Excavations in Lagos reveal a shackle used to buy slaves
Excavations in the center of Lagos have uncovered a manilla, a brass ring used to buy people, slaves, and a grave with five skeletons, one of them showing signs of violence, said the director of the Lagos Museum.
Lagos' connection to the slave trade was already known, but this is considered the first discovery of a piece used specifically as currency to buy people, which "confirms that the slave trade took place here", stressed the museum 's director, Elena Morán.
“Many of these pieces were produced in what is now the Netherlands, and commissioned by the Portuguese, and this shackle, dating from the 16th century, coincides with the time when the slave trade began,” said the archaeologist, adding that the shackle was discovered during excavations near the town gate.
According to Elena Morán, Gomes Eanes de Zurara, chronicler of Prince Henry the Navigator, already made reference in the “Crónica de Guiné” to what was supposedly the first major slave sale in Lagos, in which 235 people were sold, near the town gate, a version now attested by the recent discovery.
In the same area, next to the town gate, archaeologists made another discovery: a pit with five burials, one of the skeletons showing signs of violence, in an episode dating back to the 16th century.
Without yet being able to provide details about these burials, which are being studied by the Municipality of Lagos and the University of Coimbra, Elena Morán only says that it is an “unusual” situation in the urban space.
According to the person in charge, at this time, the urban center was organized with parish churches and associated cemeteries, and it was not common for burials to take place outside these spaces, unless they were people with contagious diseases, anomalies or slaves.
“We dug about 50 pits in that perimeter, some were wells for water, others for depositing waste or for reservoir purposes. The discovery of the burials was completely unexpected,” she said.
In 2009, during excavations for the construction of a car park, a huge rubbish dump was identified outside the walls of Lagos where 158 skeletons were found, which after being exhumed were confirmed to be of African origin.
The skeletons were mostly simply thrown into the site, a large urban rubbish dump in the Gafaria Valley, although some were placed there more carefully, Elena Morán said.
“All that collection is enough for thousands of studies and what is being studied in continuity are the anthropological studies. The studies are integrated into worldwide databases that are making it possible to determine the origin of those people”, she highlighted.
The rules for an ideas competition to build a memorial to enslaved people are being prepared, a way to pay tribute to them and draw attention to a problem that still exists in the world today.
“Slavery is not a thing of the past, the fact that we can talk about these issues helps to raise awareness, to be more alert, to identify the signs and eventually to be able to report it”, argued Elena Morán.
The public art piece will be placed in Gafaria, as part of a project that is still being developed in collaboration with the Faculty of Design, Technology and Communication (IADE) of the European University.
Government authorizes use of 'dead volume' of Odelouca Dam
The Ministry of Environment and Energy has given the green light to the intervention to use the 'dead volume' to increase the capacity of the Odelouca Dam. This is an investment worth 4.9 million euros, financed by the Environmental Fund and to be carried out by Águas do Algarve.
For the ministry, this is a "crucial investment to guarantee water security in the southern region of the country, particularly during periods of drought", according to their statement.
The project is aligned with the Algarve Water Efficiency Plan and the measures to combat drought approved by the Government, and is expected to be completed at the end of the year, allowing a collection volume of 15 cubic hectometres, when urban water consumption in the region is around 75 cubic hectometres per year.
“Drought is an increasingly common occurrence in the Algarve and this project represents an important step towards supplementing the water supply to the population and economic activities in the region in emergency situations. With this intervention, we are increasing water resilience and contributing to environmental sustainability”, says Maria da Graça Carvalho.
The intervention consists of lowering the minimum operating level of the Odelouca Dam, whose dead volume was oversized. Águas do Algarve considered that this level could be lowered, allowing a higher volume of capture, without compromising water quality.
“This investment is a clear demonstration of our commitment to ensuring water security in the Algarve. By capturing the dead water from the Odelouca Dam, we are creating a resilient response to the challenges of drought by managing water in a sustainable way. This project is an example of how we can reconcile economic development with environmental protection,” stressed the Minister of Environment and Energy.
New rules mean access to the iconic Benagil Caves is limited
As of yesterday, August 13th 2024, the iconic Benagil Caves on the coastline of Lagoa have new access rules, which include the prohibition of disembarking and swimming inside.
Located off Benagil beach, the caves are considered to be a relevant natural heritage site and one of the main tourist attractions in the Algarve, which, in the summer, has attracted the interest of more and more visitors, especially by sea.
The new measures now in force, which aim to regulate the traffic of maritime-tourist vessels, private boats and beach go-ers, both in the water and in the vicinity of the Benagil cave and sinkhole, were published in an official notice on July 30th.
It is now forbidden for individuals and companies to disembark, or use the sand inside the Benagil cave. Access to the caves by swimming or with floatation devices, and the rental of kayaks without a guide in the cave area, is all prohibited.
There are also limits on the number of boats and kayaks inside the cave at one time, with a ratio of one guide kayak for every six tourist kayaks in the area, plus duration for visits in the cave.
Provisions for offences (fines) are in place for operators of maritime-tourist vessels who do not comply with the rules set out in the notice, which in the most serious cases can reach up to €216,000.
