THE PHOENICIAN SANCTUARY OF PALÁCIO DA GALERIA IN TAVIRA (PORTUGA L)

The Phoenician colony in Tavira (municipality of Tavira, district of Faro, Algarve) in southern Portugal is known through a series of articles documenting in overview format the Iron Age occupation of the area, a Phoenician colony. The excavation of a space interpreted as an intra-mural sanctuary stands out as particularly important given that urban sanctuaries are almost absent from the Phoenician colonies in Iberia, especially in Portugal where most sites identified as urban sanctuaries lack any architectural documentation. Tavira is located close to the estuary margin of the river Gilão/Seco, on the Gulf of Cádiz, immediately west from Cádiz, the location of the famous ancient Phoenician colony of Gadir. The stretch of the coastal area from the Straits of Gibraltar and northwards up to Figuiera da Foz (District of Coimbra) has yielded evidence for varying degrees of Phoenician involvement (Fig. 1). A series of rescue excavations in Tavira was initiated at the request of the municipality of Tavira, undertaken by the non-profit organisation Associação Campo Arqueológico de Tavira (henceforth: CAT) and by private archaeological companies commissioned by the municipality.