CONCHA (Portuguese for "shell") aimed to discuss the concept and characterization of coastal cities around the Atlantic rim from the 15th through the 18th centuries. It did so through the study of the conditions and expectations of such settlements and shore communities, with special attention to European settlement strategies in different regions as well as to local ecological, social, and cultural features and constraints (themes addressed across WPs). It examined maritime trade and commercial activities, and the building of social communities, with special attention to the role of women in conducting business and the patronage of art and material culture (themes addressed in WP5, WP6 and WP2). It also analysed the importance of shipyards and shipbuilding to urban development and scientific discovery and technological development (themes addressed under WP5, WP6 and WP1). Finally, the project studied the exploitation of marine resources, their uses, trading, and impact in coastal settlements, their importance in natural history, medicine, material culture, and the consumption of luxury goods (addressed mainly in WP1, WP5 and WP6).
Concretization of the main goal and specific objectives has been fully achieved through secondments and respective tasks and deliverables, according to what was foreseen in each WP of the project. We also underline a cross-functional integration between tasks and secondments under different WPs, allowing researchers from the WPs to contribute to the outcomes of one another; team members from the different institutions travelled to different countries and sectors of activity as expected. This allowed for a great individual and collective enrichment, both of personal experiences and professional expertise, as well as to the establishment of connections and new networks between institutions, countries, languages and cultures. The obtained results have gone beyond academic and technical spheres to the public at large in many regions of the network. A common ground was built through CONCHA and all the outputs truly resulted from a joint effort meaning that collaboration was effective and leveraged new, ongoing and future initiatives.
In short, the project allowed the construction of a "sea story" in which the ocean is a fundamental part of history, heritage and memory in an integrated and cross-cultural manner. The project constructed a broad view on the oceans' past in the early modern age, connecting Atlantic hubs and biogeographic regions and paying attention to all relevant actors, including natural species and ecosystems.
