Bulldozers back at Roman site
Archaeologist to see work does not damage the 'Queen's Baths'
HEAVY machinery is set to return to the Casas de Neptuno site in Calpe to remove a septic tank – under the watchful eye of an archaeologist.
The former dwelling, built in the fifties and levelled earlier this year, stood on top of Roman remains and the development of the area has triggered controversy in the Marina Alta town.
The Valencia government’s ministry of culture is overseeing the work and because of the risk of destroying ancient relics, the site is being manually excavated.
However, modern machinery is needed to remove the waste tank rather than risk contaminating the area.
This week, Calpe town hall issued a press release to reas- sure people that an excavator was needed 'for a few days' work'.
It is believed the Casas de Neptuno were built on top of a former villa dating back to the 1st to the 6th Century – the site neighbours the Baños de la Reina (Queen’s Baths), regarded as one of the most important Roman settlements in Valencia.
“The site has become a very emotional issue,” admitted councillor Carole Saunders. “The town hall does not want people to get worked up so they announced it in advance – they didn’t want people to get the wrong impression and think a bulldozer was about to start demolishing things.”
She said everyone was keen to know what would be discovered and the regional gov- ernment had sent the archaeologist to assess the find.
“Because it is so important to the history and heritage of Valencia, everything that happens there is controlled by the Valencian regional government,” said Mrs Saunders.
“We are trying to keep people informed – I am assured by local historians that there is a Roman villa there; it will be up to the regional government what sort of building will be allowed.”
She also reminded people that the Roman buildings on the coast in Calpe were vandalised once before – in the Dark Ages.
“At that time in history, people were very, very poor and a lot of the stones from the Queen’s Baths were used to build the medieval village on the Peñón de Ifach; an old form of recycling!”