Portugal, 1001 Sights: An Archaeological and Historical Guide

Richard W. Parker is an assistant professor of classics at Brock
University in St. Catharines.

If one’s idea of travel is sun, sea, cheap victuals, and Iberian
quaintness, this book is no help, but it will well serve those wishing
to scour Portugal’s landscape in search of the remnants of her rich
heritage. Many will be surprised, for example, at the number and
preservation of prehistoric megalithic monuments.

The book comprises two parts. Part I contains historical and
archaeological background from the Paleolithic era to the reconquest in
the middle of the 13th century after Christ, including a brief section
on Luso-Jewish communities. Sources for further reading follow several
of the individual subsections.

The real meat is Part 2, a fairly comprehensive field manual for
exploring Portugal’s in situ monuments of the prehistoric through
medieval periods, everything from bridges and castles to menhirs and
rock engravings. This guide is organized into three regional sections
(North, Central, South), each with a geographical and archaeological
overview of the region and a brief description of each district within
the region. A district-by-district catalogue of significant locales
follows, in which the sights (including local museums) of each locale
and concise directions on how to get to it and its several sites are
offered.

Maps and a chart enhance the historical introduction, and some 80
black-and-white photographs adorn the volume. The photos are small but
clear. More-complex sites are accompanied by plans. Motorists will find
useful the list of suggested routes illustrated by simple road maps at
the end. A glossary, bibliography, and index of towns and villages
(including site names) round out the volume. An index of sites by period
and/or by monument type (i.e., dolmans, menhirs, Roman bridges) would
have been welcome.

The treatment is brief when compared, for example, with the Blue Guide
series, but this volume will prove a welcome traveling companion to
amateur enthusiasts and professionals alike.