The notice resulted from the work developed by the Benagil Caves Working Group, formed in August 2023.
Monchique: Young motorcyclist seriously injured in collision with a car
A 20 year old female motorcyclist was seriously injured yesterday afternoon, in a collision between her motorcycle and a light vehicle, in Pardieiro, Monchique.
The young Portuguese woman was transported by ambulance from the road where the accident occurred, at around 16:40, to the Monchique heliport, from where she was transported to the Faro hospital in the INEM helicopter.
Emergency crew of 16 operators attended the accident, with the support of five vehicles and one aircraft.
50 year old tourist raped by two men in Albufeira
A 50 year old Irish woman, on holiday in Albufeira, has reported being raped by two men on the street, in the early hours of Monday.
The woman filed a complaint with the GNR immediately after the incident, which was then investigated by the Judicial Police.
After all legal procedures were carried out, the victim "was sent to a hospital to undergo tests that prove the rape" and that, in addition to the results of the biological tests, "the authorities will investigate the existence of any witnesses that corroborate the version presented by the woman, as well as the existence of video surveillance images that will hopefully help identify the suspects".
Two men arrested for a string of violent crimes
Police have arrested two men suspected of committing violent crimes in Faro and Loulé, inlcuding kidnap, attempted murder, aggravated robbery and aggravated threat.
The Judicial Police (PJ), in collaboration with the PSP Command of Faro, arrested two individuals, men, aged 22 and 27, for “committing a total of three attempted murder crimes, two kidnapping crimes, three aggravated robbery crimes, one crime of possession of a prohibited weapon and one crime of aggravated threat, which occurred in Faro and Loulé, between June and August of this year, in an escalation of extreme violence, which ended up generating a feeling of unrest among the population”.
According to the PJ statement, the crimes in question “will have occurred mostly between elements of the rival groups that those now detained were part of, and which, according to the investigation, will be based on the attempt to control territory for the practice of drug trafficking”.
The escalation of violence began at the “beginning of June, in the city center of Faro, when, during the day, one of the detainees fired shots from a firearm, targeting a member of a rival group, without hitting him”.
“Days later, on July 10th, the detainees kidnapped a man, taking him from his home in Quarteira, Loulé and taking him to a deserted location”, revealed the PJ. In addition to stealing “his personal belongings, they also attacked him with a knife and shot him with a gun. The victim managed to escape, but required medical assistance”.
In August, in the city of Faro, the detainees were “the perpetrators of several incidents involving the use of knives and firearms, which included robberies with death threats and assaults, and whose victims required hospital care”. Two of the situations occurred following “altercations between the two detainees, with one of them also requiring hospital care, including hospitalisation”.
The detainees were brought before the judicial authorities andhave been placed in preventive detention.
House prices in the Algarve have risen 8.4% in one year
House prices in the Algarve rose 8.4% in July compared to the same month last year. According to the Idealista price index , buying a house cost on average €3,414 per square meter (euros/m2) at the end of July this year.
Analysing by municipality, prices in the region rose in São Brás de Alportel (14.7%), Silves (10.3%), Lagos (9.9%), Tavira (9.6%), Vila Real de Santo António (7.4%), Loulé (6.8%), Olhão (6.5%), Portimão (5.9%), Albufeira (5.9%), Aljezur (4.2%), Castro Marim (3.8%), Faro (2.8%), Lagoa (1.7%) and Vila do Bispo (0.8%). On the other hand, prices fell in Monchique (-1.2%).
The most expensive municipality to buy a house is Loulé (4,073 euros/m2), followed by Lagos (3,936 euros/m2) and Vila do Bispo (3,733 euros/m2). Next are Aljezur (3,602 euros/m2), Lagoa (3,574 euros/m2), Albufeira (3,420 euros/m2), Tavira (3,147 euros/m2), Castro Marim (3,132 euros/m2), Silves (3,075 euros/m2), Faro (2,979 euros/m2) and Vila Real de Santo António (2,969 euros/m2).
The most economical are in Monchique (2,263 euros/m2), São Brás de Alportel (2,622 euros/m2), Portimão (2,634 euros/m2) and Olhão (2,896 euros/m2).
At a national level, housing prices rose 7.7% during the same period, standing at €2,696 /m2.
Monte Gordo: 34 year old woman rescued after having difficulty breathing
On Saturday afternoon, a 34 year old woman who felt unwell at Monte Gordo beach in Vila Real de Santo António, was assisted by Members of the “SeaWatch” Project.
The young woman began to suffer difficulties breathing, and an emergency call was put in by the lifegaurd.
“Following the alert received at 18:05, through the lifeguard on duty at the beach, requesting support in assisting a woman, members of the “SeaWatch” Project and the Volunteer Firefighters of Vila Real de Santo António immediately went to the location”, said the National Maritime Authority in a statement.
Upon arrival at the scene, firefighters assisted and stabilised the victim, who was then removed from the beach and taken to hospital, by the Volunteer Firefighters of Vila Real de Santo António.
