Arqueologia urbana em Coimbra: um testemunho na Reitoria da Universidade

Abstract

1. The archaeological activity developed by the Reitoria of the University of Coimbra began in the summer of 2000 with the first excavation of Pátio das Escolas. The results of this initiative and the necessity to continue this work, as well as the recent intention to candidate part of the university spaces to World Heritage, were strong motives for the creation of a small team, which has been systematically proceeding since then. 2. As the result of Coimbra’s human occupation for, at least, the past two millenniums, the product of the archaeological activity developed naturally reflects this evolution. 3. Among the several excavations already performed, this article focus the interventions in Pátio das Escolas, Colégio da Trindade and Laboratório Químico, all situated in the centre of the University of Coimbra. Their preliminary results seam to attest the presence of a significant archaeological patrimony, which we are progressively disclosing, revealing a diachronic occupation from the Roman period (despite certain traces of more ancient times) until our days.