Roman villa of Quinta da Bolacha
The Roman villa of Quinta da Bolacha is a Roman villa in the civil parish of Falagueira-Venda Nova, municipality of Amadora, with an occupation dating from the 3rd and 4th century. It is commonly associated with the nearby Roman aqueduct, as well as the agricultural activities and Chalcedony mining occurring in the district.
History
With vestiges of human occupation dating to the Paleolithic, the largest concentration of archeological sites identified with the Neolithic. The region was sought by different groups for its hunting, supported by its watercourses. Its first settlers were also attracted to the fertile lands and its distance from Felicitas Julia Olissipo. The villa was constructed sometime during the Roman occupation of the Iberian peninsula.The municipality was always important to archeologists; in the second quarter of the 20th century, pioneers in Portuguese archeology were common in the region, including university professor Manuel Heleno, who was a figure of reference in ethnographic studies and archeology.
Discovered at the end of the 1970s, during prospecting associated with the course of the Roman aqueduct that supported the ancient city of Lisbon.
On 19 November 2000, the Associação de Arqueologia da Amadora proposed that the village be classified as national patrimony, which supported by the IIPA on 1 October 2001 and nine days later a process was opened by the vice-president of the IPPAR.
On 27 July 2009, a proposal was issued by the DRCLVTejo for the classification of the property as an Imóvel de Interesse Público, that fixed it in the complementary Special Protection Zone. But, the DRCLVTejo issued a later proposal over the restrictions applied, resulting in its requalification on 6 January 2012. These proposals were approved on 23 January of the following year by the Conselho Nacional de Cultura. On 11 October the project was published in a decision that classified the villa as Sítio de Interesse Público and fixed it within the respect Special Protection Zone, in the declaration 13546/2012.
Architecture
Surveys were undertaken at the beginning of the following decade, resulting in the identification of various structures, including impermeable mortar tank plastered with lime, sand and tile.The work in the locale was discontinued, owing to various reasons, but resulted in the collection of architectonic elements, such as tegulae and imbrices. There were also artefacts exhumed that constituted the residential area, as opposed to the mainly agricultural area around the complex. This interpretation was reinforced by the stucco walls, and quality of excavated materials.
Of special note was the discovery of fragments of South Galacian, Hispânica and African terra sigillata confirming the sites Roman descendancy.