Portugal sits on the Western edge of Europe, and has had humans living in its valleys and shores for 400,000 years. From the prehistoric to Art Deco, Portugal has all kinds of monuments to explore. The Roman and Moors both ruled ancient Portugal for centuries – their touch is unmistaken. But what about other ancient people who came, and saw, and conquered? Their presence is a bit harder to find, but excavations and discoveries in recent decades have cast more light on the ancient invaders of Portugal.

The ancient Greeks called Portugal Ophiussa, which translates to Land of Serpents.The local Ophi people worshiped snakes, hence the name. Greeks came and traded, and may have had trading posts, but it was quite far from the Mediterranean. The Greeks helped improve the wine industry, as archeological evidence suggests. By the seventh century BCE, Greeks had built a trading post near Alcácer do Sal on the Atlantic coast.

But the Phoenicians were more involved. In the 12th century BCE, Phoenicians came looking for metals to trade for, but not much remains from this period. The Rua dos Correeiros Archaeological Nucleus sits beneath the Millennium Bank on the Rua Augusta. Excavations in the 1990s unveiled rare Phoenician and Roman ruins, showing that the Phoenicians were once very involved in Lisbon. The museum is free to visit, but it is suggested that you book a tour online in advance.

Portugal sits on the Western edge of Europe, and has had humans living in its valleys and shores for 400,000 years. From the prehistoric to Art Deco, Portugal has all kinds of monuments to explore. The Roman and Moors both ruled ancient Portugal for centuries – their touch is unmistaken. But what about other ancient people who came, and saw, and conquered? Their presence is a bit harder to find, but excavations and discoveries in recent decades have cast more light on the ancient invaders of Portugal.

Very recent excavations under the Lisbon Cathedral show more Phoenician ruins from about 1200 BCE. As to who named this city, there is a debate. Some argue that the name Lisbon dates to Phoenician times, from the Phoenician word Alis-Ubo, meaning "safe harbor." Romans wrote of legends that the mythical hero Odysseus on his legendary journey home from Troy – called Ulyssippo, founded the city of Lisbon.

Near Lisbon, Phoenician tombs were cut from the rock near Palmela, Cascais and Estoril.

Next up, in the fifth century B.C., the Carthaginians arrived for a 200 year stint of controlling most of the Portuguese coast. But little other than coins remain from this period.

Also, in the book of forgotten invaders and rulers come the Visigoths. The Visigoths were the western branches of Germanic nomadic tribes. They arrived in Portugal about a century after the fall of the Roman Empire, in 415 ACE, and ruled most of Portugal until the Moors arrived in 711. They were the founders of the Algarve city of Portimão.

A few bits of their presence remain. The most intriguing, Igreja de São Gião is a church south of Nazaré. This is the oldest Christian church in Portugal, and its age and origin were only re-discovered in 1961. Dating back to the 7th century, the temple is the remnant of a small monastery of Visigoth Christian monks who stayed during the rule of the Moors. Then, it ended up housing cattle, and since its rediscovery excavations, Roman and medieval remains have turned up as well. The Visigoth chapel of São Frutuoso near Braga dates back to the 7th century too. The chapel of São Frutuoso is a rare example of Visigoth buildings still intact in Portugal, and is based on a Greek-cross. And in Soure, near Coimbra, a Visigoth window still looks out on the ruins of the town’s ancient castle.