Vaso/Vase - Tholos of Santiago do Escoural

The Tholos of Santiago do Escoural was discovered in early August 1964 by coal workers at the Herdade da Sala, in an area proximate to the western side of the Escoural Cave (Gruta do Escoural). In early September of the same year, archaeologist Manuel Farinha dos Santos carried out an excavation which led to the discovery of a large amount of funerary remains (schist slabs, necklace beads and arrowheads). Among the objects recovered in the excavation, this vase stands out, not only because it is intact, but also due to the symbolic decoration it presents. The type of decoration this vase has, although rather schematic, represents the same theme as other votive and ceremonial objects from the same period. In the most well-preserved depictions on schist slabs, cyllindrical idols, or pottery from this period, representations of human faces are easily identified, thus referring to the world of magic/religion. Original scan by Global Digital Heritage in 2019 and optimized with Myou Software decimator.