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A gruta de Lorga de Dine (concelho de Vinhais) implementa-se num pequeno maciço calcário. Os vários trabalhos de escavação, ocorridos nos anos 60 e 80 do século XX, permitiram a recolha de um variado espólio arqueológico datável do Calcolítico e da Idade do Bronze. Os dados recolhidos comprovam o uso do local para práticas funerárias recorrendo ao uso do rito de inumação. O presente trabalho considerou o estudo antropológico de 5 crânios de indivíduos, incluindo a determinação da diagnose sexual e da estimativa da idade à morte (observação das suturas cranianas e dentição) e o estudo paleopatológico do esqueleto craniano e respetivos vestígios de dentição. O estudo, suportado por datas de radiocarbono, apura o enquadramento cronológico-cultural destas práticas e contribui para o avanço do conhecimento das populações do 3o e 2o milénios da bacia hidrográfica do rio Douro., The cave of Lorga de Dine (Council of Vinhais) occupies a little limestone massif. The several exca- vation works occurred during the 60’s and the 80’s of the XX century allowed to recover a wide range of archaeological materialities dating back from the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. The recovered data prove the use of this place for funerary practices recurring to rites of inhumation. The present work considered the anthro- pological study of 5 human skulls, reaching the determination of sexual diagnosis and death age estimation (by observing cranial sutures and dentition), and the paleopathological study of cranial skeletons and dentition re- mains. The study, supported by radiocarbon dates, identifies the use of this place for funerary purposes and contributes to a better understanding of human populations living between the 3rd and 2nd millennia in the river Douro basin.

The aim of this work is to present a fragment of a corded bell beaker vase (CZ/M) identified at the archaeological site of Forca/Lavra, in Northwest of Portugal. Forca is a place that contains monumental structures, similar to other enclosures of the Iberian Peninsula. In Forca, ditches and palisades were built containing internal fences, pits structures and fireplaces in use, at least, between the Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages. The fragment of the bell beaker vessel appeared inside a ditch, in a Chalcolithic context associated with a radiocarbon date from 2.625 to 2.337 BC. Corded bell beaker vases are rare in the Iberian Peninsula and known only in three other Portuguese prehistoric sites: the enclosure of Porto Torrão, Ferreira do Alentejo, in the Southwest, and the walled enclosures of Castelo Velho de Freixo de Numão and Castanheiro do Vento, both places are located in Vila Nova de Foz Côa, in the Northwest. The first one appeared inside a Chalcolithic level, the second one was in from the beginning of the third quarter of the third millennia BC, and the third one, still unpublished, is also surely of the third millennium BC. Based on its rarity and on these contexts of findings the authors consider the hypothesis that this kind of bell beaker may have been used in a very special way of action and have circulated mainly in places of great importance, collectively serving a significant population group., This work was developed under the SFRH/BSAB/ 986/10 supported by the Portuguese “Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia” - FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology.