Limekilns

The presentation aims to retrace reasons behind urban transformations and their impact in Late Antique and Early Byzantine Limyra by means of using archaeological data, historical sources, analyses of the finds, and the results of interdisciplinary studies. The ancient city of Limyra is located on the southwestern coastal region of former Asia Minor, nowadays Turkey, and 5 kilometres northeast to the modern town of Finike at the foot of the Toçak Dağı massif. Although numerous Byzantine remains were uncovered since the early excavations, the focus was laid mainly on public monuments of religious and secular character (churches, palaces etc.), while the archaeological contexts including their complementary belonging materials were more or less neglected. Thus, this period was summarily dated and classified. Historical sources mention Limyra as a seat of a suffragan bishop from the end of the 4th until the end of the 9th c. (Not. Episc.), while the latest archaeological excavations reveal a flourishing Late Antique city life. The so-called “Dark Ages” bring a change of the urban perspective by means of pragmatism and adaptation to current needs regarding reused, recycled and newly built structures and materials. The tendency of investments seems to focus on intense industrial and commercial activities, while the city walls are strongly rebuilt. Eventually, the Persian and the Arab attacks from the 7th c. onwards offer the background for these practical interventions.

Tesis de Maestria, Master Thesis
The characterization of the ring structures can strongly suggest the presence of kilns for lime production used by the Maya in the Classic period and the colonial period. Archaeometric techniques used in this research were fundamental in the mineralogical characterization, dating and obtaining organic waste associated with the production of lime.
Archaeometric techniques used in the characterization of the samples included Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Besides the characterization techniques, used the FTIR analysis for the differentiation of geological calcite of calcite anthropogenic as a product of pyrotechnology.
This study pressents the classification of the type and distribution patterns of the ring structure and in conjunction with the result of the analysis, finally, I suggest future approaches that may be taken in order to extract more information from the ring structures and the process of production of lime and the use of fire by the prehispanic Maya societies.
The value of this research was to give visibility to an archaeological feature searches yet ignored by the deficiency in the systematization of archaeological information. This lack stems from the absence of a specific definition and the little diffusion of maps of archaeological sites.
Key words: lime, limekilns, ring structure, Area Maya, Archaeometry

RESUMO
Em simultâneo com o estudo dos fornos de cal da região entre os rios Minho e Cávado, estamos a proceder à localização e registo dos exemplares ainda existentes em Portugal continental.
Damos conta do trabalho realizado até ao momento, abordando as referências mais antigas acerca desta indústria no país, o seu registo na toponímia e cartografia, a variabilidade tipológica e o seu enquadramento nacional.
Apresentamos ainda os resultados preliminares relativos à região do Minho/Cávado, através dos quais, para além da identificação e localização dos fornos existentes, se constata que a matéria-prima necessária para produzir a cal nem sempre se encontra próxima dos locais de produção.

ABSTRACT
While studying the limekilns in the region between the rivers Minho and Cávado, we are also localizing and registering the examples that exist in Continental Portugal.
We take in to account the studies completed up to this date, addressing the oldest references about this industry in the country, their record in place names and cartography, the typological variability and their national framework.
We also present the preliminary results from the region of Minho/Cávado, due to which, by identifing and locating the existing limekilns, it is possible to observe that the necessary raw material to produce lime is not always in proximity to the production sites. "

Palavras-chave: cal, fornos de cal, arqueologia industrial
Keywords: lime, limekilns, industrial archaeology