The funding commitment for “Musa - Musealisation of Archaeological Finds from the bottom of the Arade River” was approved last Wednesday by the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR) under the Algarve2030 Regional Programme and is scheduled to run until the end of 2027.

The National Centre for Nautical and Underwater Archaeology (CNANS) plays a central role in the research, being responsible for providing the scientific and technical framework for the work carried out on the river that flows through the Algarve municipalities of Portimão, Lagoa and Silves.

Speaking to Lusa, CNANS researcher and director José Bettencourt said that the project aims to “ensure that the discoveries are correctly interpreted, preserved, valued and presented to the public”.

Since the 1970s, around 3,000 objects of various types have been removed from the bed of the Arade, ranging from the prehistoric Iron Age to the 20th century.

Among the finds are ceramic containers used to transport cargo in ancient times, everyday artefacts from on board, navigation instruments and remains of wooden boats, highlighting the importance of the river as a commercial and cultural route over the centuries.

“Musa has two essential components, one of which is the investigation of the remains that are still at the bottom of the river and the other is the enhancement of both the remains that have been discovered and those that will be identified and recovered during the archaeological work,” said the researcher.

According to José Bettencourt, the project is of “crucial importance” because the intersection of the already known underwater cultural heritage of the Arade “shows that it is unique in the country due to its vast diachrony.”

“We have a little bit of everything that was part of everyday life in the past connected to the sea, but also to maritime trade,” he emphasised.

According to the researcher, the project is expected to start in the last quarter of the year with geophysical inspection work, followed by the study of the objects removed, excavations and surveys in areas of the river that “have been identified and have high potential, where more intensive and systematic work will take place.”

José Bettencourt said that the project will “provide researchers with the means to carry out more exhaustive archaeological work than has ever been possible before.”

At the same time, he added, “it is of added importance, as it allows us to act well in advance of any port works, ensuring that they do not collide, or collide as little as possible, with the underwater cultural heritage, avoiding mistakes of the past”.

In addition to the research and preservation of the finds from the Arade River, the project also provides for the creation of physical and virtual museum spaces and a visitable underwater reserve, which will allow the public to see part of the submerged archaeological heritage on site.

The project is promoted by the municipalities of Portimão and Lagoa and Cultural Heritage and financed by EU funds, with the support of CNANS.

According to CCDR/Algarve, Musa will have a sustainable and collaborative management model, involving diversified sources of funding and strategic partnerships with various entities.