Rua dos Correeiros Archaeological Site: Uncovering Lisbon’s Multilayered Past
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.5
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Portugal
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Classical, Medieval, Early Modern, Modern
- Civilizations
- Medieval Islamic, Phoenician, Portuguese, Roman
- Site type
- Museum
History
The Archaeological Site Rua dos Correeiros is located beneath the current Millennium bcp Bank headquarters in Lisbon, near the Rua Augusta triumphal arch. The earliest evidence shows that the area was inhabited during the Iron Age, between the 7th and 5th centuries B.C. At that time, Ibero-Punic communities established habitations here, connected to East Mediterranean merchants who sought metals and raw materials in the region.
In the Roman period, from the 2nd century B.C. to the 4th century A.D., the settlement known as Olisipo came under Roman control. The site reveals a transition from military conquest to integration within the Roman Empire’s commercial and cultural networks. Archaeological finds include the oldest Roman necropolis in Lisbon, with graves and cremation areas dating from the late 1st century B.C. to the mid-1st century A.D. Later, a fish-processing industrial complex operated here until the late 4th century, reflecting economic activity linked to the sea.
Following the Roman era, the Early Medieval period began in the 5th century. This time was marked by conflicts between the Suevi and Visigoths. The Roman road in the area remained in use, while the abandoned fish-processing site was converted into a burial ground. This reuse indicates continuity in the urban fabric despite political changes.
From 714 to 1147 A.D., the site was under Islamic rule. It formed part of a densely populated western suburb of Lisbon, featuring houses, paved streets, waste dumps, and pottery workshops. The material culture shows strong connections to the Islamic Mediterranean world, reflecting the area’s integration into this civilization.
After the Christian reconquest of Lisbon in 1147, the neighborhood experienced fluctuating occupation. Between the 12th and 14th centuries, remains of walls, refuse deposits, and combustion structures were found, alongside continued use of buildings from the Islamic period. This suggests a gradual transformation rather than complete replacement of the urban landscape.
The Pre-earthquake period, spanning the 15th to 18th centuries, saw urban development with sidewalks, roads, wells, sewers, and plumbing systems. Ceramics from this time include Portuguese faience, imported pottery, and oriental porcelains. Coins dating from this era were also discovered, indicating active commercial life.
The devastating Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 destroyed much of the area. The subsequent Pombaline reconstruction introduced standardized architecture, prefabricated building elements, wooden foundations, firewalls, and improved infrastructure. Archaeological layers contain ruins, debris, and charred remains from the earthquake and ensuing fires.
Between the 18th and 19th centuries, two industrial or commercial buildings were identified: a bakery with an oven and a blacksmith workshop equipped with a forge. These structures reflect the continued economic use of the site during this period.
Remains
The Rua dos Correeiros site is an urban archaeological complex located beneath modern buildings, covering nearly an entire city block. It contains layers from multiple historical periods, revealing a continuous occupation over 2,500 years.
From the Iron Age, remains include Ibero-Punic habitational structures, indicating early settlement linked to Mediterranean trade. These are among the oldest features uncovered.
Roman period finds include the city’s oldest known necropolis, with eight graves and cremation areas dating from the late 1st century B.C. to the mid-1st century A.D. Burial artifacts include cinerary urns, lids resembling Terra Sigillata pottery, small containers called unguentaria, and personal items such as a bronze-rimmed ring set with an amber or carnelian stone.
A notable Roman feature is a polychrome mosaic floor that paved a quadrangular atrium leading to frigidaria, or cold pools, of a Roman bathhouse. This mosaic is preserved in situ.
The fish-processing complex from the Roman era includes tanks of various sizes, known as cetariae, wells, and support buildings. This industrial site was active until the late 4th century and later repurposed during the Early Medieval period as a burial ground.
Islamic period remains consist of house foundations, paved streets, waste dumps, and pottery workshops. Pottery finds include an Ataifor bowl decorated with red and purple floral motifs, a globular double-handled pot with painted designs, and an incomplete oil lamp dating from the 11th to 12th centuries.
Medieval Christian layers reveal walls, combustion structures, and a cesspit containing domestic and glazed ceramics. Among these are a French Saintonge pitcher decorated with floral, geometric, and animal motifs, and Aldrenadinos glass from Venice, indicating trade connections.
The Pre-earthquake period is represented by sidewalks, roads, building foundations, wells, sewers, and plumbing. Ceramics include red clay wares, glazed and burnished pottery, Portuguese faience, and imported oriental porcelains. A panel of monochromatic square tiles from late 16th to early 17th century Lisbon features a geometric pattern in green, blue, and white.
Pombaline period features include limestone slab pavements with grooves, corridors paved with basaltic pebbles, wells near building facades, and wooden grid foundations made of green pine poles submerged below the current ground level. These elements reflect the standardized urban planning after the 1755 earthquake.
Industrial structures from the 18th and 19th centuries include a bakery oven and a blacksmith workshop with a quadrangular forge. The forge contained construction debris, shards of melting pots, charcoal, and ashes, indicating metalworking activities.
Among decorative artifacts, a holy water font adorned with floral fillets was found, along with small ceramic images of Saint Anthony. These figurines were often found decapitated and discarded in wells, reflecting local religious customs and practices.
