Travelling through time in the Algarve

Thousands of years ago, people were living where you live, walking where you walk; talking, singing, and laughing like you.

They were your greatest grandparents, yes, your ancient ancestors. Though we are now born into and wirelessly connected to a big technological brain with tentacles that stretch everywhere over everything, we are born just as they were thousands of years ago.

Being a member of the Archaeological Association of the Algarve (AAA) has taught me these humbling truths. Humbling, because it gives perspective on each of our brief existence here, but thrilling that we live in a time of infinite scope to learn about the past and present, and vividly imagine the future.

The AAA has put me in touch with the evolution and development of humankind. With archaeology activities such as trips to ancient sites, museums, lectures, and lunches with archaeologists, the AAA is a group with members who are curious and have a thirst for knowledge. Studies like this will help keep your brain very active. If you enjoy travel, this is time travel, without airport lines, because there is so much history nearby.

All the dreams, efforts, imagination, insurmountable difficulties of countless generations of our forebears have brought humanity to its present point. Perhaps we are at the beginning of something exciting and new, and at the end of what we are now.

Archaeology is thought-provoking, I promise you. It’s a good way to stimulate your mind and imagine an earlier version of yourself and what your life might have been. Would you have been an artist, a farmer, a serf, or a soldier? One of the billions of unknown people long forgotten? There is comfort in knowing all this has happened before, and time will keep going long after we are gone.

From Neanderthals to modern man: Lusitanians, Romans, Visigoths, Moors, and Christians. Through history, you can trace Portugal from hunter-gatherers to farmers, monarchies, republics, a dictatorship, and today’s democracy. It’s who we are. Thank you, Archaeological Association of the Algarve, for teaching me so much.