Conflict, Defensive Sites and Oral Tradition: A History of Settlement in Atauro

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Defensive sites are particularly numerous in a small island such as Atauro. Their location and survey give a glimpse of the diversity of their configurations: from naturally defensive sites that were barely arranged, to forts displaying several successive walls. The oral information given by the population provides insights on the historical contexts of the construction of these sites, on their current place in the landscapes and territories, and help understand the conflicts of pre-colonial times, which have shaped the current social and political landscapes. This approach at the scale of Atauro is ultimately confronted with the data on the development of defensive structures in the cultural area, providing a glimpse of the last phases of the islandʼs settlement.