Talk abstract details

Report status about the archaeological research being conducted at the Açor Mountains in the northern central Portugal, which belongs to the Estrela mountain complex, the highest elevation in the country. The upper regions of this area were occupied by transhumance since final Neolithic and during Bronze Age extensive occupation occurred due to tin, silver and gold mines. Until recent days transhumance was still taking place in the warm season, taking man and cattle to these high places. Hundreds of rock art sites were discovered in this region and we will present the archaeological methodology that is being used to survey and digitise the information, including the archaeoastronomical measurement and software tools used to record and treat the landscape data. Some interesting examples will be discussed regarding a possible interest in the Full Moon nearest to the Summer solstice, together with the methodological difficulties dealing with the complexity and diversity of the sites.