PROPERTY SEARCH
Remains of tomb from what could have been an Iberian settlement found in Murcia
The structures have been discovered at the foot of the Monteagudo Castle
For the first time ever, structures of an Iberian settlement have been discovered in the Central Murcia district of Monteaguado. The survey, which has been carried out by staff from the archaeology service of the City Council, began in July inspecting the area for evidence of tombs.
It was there that the team discovered three burial sites. When the team then began working on the slopes of the Castle, they uncovered some structures that dated back from the iron age. The structures are believed to be between the 4th and 5th centuries BC.
Ana Baño, municipal archaeologist and director of these excavations, explained that what was found were masonry walls joined and plastered with mud and lime mortar structures. Also discovered were intact ceramic pieces with geometric motifs. These motifs are very typical of Iberian culture. At the site there were also some small sculptures found.
The Mayor of Murcia, José Ballesta, stated that these parts of the excavations of the Fortresses of King Wolf, include buildings in its 150 archaeological sites, some of which are more than 5,000 years old.
Furthermore, the municipal archaeologist also pointed out that excavation had only been going on for two months and that it was necessary to continue in order to turn the assumptions into certainties and to make certain that what has been found is in fact an Iberian settlement.The experts are now claiming that the time has come to open the tombs and continue investigating the area. The dig is bound to be slow progress as with all archaeological searches, but the team is hopeful to continue to find out the exact function of the structures which have been found.
Professor García Cano recalled that the first remains that spoke of Iberian peoples had been found since the 18th century, and that “systematic exploration is beginning to bear fruit; we are possibly looking at relevant Iberian structures”.
The mayor and the councillor took advantage of the announcement of this archaeological discovery to highlight the good reception that the visits to Castillejo de Monteagudo were receiving from residents and tourists.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that modern technologies have been used to help in the work in progress. Drones, alongside GPS georeferencing, have been used to photograph the documented site and track the work as it takes place.
The GPS has been used specifically to coordinate the diameter of the site that needs to be dug. Both the objects and structures that have been found have been georeferenced
Images: Ayuntamiento de Murcia
