"Once Upon a Time...": When Prehistoric Archaeology and Folklore Converge

Authors

  • Fabio Silva University of Wales Trinity Saint David; Institute of Archaeology–University College London

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/jasr.v28i2.26595

Keywords:

Neolithic, Portugal, skyscape, megalithism, longue durée

Abstract

This paper addresses the issue of congruence between archaeological narrative and folktale, and tentatively explores its implications for our understanding of the deep past, as well as of present-day folklore. Similarities between a folktale that explains the name of Serra da Estrela, a mountain range in central Portugal, and the material record of Neolithic Iberian dolmen builders of the nearby Mondego valley suggest that the prehistoric reality might be the origin of the tale. This congruence, an example among many others, has implications for the understanding of folklore, social memory and ethno-history. However, for this to occur, this paper argues that folklore needs to be looked at in the longue durée, and its origins and transformations better understood. The paper concludes with a discussion of several points raised by this case study that should be considered in the development of a methodology for congruous archaeology/folklore studies.

Author Biography

  • Fabio Silva, University of Wales Trinity Saint David; Institute of Archaeology–University College London
    Fabio Silva is currently a NERC Research Associate at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London (UK) and a tutor in the Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology in Culture (University of Wales Trinity Saint David, UK), where he is responsible for a postgraduate taught module on Archaeoastronomy. His current research interests focus on how humans perceive their environment (skyscape and landscape) and use that knowledge to time and adjust their social and productive behaviours. His archaeoastronomical research has mostly focused on Neolithic Portugal, though he has also done fieldwork in the United Kingdom and Malta. His books include Skyscapes: The Role and Importance of the Sky in Archaeology (edited with Nick Campion, Oxbow Books, in press).

Published

2015-10-12

How to Cite

Silva, F. (2015). "Once Upon a Time...": When Prehistoric Archaeology and Folklore Converge. Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, 28(2), 158-175. https://doi.org/10.1558/jasr.v28i2.26595

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