Human presence in the municipality of Mirandela goes back to
prehistoric times.
Megaliths can be found throughout the municipality, although several have been altered or destroyed. Prehistoric paintings and shelters have also been identified. Most findings are believed to date back to the period between the end of 4th and the start of the 2nd millennium BC. During the bronze age, the area hosted several hillforts (
castros). Tin, copper, arsenic, and gold mining took plece in the area, as is the case with the 'Buraco da Pala,' located in the parish of Passos. During the Roman era, the main settlement in Mirandela was a Roman
civitas known as
Caladunum in the province of
Gallaecia. It was located in São Martinho, northwest of the current city. Archaeological findings at Castelo Velho, São Martinho, Mourel, and Prado Pequeno include ceramics, manual millstones, tiles, and copper coins, one from the reign of
Emperor Tiberius. Following the fall of the roman empire, the area comes under the
Suebi and
Visigothic Kingdoms and later the Muslim states of
Al-Andalus. In the 6th century, the land of the Suebi is split into various dioceses in the
First Council of Lugo. The resulting document
Parochiale Suevorum displays the area of the municipality under a vast administrative region called "Laetera". The town of Mirandela was elevated to the status of city on 28 June 1984. ==Geography==