The collaboration between IPHES-CERCA and the Comarcal Council of Conca de Barberà in the fields of research, conservation, and dissemination of the archaeological heritage of the region has allowed for the promotion, during the 2024-2025 academic year, of a pilot experience at the Blancafort School with the objective of bringing local archaeological heritage closer to the educational community.

The project began following a significant observation: the municipality of Blancafort did not have any cataloged archaeological sites, nor any documentary references regarding its settlement prior to the Middle Ages. Given this lack of information, the school’s management, with the support of the Pedagogical Resource Center and IPHES-CERCA, promoted a participatory research project to locate potential archaeological sites within the municipal term.

The initiative placed the students of the second cycle as protagonists of the investigative process and also involved the participation of local residents, as well as the Blancafort City Council. Based on the collection of oral information provided by the local population, several points of archaeological interest were identified, which were subsequently subject to field surveys.

The different work sessions, led by specialists from IPHES-CERCA and the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC), made it possible to document, process, and study the archaeological materials recovered from the surface. As a result, four new archaeological sites were identified, and an initial chrono-cultural characterization was established for them.

The project culminated with the drafting and submission of the corresponding records to the Archaeology and Paleontology Service of the Generalitat de Catalunya in order to incorporate these new spaces into the Inventory of Archaeological and Paleontological Heritage of Catalonia.