Revealing ancient Iberia
Only sector of La Alcudia where the entire chronological sequence has been identified
ARCHAEOLOGICAL excavations at the site of La Alcudia in Elche have discovered the first Iberian town to have been founded there.
They have ‘revealed the complete evolution of one of the most important sites in Spain’, according to the joint director of this project, Héctor Uroz, Murcia university lecturer in ancient history.
It is the oldest town of its scale to have been discovered in what was the Iberian region of Contestania, which spanned a wide area between the modern provinces of Alicante, Murcia, Albacete and southern Valencia, he assured.
The project, ‘Damas y Héroes’ (ladies and heroes), was launched in 2017 to look for remains of the Iberian town of Illici, which was already known to have been one of the most important Iberian settlements in the south east of the Iberian Peninsula due to the relevance of some of the previous discoveries, not least the sculpture of the Dama de Elche, explained co-director Alberto Lorrio, professor of prehistory at Alicante university.
However, they had not found archaeological remains which could explain the importance of the Iberian groups based there, or how their society was at that time.
The research since then had already revealed the defensive wall of the foundational town, which dates back to 500 BC, and rooms from some of the first houses.
Recent campaigns have multiplied this knowledge, so far discovering eight constructions, some of them part of the same house adjoining the wall and the first known traces of Iberian Illici.
This gives context to the Iberian elites who commissioned sculptures like the Dama de Elche, and the discoveries are much more valuable in historical and archaeological terms than finding another sculpture like that would be, Prof Lorrio assured.
The excellent conservation of the remains indicates that the inhabitants decided to abandon the area due to constant flooding, and moved to a higher area after filling in the interiors of the houses, he explained. This exceptional act has enabled the researchers to document the construction techniques used by the first Iberians on the wall and domestic spaces.
These architectural techniques combined masonry wall bases and facades of adobe or pressed mud, a technique also used to create elements such as benches or ledges.
The architectural elements were in ‘almost perfect condition’, but few ceramic recipients or other items have been found, as when the site was remodelled only objects which had been forgotten or left behind remained inside the houses, the researchers say.
The scale and standard of construction indicate the power that these elites of Contenstania must have had in their time, for example the wall was at least five metres high,
nd
‘which demonstrates an interest in showing their power’, they note.
Previous campaigns showed that the wall had anti-earthquake systems, which supposes previous knowledge of constructions like these and adapting them to the terrain, according to Prof Lorrio.
“This construction and the associated town are evidence of a preconceived and perfectly planned design, in accordance with the importance of the settlement,” he said.
This is the only sector of La Alcudia where the entire chronological sequence from the first phase to the last has been identified.
This year’s excavation has now finished and the site has already been covered to protect it. Now the researchers have started analysing the discoveries in the laboratory.
In the next campaign they
will extend excavations to the houses towards the interior of the town to get a more complete view of the oldest Iberian phases. This is expected to prove very complex, since previous digs in the area up to four metres down have found remains of constructions, burials and large rubbish dumps from different eras, such as the lateRoman or Byzantine.
The Damas y Héroes project involves students and graduates in history degrees and masters in archaeology and prehistory from Alicante and Murcia universities.
It is financed by the vicechancellery of Alicante university, with support from Elche city hall and the regional government.