Roman Ruins of Creiro

The Roman ruins of Creiro are situated in the Arrábida Natural Park above Creiro Beach in the Setúbal District of Portugal [1]. They are ruins of a fish-salting factory and Roman baths, dating back to the days when the province of Lusitania formed part of the Roman Empire [1]. The factory at Creiro was one of the smaller but older production units for salted and pickled fish and fish sauces that were exported throughout the Empire in specially designed amphorae [1]. The ruins were first identified by the archaeologist António Inácio Marques da Costa in 1907 [1]. However, he provided no detailed information about the site and it was not until 1964 when his unpublished manuscripts were discovered that the nature of the site was officially known [1]. It was only in 1987 that the first archaeological excavation was carried out, by the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology of Setúbal District, led by Carlos Tavares da Silva [1].