Irisalva Moita
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21 May 1924
Irisalva Moita | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Irisalva Constância de Nóbrega Nunes Moita 21 May 1924 |
| Died | 13 June 2009 (Aged 85) |
| Occupation(s) | Archaeologist and museologist |
| Known for | Contribution to the expansion of the Museum of Lisbon |
| Parent(s) | José Nunes Moita and Justina de Nóbrega |
Irisalva Moita (1924–2009) was a Portuguese archaeologist and museum conservator and curator.
Irisalva Constância de Nóbrega Nunes Moita was born on 21 May 1924, in Sá da Bandeira (now Lubango), Portuguese Angola. When she was 20 she moved to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon to pursue her studies. There she graduated in 1949 in Historical and Philosophical Sciences. One of her first interests was in archaeology and from the early 1950s, she obtained a research scholarship from the archaeology section of the Instituto de Alta Cultura (High Culture Institute), a body set up by the Ministry of Education of the authoritarian Estado Novo regime to develop and improve artistic culture, scientific research and cultural relations with other countries, as well as to disseminate the Portuguese language and culture. The scholarship would last two decades, with Moita being involved in several archaeological investigations and excavations, beginning with a study of the Portuguese dolmen culture, such as the Dolmen of Cunha Baixa near Viseu and the Dolmen of Carapito I in the Guarda District, as well as other sites in the Alentejo region.[1][2]
Archaeological studies in Lisbon
Moita then carried out a detailed study of the Castro culture, a period in Portugal generally considered to cover from the 9th century BCE to the 1st century BCE when the Romans overwhelmed the country. From the mid-1950s her interests would focus increasingly on the capital, from the Roman period, when it was known as Olisipo, to more or less the present day. Her role in archaeology in Lisbon was necessitated by the increase in building work, such as that for the Lisbon Metro, which began in 1955. She was frequently involved in protecting infrastructure and artefacts about to be destroyed by site works. Over time she would become internationally known as an expert on urban preservation. Her excavations included those at the Monsanto Forest Park, the Lisbon Roman theatre, the Hospital Real de Todos-os-Santos of Praça da Figueira, and the Roman necropolis in the same area.[1][2][3][4]
