Iron Age

Winter Count, (started 1995), is part of a family of gatherings that strive to reconnect people with old ways of making fire, tanning hides, forming metal, weaving baskets, hunting, gathering and much more. We teach ancestral skills that were essential to the survival and well being of all cultures, no matter what continent your ancestors came from.

On the 29th of October, another edition of this Prehistoric Recreation will take place in Rio Seco, at Rua Eduardo Bairrada (Ajuda), organized by CAL - Lisbon Archeology Centre, in partnership with ARQA - Associação de Arqueologia da Amadora, with the Ajuda Parish Council and the Monsanto Forest Park, with the extraordinary Rio Seco Geomonument as a backdrop.

For a week, everything revolves around the topic of jewellery and handicraft techniques from the Stone Age. During excavations, archaeologists repeatedly find pieces of jewellery made from a wide variety of materials, from simple limestone beads to magnificent amber necklaces.

Bread has been one of the most important foods in Machland since ancient times. Reason enough to take a look at how bread was baked in the past in our “Bread Baking” workshop during the Family Afternoon.

Another main focus on this day is fire. Here fire is made with flint, like thousands of years ago. A fiery affair not to be missed.

Research in the Montale terramara highlights an exceptional spinning activity, probably also aimed at the trade of yarns.
New data on sheep and goat farming and on tools and techniques for spinning.

Come for a magical Yule experience at our Yule weekends in December.

Come let the dark winter nights be lit up and join in on our Celtic toast, boast and oath.

We will have special Yuletide tours of the museum and hands-on activities outside, as well as special crafters and musicians to fill the site with life!

Adornment through the millennia