Paisagens humanas alto-medievais na vertente noroeste da serra de Estrela (Portugal)
Resumen: El estudio de la ocupacion altomedieval de la vertiente noroeste de la Sierra da Estrela ha permitido identificar tres momentos: un primer momento que abarca los siglos vi a viii y que se caracteriza por la persistencia de caracteristicas del poblamiento romano; un segundo momento que abarcaria los siglos viii a x y que se encuentra marcado por la inestabilidad de las fronteras entre los mundos cristiano y musulman, y, por ultimo, una tercera etapa, que englobaria los siglos xi a xii, en que ya se hace notar la intervencion de un poder mas centralizado en este espacio, en un claro proceso de senorializacion. Palabras clave: Sierra Da Estrela, Alta Edad Media, territorio, poblamiento, incastellamento, frontera, Resumo: O estudo da ocupacao alto-medieval da vertente noroeste da Serra da Estrela permitiu identificar tres momentos: um primeiro momento que abarca os seculos vi a viii e que se caracteriza pela persistencia de caracteristicas do povoamento romano; um segundo momento que abrangeria os seculos viii a x e que se encontra marcado pela instabilidade de fronteiras entre os mundos cristao e muculmano; e por ultimo uma terceira etapa, que englobaria os seculos xi a xii em que se denota ja a intervencao de um poder mais  centralizado neste espaco, num claro processo de senhorializacao. Palavras-chave: Serra da Estrela, alto-medieval, territorio, povoamento, encastelamento, fronteira. Abstract: The area under analysis comprises an extensive corridor of plateaux intersected by abrupt slopes and delimited by the Mondego River, to the North, and the foot of Estrela Mountain, to the South. This Mountain clearly dominates the region, feeding the Mondego’s basin through its numerous watercourses. All this is a part of the mountain system that crosses Iberia in an ENE-WSW axis, in the westernmost edge of the central mountainous ridge that separates the Douro and Tagus mesetas. Both the Mondego River and the eastern slope of Estrela Mountain are thus the major geographical features of this territory, which has been one of the most important natural passages in the Portuguese history. Chronologically, this study aims to characterize the changes on the settlement strategies that have occurred between the peninsular unification under the Visigothic crown, in the 6 th century, and the publishing of the first privilege’s charts to these populations, in the second half of the 12th century by the first Portuguese kings. Medieval studies on this region are rare, given the scarce number of written documents, which are mostly from the 12th century. Therefore, toponymic analysis, archaeological survey and systematic excavation of selected sites have been the proxies used to approach these past societies in their environment. The interpretation of the data so far obtained suggests the existence of changes in the strategies of occupation of this region and in the way its resources were exploited. Several factors can be detected underlying these changes, its majority being of political and social nature. The reorganization of these populations was forced by the social and economic changes derived from the progressive disintegration of the Roman world  longside the conquests started by the Muslims when they first entered in Iberian Peninsula. This reorganization of the local populations was directed both towards their own protection and in the search for economic activities that could take place in accordance to these times of military instability. Like in so many regions elsewhere in Iberia, the intervention of a more centralized power becomes increasingly notorious by the end of the Early Middle Age. Despite the scarcity of the available data, it is possible to identify three different phases during which the dominant settlement strategy has changed. The first, comprised between the 6th and the 8 th centuries, is characterised by a settlement typical of the previous Roman period. Some ancient Roman villae, like Aljao and Freixial, become central places, aggregating the population. The second, from the 8th to the 10th centuries, is marked by instability of frontiers between Christian and Muslim worlds, which has resulted on the occupation of naturallydefensible places such as Penedo dos Mouros or Castelo. Finally, a third phase, during the 11th and 12th centuries, is marked by the above-mentioned intervention of a more centralised power, of which the castles located on the slopes of the Estrela Mountain are a testimony. Keywords: Estrela Mountain, Early Middle Age, territory, settlement, fortifying, frontier.