Roman villa of Tourega facts for kids
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Villa Romana de Tourega
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| Alternative name | Villa Romana de Nossa Senhora da Tourega |
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| Coordinates | 38°30′01.2″N 8°01′50.8″W / 38.500333°N 8.030778°W |
| Type | Roman |
| Area | 500 sq. meters |
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| Public access | Yes. Request key at farmhouse. |
The Roman villa of Tourega is an ancient Roman farm and home. It is located in the Alentejo region of Portugal. This area was once part of Lusitania, a large Roman province. The villa was near important Roman roads. These roads connected it to cities like modern-day Evora and Beja.
Archaeologists believe people lived here from the mid-first century CE. The villa was used until the end of the fourth century. During the third century, it likely belonged to a very important Roman family. The main purpose of the villa was farming. In 2012, it was officially recognized as a Site of Public Interest. This means it is an important historical place.
Contents
Discovering the Villa
Parts of the Tourega villa were dug up between 1985 and 1996. This is called an excavation. Special equipment, like ground-penetrating radar, has found more areas. This equipment can "see" what is underground without digging. These hidden areas are to the south and west of the current site. They are still waiting to be explored.
The Roman Baths
The part of the villa that has been excavated includes a large bathhouse. This was like an ancient spa. It had separate areas for men and women. There were pools with both hot and cold water.
The baths also had special furnaces and heating systems. These kept the water warm. A large water tank supplied the baths. Experts think the baths were built in three different stages. Three main bathing areas have been found. The biggest one is about 24.5 meters long and 4.6 meters wide.
What We Found at Tourega
During the excavations, many pieces of pottery were discovered. These included fragments of terra sigillata. This was a type of fine Roman pottery. Many pieces of amphorae were also found. Amphorae were large clay jars used for storing things.
Pottery Origins
About 876 pieces of terra sigillata were found. Most of these came from La Rioja in Spain. Other pottery came from Arezzo in Italy. Some pieces were from La Graufesenque in southern France.
Archaeologists also found many fragments of African red slip ware. This was another type of pottery. It came from places in northern Africa.
Amphorae and Food
Almost all the amphorae found at Tourega had held fish products. This suggests the villa traded a lot in fish. These products probably came from the Sado River estuary. For example, they might have come from places like Creiro.
Only a few amphorae that held wine or olive oil were found. This suggests that the villa probably grew its own grapes for wine. They also likely grew their own olive trees for oil.
See also
In Spanish: Villa romana de Tourega para niños
