Ruinas Romanas de Troia
Today we went to visit the Ruinas Romanas de Troia.
The Roman ruins of Troia were a large fish-salting production complex built in the first half of the 1ste century AD and continuously occupied until the 6the century AD.
This complex became an urban-type settlement, composed by many fish-salting factories of different sizes, but also by houses, a bath complex, several cemeteries, a mausoleum and an early Christian basilica. Profiting from the abundance of fish in the Atlantic and the outstanding salt production of the Sado estuary, it produced salted fish and fish sauces, among which was the famous garum. The fish products were stored in amphorae and transported by boat to Rome and other provinces of the Roman Empire.
Today the settlement is situated on a narrow stretch of sand which would have been an island in Roman times, probably the island of Achale. At that time, it was surrounded by the ocean.
Termas
On the photos you can see a bath complex. This bath complex which certainly belonged to the owner of the fish-salting factory next door ensured bathing facilities for the owners as well as for foremen and workmen, freemen or slaves. Its rather large dimension suggests it might have been open to other people paying for bathing.
These baths have the usual elements of any roman bath complex; a room next to the entrance for socializing and exercising, a cloak-room where bathers left their clothing, a cold temperature area with pools for bathing, a tepid room and a heated area with small pools for steam and hot baths. The pools were filled with water from the well and stored in the reservoir.
Rua da Princesa
Rua da Princesa is the only residential area known so far in the settlement of Troia. This archaeological area owes its name to Queen D. Maria I, who, while still a princess, in the 18the century, carried out the first known excavations in Troia.
The buildings that were uncovered had ground and first floor levels and, according to the diaries of the excavation, had vestiges of mosaic pavements and wall paintings on the upper floor.
Mausoleum
In the first half of the 3rd century AD, a mausoleum was built with niches on the walls for funerary urns, according to the practice of cremation, typical of Roman culture. On the ground, tombs were built for placing corpses in graves. This new practice of inhumation was adopted in Troia at the end of the 2nd century AD.
Necropole do mausoléu
On top of a dune made of sand and garbage which had accumulated behind the mausoleum, inhumations were buried in tombs constructed of brick and stone. These tombs have a typical Christian orientation, heads to northwest and feet to southeast.
The belief was that when the dead would rise at the moment of resurrection, they would face Jerusalem where crucified Jesus rose from the death. Priests were buried in the opposite direction, turning to the faithful in a welcoming posture at the moment of resurrection. At a later point in time, among the tombs, were buried many children in amphorae, removed during the 1960's excavation of the necropolis.
It was really nice to visit the ruins, I love to see how they used to live and work.
So this was the perfect excursion for me. I learned a lot about how they used to work and the greatest thing is that Portugal is a land full of fish and it all started with the Romans, really nice to discover!
The Roman ruins of Troia were a large fish-salting production complex built in the first half of the 1ste century AD and continuously occupied until the 6the century AD.
This complex became an urban-type settlement, composed by many fish-salting factories of different sizes, but also by houses, a bath complex, several cemeteries, a mausoleum and an early Christian basilica. Profiting from the abundance of fish in the Atlantic and the outstanding salt production of the Sado estuary, it produced salted fish and fish sauces, among which was the famous garum. The fish products were stored in amphorae and transported by boat to Rome and other provinces of the Roman Empire.
Today the settlement is situated on a narrow stretch of sand which would have been an island in Roman times, probably the island of Achale. At that time, it was surrounded by the ocean.
Termas
On the photos you can see a bath complex. This bath complex which certainly belonged to the owner of the fish-salting factory next door ensured bathing facilities for the owners as well as for foremen and workmen, freemen or slaves. Its rather large dimension suggests it might have been open to other people paying for bathing.
These baths have the usual elements of any roman bath complex; a room next to the entrance for socializing and exercising, a cloak-room where bathers left their clothing, a cold temperature area with pools for bathing, a tepid room and a heated area with small pools for steam and hot baths. The pools were filled with water from the well and stored in the reservoir.
Rua da Princesa
Rua da Princesa is the only residential area known so far in the settlement of Troia. This archaeological area owes its name to Queen D. Maria I, who, while still a princess, in the 18the century, carried out the first known excavations in Troia.
The buildings that were uncovered had ground and first floor levels and, according to the diaries of the excavation, had vestiges of mosaic pavements and wall paintings on the upper floor.
Mausoleum
In the first half of the 3rd century AD, a mausoleum was built with niches on the walls for funerary urns, according to the practice of cremation, typical of Roman culture. On the ground, tombs were built for placing corpses in graves. This new practice of inhumation was adopted in Troia at the end of the 2nd century AD.
Necropole do mausoléu
On top of a dune made of sand and garbage which had accumulated behind the mausoleum, inhumations were buried in tombs constructed of brick and stone. These tombs have a typical Christian orientation, heads to northwest and feet to southeast.
The belief was that when the dead would rise at the moment of resurrection, they would face Jerusalem where crucified Jesus rose from the death. Priests were buried in the opposite direction, turning to the faithful in a welcoming posture at the moment of resurrection. At a later point in time, among the tombs, were buried many children in amphorae, removed during the 1960's excavation of the necropolis.
It was really nice to visit the ruins, I love to see how they used to live and work.
So this was the perfect excursion for me. I learned a lot about how they used to work and the greatest thing is that Portugal is a land full of fish and it all started with the Romans, really nice to discover!
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