14/05/2026 - First Roman remains uncovered in Lisbon's Marvila

ERA Arqueologia, responsible for the archaeological supervision of the works at the former José Domingos Barreiros wine warehouse in Marvila, has identified the first Roman-era remains found in this area of Lisbon. The work, which has been ongoing since 2019 as part of a luxury property development, has uncovered a cremation oven (ustrinum) and what is likely a section of a Roman road, probably dating from the 1st century.

Speaking to the newspaper Público, ERA archaeologist Catarina Furtado explained that the team initially identified a wall built with typical Roman mortar (opus signinum), with subsequent excavations revealing a possible ‘large-scale’ road, approximately 20 metres long by five metres wide. Miguel Lago, ERA’s director, added that this structure may have formed part of the eastern road linking Felicitas Iulia Olisipo to Scallabis (Santarém) or may have been a secondary road.

Next to the road, ERA's team discovered a rectangular ustrinum (cremation chamber), “lined” with clay, where highly fragmented human bone remains were collected, including a skull, jawbone and teeth, according to ERA biological anthropologist Marina Lourenço. Artefacts found at the site included an ointment jar, a pot, a lid, a small vase and nails, as well as what may be the remains of a press for producing olive oil or wine.

According to Miguel Lago, ‘this is a major discovery for this area and, perhaps, the most significant find in terms of archaeology and heritage to have come to light here’. The property development has been modified to preserve the findings, specifically by suspending the planned basement for the crematorium area. ERA ensures that the structures will be properly documented, with some covered over and others partially dismantled, while the artefacts and samples will be stored for future research.