Antique Mertola's Bridge in Alentejo
by Angelo DeVal
Title
Antique Mertola's Bridge in Alentejo
Artist
Angelo DeVal
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
Antique Mertola's bridge over Oeiras Creek (Ribeira de Oeiras). Alentejo, Portugal.
During Classical Antiquity, Mertola was inhabited by Phoenicians, Carthaginians and finally the Romans, who called it Myrtilis Iulia. The strategic location of Mertola, on a hill by the northernmost navigable part of the Guadiana river, was crucial in its early development. Agricultural products grown in the villae nearby and valuable minerals (silver, gold and tin) obtained from the lower Alentejo region were sent from the fluvial port of Mertola via the Guadiana to Southern Hispania and the Mediterranean. The town was raised to the status of a Municipium in times of Emperor Augustus and was connected to important Roman cities (Beja, Evora) through a road system.
During the Migration Period, Mertola was invaded by Germanic tribes of the Sueves and the Visigoths. In this period (5th-8th centuries) commerce was reduced but still active, as evidenced by Greek tombstones from the 6th-7th centuries found in Mertola which suggest the presence of Byzantine merchants in the town.
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February 20th, 2015
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