The Castelo Archaeological Project is seeking applicants for our eighth season of excavation at the site of Castelo Velho da Serra d'Ossa, and for our third season of excavation at the site of Martes, both located in the Alentejo region of Portugal. Students will be housed in the nearby town of Redondo. 

Students who wish to join our 5 week session will have the unique opportunity to excavate two separate Bronze Age sites - Martes for the first two weeks and Castelo for the final three weeks of the project.

Castelo, a settlement approximately 14 ha in size and located at one of the highest points in the region, dates to the Late Bronze Age [LBA] and Iron Age of southwest Iberia. Martes is a smaller Late Bronze Age site (1 ha) located on a low hilltop approximately 10 km away from Castelo. 
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The LBA of the southwest has long been characterized by the apparent emergence of a culture associated with defensiveness and warriorship, as represented by stone stelae depicting warrior iconography found in the wider region and the emergence of large, fortified sites that appear during this period.
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​Unfortunately, there has been a distinct lack of site-level investigations and data, thus leading to insufficient and generalizing interpretations of the LBA. Our project aims to contribute toward a more comprehensive understanding of this understudied period.

Walking to site, 2025 (Martes)

LBA rim, 2024 (Castelo)

Bronze Age Hut, 2019 (Castelo)

Castelo underwent a brief investigation in the early 2000s to safeguard surface artifacts in danger of being destroyed. Our 2018 season was the site’s first comprehensive excavation and uncovered the largest known Bronze Age hut (cabana​) in the southwest of Iberia. Work on the hut and additional areas of the site continued during our 2019 and 2022-2026 seasons. This work has revealed dozens of structures, including overlapping huts, platforms, and a surrounding defensive system. 

Martes was previously only surveyed but not formally excavated until 2025. Our first season of excavation confirmed what survey had noted: the presence of handmade ceramics typical of the Bronze Age and evidence of metallurgical production. Our 2026 season revealed an intense presence of Bronze Age occupation at the site. Our 2027 season intends to expand in these areas. 

Since 2018, our field school has trained over 100 students representing over 60 universities from around the world. Many of our students have gone on to pursue archaeology at the graduate level and have successfully secured jobs in commercial archaeology in the US, Canada, and the UK.

Lab work, 2019 (Castelo)

Prior experience is not required, though priority will be given to archaeology undergraduate and graduate students. Please note that archaeological field and lab work can be physically and mentally challenging – so a positive attitude is important! ​This field project will train students in archaeological methods, such as excavation techniques, recording, illustration, and the handling and processing of artifacts. Those interested are always encouraged to apply early as admission is on a rolling basis. We tend to fill up by late March.
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Tuition for the 5 week session at Castelo & Martes (including room, board, and transportation within Portugal) is €2300 EUR.

Tuition for the 3 week session at Castelo (including room, board, and transportation within Portugal) is €1540 EUR. 

Tuition for the 2 week session at Martes (including room, board, and transportation within Portugal) is €1030 EUR.