Archeology, and Underwater Heritage Conservation Laboratory

Project PIA

Project Name
PIA Project (Acronym: PIA)

Partner and Supervising Institutions
Supervising entities: CAA Portugal; Polytechnic Institute of Tomar, Laboratory of Archaeology and Underwater Conservation.
Partner institution: Autonomous University of Lisbon.

Team
Scientific Coordination: Dr. Alexandra Figueiredo
Co-directors: Dr. Cláudio Inácio Monteiro and Dr. Adolfo Silveira
Interdisciplinary Technical Team:

Zooarchaeology: Dr. Anderson Tognolli
Technical Drawing of Materials: M.Sc. Carlos Esquetim
Archaeology: Dr. Sandra Peliano
Anthropology: M.Sc. Daniel Alves and Dr. Augusto Ferreira

Objectives
The PIA Project aimed to carry out academic, scientific, and public outreach activities related to archaeological heritage, integrated into higher education, postgraduate, and doctoral training, as well as awareness initiatives under the Ciência Viva program. Its goals included recognizing, confirming, and updating existing archaeological data, identifying new sites through direct and indirect survey, training students in field and laboratory methodologies, and contributing to the knowledge and safeguarding of regional archaeological heritage.

Results
A total of 65 archaeological sites were visited, of which 31 were considered previously unrecorded. Coordinates of already cataloged sites were corrected, occupations from the Prehistoric period to the Contemporary period were identified, and lithic, ceramic, and osteological materials of scientific and educational relevance were selectively collected. The results confirmed a high density of human occupation, especially prehistoric, in the Agroal region and surrounding karst areas, demonstrating significant potential for future research. The project also had a direct impact on the practical training of students and on raising youth awareness about the value and protection of archaeological heritage.