Since the 16th century, they have been mentioned by people visiting the area and have had several campaigns of excavation, the first of which having taken place in the 18th century, ordered by the future queen D. Maria I. Later on, in the 19th and 20th centuries, major excavations were promoted at the site, by the first directors of the nowadays known as National Museum of Archaeology, such as Leite de Vasconcelos, Manuel Heleno and Fernando de Almeida.

These excavations brought to light fish-salting workshops, including several wells, the baths, a residential area, a rota aquaria, a mausoleum and a paleo-Christian basilica besides several necropolis.

In the scope of a protocol celebrated in 2005 with the goal of safeguarding, recovering, restoring and enhancement of these ruins, between the Portuguese Government and Troiaresort, the touristic company hired an archaeology team working in this site since 2006.