A multidisciplinary team will carry out an archaeological campaign starting in the second half of July at the site of Os Conventos, in Vilachá de Salvadur, A Pobra do Brollón.
This is the second excavation at this site, after the first campaign that was successfully carried out in the spring of 2019. The intervention is part of the ethnoarchaeological project Adegas da Memoria, which seeks to recover the collective memory of the parish of Vilachá, in the heart of the Ribeira Sacra.
The project was born at the beginning of last year thanks to the collaboration between the City Council of A Pobra do Brollón and the Vilachá Residents Association, with the incorporation this year of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism through the General Directorate of Heritage. The Universidade Nova de Lisboa and Incipit-CSIC also participate.
The Xunta de Galicia is financing this year's action with a contribution of €18,510. The Residents' Association is responsible for clearing access to the site and the City Council is responsible for the logistical costs of the campaign.
“That a project that originates from the neighbors ends up receiving regional funding is something very positive. It shows that the municipal commitment to community archaeology is on the right track and that a bottom-up model is possible,” says Xosé Lois Maceda, mayor of A Pobra do Brollón.
The president of the Vilachá Residents“ Association, José Castiñeira, comments: ”For us it is a matter of pride that a project promoted by the neighborhood is among the few projects in which the General Directorate of Heritage participates in this year that is so complicated at all levels.".
Following the neighbors' trail
The archaeologists heard about Os Convents through the residents of Vilachá, who spoke of an ancient monastery in the place.
Following the legend, it was decided to carry out an archaeological intervention in May 2019 that confirmed the medieval occupation of the site. In the final stages of the intervention, the sacred nature of Os Convents was confirmed, with the appearance of a strange burial that carbon-14 analysis dated to the 10th century.
For this year, the technicians will focus the campaign in search of possible new burials, which would indicate that it is a necropolis and not an isolated burial. On the other hand, archaeologists expect to be able to better understand the boundaries and structure of the site, which is closely linked to the construction of the riverside cultivation terraces.
The director archaeologist, George Ayan, explains the complexity of the intervention: “This is a site that has had many changes throughout history. There are many walls, but not all of them are from the same period and the boundaries are diffuse because they blend in with the walls of the terraces.”
This complexity of the site gives it great interest. “The opportunity offered by this enclave to study the origins and evolution of the Ribeira Sacra is enormously interesting, which could have a great impact on the candidacy for World Heritage Site status,” points out Ayán.
The research collates archaeological findings, medieval documentation and the oral tradition of the locals to investigate the historical evolution of Os Convents.
A poetic and community project
As part of the Adegas da Memoria project, in addition to the excavations in Os Conventos, studies have been promoted to date the terraces and an ethnographic investigation of the parish. A study of the set of traditional wineries in Vilachá de Salvadur is also planned.
Everything is documented through a web series that is organized around four seasons, two of which are already available on the website adegasdamemoria.com. The series is characterized by a slow and reflective tone, and a very careful aesthetic.
“Adegas da Memoria is a project born from the love of the landscape and inspired by poetry. It is not easy for poetry to settle in the administration. This new campaign is proof that poetry, community and science can go hand in hand and make a path from the lowest to the highest,” says Xosé Gago, project coordinator.
