PASSES SANTA-COMBA MOUNTAIN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE LATE PREHISTORY OF NORTHERN PORTUGAL

This paper summarizes the results of archaeological work carried out d uring the past eight years on the Passes/Santa Comba Mountain in north ern Portugal. The more important sites there are thirteen painted rock shelters. One of them, Buraco da Pala, was occupied for three millenn ia, making it reasonable to assume that it played a part in different social, economic and symbolic systems. It was used for settlement purp oses between the late sixth/early fifth millennium sc and the beginnin g of the third. A high number of burnt cereal grains shows the introdu ction of farming in the interior of northern Portugal. Buraco da Pala was used as a granary and storage was carried out in large pottery ves sels that occupied most of the usable space in the shelter. These leve ls provide evidence both for the intensification of agricultural produ ction in this area during the Chalcolithic period and for different wa ys of symbolically appropriating the surrounding territory.