The protohistoric fortified landscape on the coastline between the Âncora and Lima valleys: archaeological and spatial perspectives

Abstract

This article examines the Iron Age fortified settlements located between the estuaries of the Âncora and Lima rivers, on the coast of north-western Portugal. The research combines a review of the available literature and archaeological evidence with the analysis of LiDAR imagery, field survey and the study of the collected materials. The results enable the identification of previously unknown sites and defensive structures, the reassessment of the layout of known settlements and a more precise definition of their occupational sequences, which in some cases began in the Late Bronze Age and continued into the Roman period. They also highlight the diversity of defensive arrangements, the relationship between settlement location and topography, and the extensive visibility over river valleys and the coastal platform. The presence of local products and imported materials further indicates the integration of these communities into regional and wider networks of circulation and interaction. This study therefore contributes to a broader understanding of settlement organisation, locational strategies and the development of coastal communities in the north-western Iberian Peninsula during the Late Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the beginning of the Roman period.