GUIFARQ – Guifões Archaeological Research Project
Andreia Arezes (coordinators)

From April 27 to May 29, 2026, another archaeological excavation campaign took place at the Castro de Guifões (Matosinhos) as part of PIPA GUIFARQ—the Guifões Archaeological Research Project. This project, coordinated by Andreia Arezes (CITCEM, Faculty of Arts, University of Porto), with the collaboration of a team that ensures its trans- and interdisciplinary scientific scope, is based on a collaboration agreement signed between the Faculty of Arts of the University of Porto, the Matosinhos City Council, and APDL – Port Authority of the Douro, Leixões, and Viana do Castelo, S.A.

As part of the National Plan for Archaeological Work and carried out under the auspices of CITCEM – Transdisciplinary Center for Culture, Space, and Memory, this project serves as an example of how scientific research intersects with the educational and practical dimensions of archaeology and with the promotion of heritage and the local area, in close collaboration with the community. In fact, since 2016, the Guifões Hillfort has served as a “field school,” where students in the Archaeology program at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Porto put their learning into practice and prepare for their professional careers, both in the field and in the office, as part of the course “Field Archaeology Practices” (3rd year of the aforementioned degree program). At the same time, the center hosts and offers guided tours to large groups of students from various educational institutions, as well as to anyone interested in learning about archaeological practice and related research in all its various aspects and dynamics. With the community and the importance of science communication in mind, an exhibition titled “Between Land and Sea: Monte Castêlo de Guifões,” was conceived to celebrate the project’s 10th anniversary and is on display at the Matosinhos Museum of Memory (MuMMa) through November 1, 2026. This exhibition offers a glimpse into key aspects of the ongoing archaeological process, allowing visitors to view firsthand some of the most iconic artifacts unearthed and to explore the lines of research and interpretation being pursued at this pivotal site in the Northwest, which has been continuously occupied since protoprehistory to the Early Middle Ages and unfolds in close connection with the Leça River and the Atlantic Ocean.

Territories, Landscapes, and the Environment (CITCEM Research Group)
Photographs by Andreia Arezes and Rodry Mendonça