A very short view of the stages that this project as had, since 1978, with a brief comment on each stage, only to enhance its most relevant aspects. This information, although resumed is, nevertheless, relevant for the understanding of the actual works being carried out by the team, as well as to give a frame to the future strategic plan.

1st stage: 1978-1986

The first stage is what it could be described as the “flower power years”, at least until 1984. The project began under the patronage and desire of former Mértola’s Mayor Serrão Martins, and the scientific survey of Cláudio Torres (who is still CAM’s Director, as well as of the Natural Park), and came also as a consequence of the social and political revolution Portugal lived after 1974´s change of regime. Culture and archaeology had, during these years, a great progress, and it was quite common, all over the country, that university students would come into interior regions to work on scientific projects. In Mértola, the enthusiasm and knowledge was shared with local youth, and from these two groups gradually emerged the germ of a research team. As a consequence ADPM (Mértola’s Heritage Safeguard Association) was formally established in 1980.

Main Activities:
- summer archaeological surveys
- archaeological artefacts restoration
- retrieval and organisation of historical documentation
- ethnography studies and retrieval of traditional objects
- Constitution of the first museum space (at Misericordia Church), displaying a mixture of the most important elements of Islamic ceramics, religious art, XVI century painting, etc.
- participation in scientific meetings

2nd stage: 1987 – 1991

Between these two stages a period of transformation could be reported: Serrão Martins dies prematurely in 1984, Cláudio Torres leaves Lisbon’s University and comes to live permanently in Mértola. Portugal joins the EU in 1986 and, last but not least, the CAM is charged, by his Mediterranean pears, of organising a major international scientific meeting in the field of Mediaeval Archaeology, in 1987.

This event (IV International Congress on Mediaeval Archaeology of Western Mediterranean) brought the necessity of a new home for central research departments and these (given by the Municipality) combined with the new coming economic resources that European Structural Funds represented, allowed the research team to grow, to have more stability and to acquire a considerable amount of technical equipment. A more specialised management was needed, and therefore, the CAM (Mértola’s Archaeological Research Team), previously a section of the ADPM, was founded in 1988. A very important decision, because, implicitly, from that moment on, the CAM concentrated its attention on build and archaeological heritage, while ADPM’s interests turned to a specialised work in the fields of natural heritage and social intervention projects. This separation would prove to have been quite positive as a results producer, although management between the two areas as always been a sensible problem.

Main Activities:
- Development of scientific projects, with the support of JNICT (National Office for Scientific Research)
- Publishing of the book Mértola Vila Museu, winner of the National Heritage Safeguard Prize
- Co-operation with a Municipal Office (GTL), during 1989/90, in the Safeguard and Management Plan for the Historical Urban Area of Mértola (winner of the National Award for Historical Areas Planning, in 1991)
- Development of the museological project (opening of Roman House, and preparation of some others)

3rd stage: 1992 – 1995

The third stage was the black period, and its negative effects can still be, in some extent, felt: the transition between the first and second EU Structural Funds, with an immense bureaucratic delay on the implementation of this latter one, caught the project in a stage of investment in the development of the museums (particularly the acquisition of spaces for these), that proved to have not been carefully planed and which forced to Bank loans to finance previous compromises. Also the number of scientific research projects was smaller and with less financing. This stage had severe consequences in terms of the CAM research team stability, this leading to a great number of management changes, not all of them correctly carried out.

Fortunately for the project on the whole, environment came to be the major concern for the century’s last decade, and this allowed ADPM to develop, then, its scientific work in this area, with a great number of projects supported by the Ministry of Environment, by Regional Administration, by international institutions, such as WWF, as well as, of course, the EU, through its Regional Development Funds. The impact of these studies and work were the basis for a project aiming to obtain the classification of a part of the Guadiana basin as Natural Reserve, intent that was achieved in 1996.

Main Activities

- Development of scientific projects, financement by JNICT
- Development of museums project (opening of Paleochristian Basilica, Castle Tower and preparation of some others)

4th stage 1996 – 2000

The actual stage represents, perhaps, the last one of the initial idea, to structure a town museum. A major support was given, in 1996, by the Tourism Fund (a governmental office depending of the Ministry of Commerce / Tourism Department) allowing us to have an immense list of museums and other supporting structures to be finished until 2000. If we establish a comparison to the previous evolution, the project can gain approximately 10 years in its execution timetable due to this financement.

Main Activities:
- Development of scientific projects, with the support of JNICT (National Office for Scientific Research), now designated PRAXIS XXI
- Development of the museological project (conclusion of a group of museums, sponsored by the National Tourism Board, finishing the missing links of the initial Mértola Town Museum program).

Then, a visit to Mértola will actually correspond to a museum within urban space tour, were the history of the place is displayed with detail, giving the visitor a good knowledge of its past. This will be the basis for the sustained development of cultural tourism activities (or to stabilise the already existing businesses), the desired objective of an alternative solution – capable of stopping emigration and decadence – that was thought back in 1978.


Rui Mateus
Researcher, Campo Arqueológico de Mértola (CAM)
email: epbjc.mt@mail.telepac.pt