«This report summarizes the activities and outcomes to date of the 2024-2025 U.S. Scholars, Fulbright/FCT: Foundation for Sciences and Technology research grant that I was awarded by Fulbright Portugal. I lived in Porto, Portugal from 4 January to 31 May 2025 and was sponsored by Dr. Amélia Polónia and the Department of History, Political and International Studies, Faculty of Arts (FLUP) at Universiade de Porto.
My research focused on the transition of the former Lagoa da Pederneira located near Nazaré. Between the 13th and 17th centuries, the lagoon transitioned from a large marine body of water to agricultural fields. Drawing on archaeological data, geologic reconstructions, historical documents, and ethnographic information, I investigated how the environment changed and how the surrounding populations adapted. Those adaptations included relocating ports and settlements, as well as transitioning from maritime to agricultural lifeways. These are significant changes that occurred within generations as the lagoon rapidly filled with silt.
This research benefited significantly from the extended time in Portugal that the Fulbright award allowed. I was able to visit local and regional libraries that contained materials not available on the internet. Through the staffs of these libraries and FLUP, I was introduced to data sources that I would not have otherwise found. I also spent multiple days in the Lagoa da Pederneira landscape, which allowed me to better understand how the environment changed and how the landscape played a role in human adaptations. Extended visits to the region allowed me to understand how changes in the weather affected the space and to gain a better sense of the landscape than is available from any combination of maps. Visiting the region also allowed me to speak with local informants and historians who have spent decades researching various aspects of Pederneira, Alcobaca, and Nazaré history. More broadly, the time spent immersed in Portuguese culture, visiting museums, historic sites, and restaurants, and riding public transportation everyday gave me a deeper understanding of Portuguese culture. In particular, the varying Portuguese views of their environment and their maritime past.
The primary outcome of the Fulbright Scholar period was substantial data and information pertaining to Lagoa da Pederneira. I am currently organizing and analyzing these data and have three peer-reviewed articles planned. At least two of these articles will be co-authored with Portuguese scholars that I met while studying in Portugal. As important as the data and collaborators, I also developed a network of Portuguese scholars that I plan to engage as I invariably have questions or identify gaps in the data I have collected. This network will also be invaluable in reviewing any publications to better reflect a Portuguese knowledgebase. While in Portugal, I presented on this research and preliminary findings at a FLUP graduate seminar. I also spoke at the Fulbright Portugal Forum 2025 and presented a Fulbright Portugal @65 talk. I have additional planned talks for 2025-2026, including a presentation at the Society for American Archaeology and a Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences seminar.
Together, this research and experiences have expanded my perception of the archaeological record and the human past. I am actively integrating this new information and reflections into the courses that I teach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The most immediate example is the Voyages of Discovery course that I am teaching this semester. The Portuguese expansion of the 15th to 17th centuries is a portion of this class that will be much better because of my Fulbright experience, but ideas about culture contact that I learned in Portugal will also appear in subtler ways throughout the course.
The Fulbright benefits of international exchange extended to my family. My wife and two sons joined me in Porto. My sons attended Colégio Júlio Dinis where they were in classes with students from throughout Europe and South America, and received Portuguese language instruction. Their presence gave us additional entry points into the Porto community. We explored Porto as a family, investigating museums, churches, shops, and restaurants throughout the city. We also travelled throughout Portugal, visiting Lisbon, Coimbra, Leiria, the Algarve, Tomar, and other locations. As a family, we made Portugal our home for five months and feel that we got to know it intimately in that time. All of us developed a love of Portugal that we will carry throughout our lives.
Lastly, using the time before and after the stay in Portugal, and two school holidays during our stay, we visited sites and cities throughout Europe, North Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean. In these travels, I saw sites I have taught students about, but did not think I’d ever see. Places like the Marrakech souks, the Colosseum, Petra, Giza, and the Hagia Sofia. While these were not directly part of my Fulbright Portugal activities, the Fulbright Scholar award provided the impetus for these travels. My teaching and life have been enriched because of this award.»
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Thank you, dear Ben!