Grants / Support
Persuant to the objectives of the Association grants have been made to archeological projects. Excavations in Alvor, Faro, Martinhal, Estoi, Alcoutim, Alcalar e.a have been supported including equipment, professional testing fees, and AAA volunteers.
In recent years we have
provided tuition assistance to high-achieving students at the
Universidade do Algarve and to 2 Algarve students of underwater
archeology to study in Lisbon.
2009:
Tiago Fraga’s underwater archaeological studies continued this summer. With sponsorship from the AAA it was a very successful season for him and the 9 young students participating. Previously it was considered that the 1912 wreck of a gunship was likely to be a good training exercise with no great archaeological importance …however…. through the work this summer it has come about that here is something mysterious about the fate of the ship and that this can only be investigated and explained by maritime archaeologists. ----- The ‘Steam Star’, built in the late 19th century was a two-masted sailing rigg with a steam engine. It is one of the rare examples of English ship construction for the Portuguese navy - the blueprints for this and two other similar vessels having been lost in a fire. The planking on a steel skeleton had been in wood with inner and outer steel sheathing in order to absorb the impact of cannon balls. This supposedly strong vessel accidentally rammed a wooden civilian ship, with the result that her bow section broke off. The ‘Steam Star’ sank rapidly, taking three members of her crew with her. The other vessel was only damaged. The question is: How could this happen? – Was there a fault in the material? – Was it due to lack of maintenance? – or - more severe: Did the English not cling to their own high standards for constructions to be delivered abroad?. These are the questions that Tiago Fraga wants to answer through investigation combined with the education of a new generation of Marine archaeologists.
Serious scientific work can only begin after the students are sufficiently trained in working underwater and in the use of equipment. Unfortunately this year’s study had to be ended as no other funding from other sources could be found, apart from that provided by the AAA. Tiago is hoping that his project will be better supported next year and he gave his warm thanks to the AAA in that we were able to provide him with the opportunity to show what can and should be done in this specialist field of archaeology, and, thus may have prompted closer interest from governmental institutions.
Tiago overlooking the procedures.
From Tiago:
Portugal and the world. Our goal is to understand the amazing technology humans have created to survive in
one of the most hostile environments Earth has to offer us and to understand the maritime culture’s level of
participation on the shaping of the modern world. George Bass states “Long before there were farmers there were sailors”. Sailors have with their blood and lives built the world. As they explored, traded, fought and died they were carriers of news, of ideas, of new foods and of new technology. Sailors proved that the world was round, they linked earth’s continents, they were the first line of defence for several countries, and they were responsible for the economic prosperity that brought our society to today’s advancement. Even today most of the bulk traffic of the world is under the tender care of sailors. However, because sailors have very little participation on “land life” they have always been seen as second class citizens, and have been neglected in mankind’s tale. In the present time, scientists are trying to understand how did this culture impacts history, how did their technology evolve and what was the extent of their participation on humankind's development. Not only to repair a past injustice, but also to plan for a better future. Our contribution to this study comes from understanding the maritime aspects of Lagos and at the same time to find and study shipwrecks that fill the gaps of our current knowledge of shipbuilding.
