Castro de Leceia: One of the Oldest Villages in Portugal

Castro de Leceia is an ancient, fortified settlement in Leceia, with a view over very own Barcarena valley. It is one of the oldest villages in Portugal. It was built in around 3200/3000 BCE and was occupied for 1000 years until the Copper age. The settlement was discovered and excavated in 1878, and there have been multiple studies of it since, with the most recent study still active today.

The defensive device is made up of three stone walls with entrances, and there are bastions outside the walls that were used as houses or warehouses. It also has a hut from the bell beaker period (around 4500 years ago) built outside the village, next to the Barcarena river. The settlement was occupied for many years, and bones of sheep, cow, goat, pig, and fish were found, suggesting cattle breeding, agriculture, and fishing. Castro de Leceia was built on a high place, taking advantage of a leaning rocky platform over the valley of the river of Barcarena. The settlement was created and served as protection for people and goods, and it had a well-established economy based on agriculture and cattle breeding.

The settlement was abandoned due to the accumulation of a surplus of agricultural products, which other communities very much desired, and social instability originating from the coexistence with new emerging cultures in the region. It was abandoned during the final part of the Copper age due to a reorganization of society, with the population leaving the high and fortified areas to live in other communities in the open areas, where agriculture was easier.

This is an important part of history, for Portugal, our school, and the entire world, which is surprisingly unknown. As far as I am aware, OIS has never so much as requested a field trip to the area, which I feel is such a great opportunity wasted. While it is difficult to get an appointment, the Municipality of Oeiras organizes tours for groups larger than 12, which is great, as that is around the size of the older MYP classes. I think this could be a great opportunity to learn about the history of the valley and humans in general. I hope we can use this opportunity for the good of our school and its students