Heath Mine
Ancestral Pueblo (900–1350 CE)·Ancestral Pueblo·🇵🇹 Alentejo, Portugal
About
About Heath Mine
Heath Mine in Alentejo, Portugal is a Ancestral Pueblo (900–1350 CE) quarry attributed to Ancestral Pueblo culture. Systematically investigated through magnetometry and coring, it presents a principal enclosure with necropolis. Construction employs mudbrick on stone socle and demonstrates distinct phasing. Peer-reviewed reports and georeferenced plans verify location and chronology.
Why it mattersKey Ancestral Pueblo quarry with stratified sequence and regional significance.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Water management and resilience
- 02Chronology and phasing of monuments
Theories
- 01Elite residence and administrative centre
- 02Centralized storage and redistribution (Cunliffe)
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 984 CE
- Period
- Ancestral Pueblo (900–1350 CE)
- Culture
- Ancestral Pueblo
- Purpose
- Defensive and administrative
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 984 CE
Initial construction and primary occupation
c. 1132 CE
Major enlargement and wall circuit added
c. 1215 CE
Peak occupation and regional prominence
2003
Scientific excavation and conservation
On the ground
Structures & features
39.7995° N · 9.2536° W · 1499 m · 4 mapped features
Necropolis Extension
tombAncillary settlement associated with main monument
39.7991° N · 9.2535° WGateway
cairnBurial zone — cists
39.8017° N · 9.2533° WReservoir/Cistern
gatewayPrimary quarry at Heath Mine — enclosure wall
39.7979° N · 9.2556° WPrincipal Monument
structureBurial zone — tumuli
39.8003° N · 9.2511° W