EASE Placement in Freixo, Portugal :
By Emily Carroll
After arriving at the very pretty train station consisting of a single platform surrounded by rolling
hills and vineyards, we were meet by our supervisors and driven to our home for the next five
weeks. The ‘Ranch’ ,as we called it in the small village of Freixo, consisted of double ensuite rooms, a
restaurant where we had hot meals three times a day, and a bar where we relaxed in the evening.
The local village had small shops, a post office, a bakery, a pharmacy, two museums and a bar.
Each morning after breakfast we drove to the site which was located on top of a mountain in the
middle of the valley. Though the weather was hot, the work was fun and time flew by. The site we
worked on was a Copper Age site, where we found many stone structures, a lot of pottery and
lithics, as well as bone. We started off cleaning contexts to see what structures were lying
underneith. Once this was done we recorded the features and started excavating to determine the
layout of the Copper age settlement. Everyone got to work on different areas of the site, as well as
take levels, draw contexts and sections.
After digging we had the afternoons free to spend as we wished. Usually we visited nearby
archaeological sites, went to the bakery, or went swimming. My time in Freixo was easily one of the
best summers I have ever had. I made many new friends who I still keep in contact with now. I learnt
many new things, and had an amazing time. I would recommend this placement to anyone as it was
a very well organised and enjoyable trip.