tourism of the town of Figueira da Foz this realisation has also penetrated. There it is the "Castro Santa Olaia (Roma?)" as a foundation of the Phoenicians in the 7th century BC on a small peninsula in the estuary of Mondego. The rectangular houses are still visible. Metal objects, pottery and amphorae of this place can be admired in the municipal museum Dr.Santos Rocha to Figueira da Foz. Dr.Santos Rocha is the discoverer of Santa Olaia, which more later.
Naming: Figueira comes from fagaria = opening big mouth. Foz comes from the Latin "fouces" = mouth of a river. Mondego comes from the pre-Roman "mouth" = mouth / beak and "AEC" = river. Composed Figueira da Foz means: "the river with his big mouth."
We do not know how the Phoenicians in Santa Olaia have actually called it. There is also to invent anything in that direction, unless it would reflect the explanation of the name Figueira.
"The Paleo-Environmental Contexts of Three possible Phoenician Anchorages in Portugal" of S.Wachsmann others in The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology (2009) provides more insight into the natural state of Santa Olaia area in the 7th-6th century BC.
The Rio Mondego is nowadays reduced to no more than a kind of irrigationchannel, but in antiquity the whole valley stood under water. The siltation in the estuary was however already in full swing, but Santa Olaia was for the Phoenician ships still easily accessible.
Santa Olaia consisted of roughly three parts:
- Craft quarter
- residential area
- harbor
Neville detects a small jetty in 2007. Pereira find in 1993 Phoenician graffiti, glass and oven. So there is slowly but surely an image to create of a fairly complete settlement. We still lack a temple, fish processing, a fortress and purple preparation.
Santa Olaia was excavated in the period 1915-1920, with the rectangular houses of were visible (2.5- 3.5 meters). The found objects were found all breed "Ibero-Punic"? to be, as indicated by a different website. That will be more Ibero-Phoenician!

In 2005 I arrived after a long search to Santa Olaia. It is located right off the highway to Coimbra and maybe that way already consumed again a part of the settlement. There is a sign with an explanation. I can make pictures 1028 t / m 1032 creating the foundations of the houses. There appears to be nothing protected. You expect behind the chapel of Santa Olaia a cemetery, but there is smack a tiny Phoenician settlement.
Antonio dos Santos Rocha is the initiator of this discovery. He's off in 1894 no less than 14 years of research conducted at Santa Olaia, Tavarede, Bizarreiro, Liria, Azeiro, Pardinheiros, Fonte de Cabanas and Choes. He finds in Santa Olaia approx.10 living-buildings and traces a "Phoenician" wall. Isabel Pereira was continuing his work.
It appears to be a Phoenician warehouse and permanent storage for metals. The structures date from the 7th century -5^th  BC. In the 6th century BC, we see many imports, including a Greek pottery fragment. There are three different levels of distinguishable.
The craft quarter.
During excavations this quarter north of the residential area was mapped in 1992 + 1993 and has a length of 22 meters *. The whole was on the north side by a wall, which included a gate width of 1.8 meters. In this craft quarter are the furnaces, which also metal scrap and slag are witnesses. I can imagine that the raw material has been imported here and processed into transportable paste.
See: "Oh no Comercia fenicio territorio actualmente portugues" Anna Marguerida Arruda in: Intercambio y Comercio Preclasico en el Mediterraneo (CEFYP, Madrid, 1998).
We now have the habitat, a craft quarter and a small harbor in the picture, but where is the necropolis or a sanctuary. If there is a necropolis, probably east of the settlement, where no excavations have taken place. The temple is believed to annex administration building A halfway the craft district and residential area.
All material found is stored in the municipal-museum Dr.Santos Rocha to Coimbra in 2005 and I have also gone there. I made the pictures 1034 t / m 1052 and got here the relevant pages with a catalog of the museum. What I see: vases, pots, amphorae, bowls, light, bowls, weights for fishing nets, jewelry, pins, a transverse amphora and coins on my own photos.
In the notes to the catalog of the museum is indeed mentioned that the settlement was partially destroyed by the construction of the road Nacional 109. This unforgivable fact took place in 1993/1994. Fortunately, we have the catalog and the items are: numbers 104 t / m 203 with amphorae, plates, vases, pitchers, weights, grindstone, beads, angel with 2 holes, wheel, jack, part of a furnace, fireplace ?, chain, pin, earring, ear cleaner, part of a cart, ritual necklace nail point lead, cleaver, nail,  plaque, bone objects with 2 holes, pipe, pin.
Now I'm all material that seems available, have gathered, I come back to my earlier thought that at most there may be a mixed settlement. Given the material found, the smallness of the place, but nevertheless reasonable completeness, I think, it was a full-fledged Phoenician settlement, similar to Abul at the Sado.
And what about Tavarede, Montemor-o-Velho, Castro de Soure and the pre-Roman Conumbriga? The Phoenicians were sure there, but not to settle. They have a lot of objects and knowledge left behind.
Conimbriga:
In the monographic museum Coninbriga the majority of the exhibits come from the 1st-5th century AD, so from Roman times. Yet there are also some pieces from the Iron Age and another from the 6th century AD, including two Christian inscriptions. One of these is that of SERenianus and the other is about Marturia.
Conimbriga is a wonderful excavation site to bust through it, as I did in 2005, but in the context of this review, I will not go in there. It remains for me to give an overview of whom to Santa Olaia were active in archaeological sense:
- Rocha 1908
- Pereira 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
- Arruda 2000
- Aubet 2001
- Neville 2007
We are now probably arrived at the real limit for the Phoenicians. We also see in the 5th century BC many assignments of Phoenician settlements. However, the role of the Phoenicians will all soon be taken over by the Punics (and Carthaginians).

 

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