An open doors day is being held this Saturday at the Cerro de las Fuentes archaeological site in Archivel, a pedanía of (Caravaca de la Cruz), lasting from ten in the morning until one o’clock at lunchtime.
During these three hours members of the public can see for themselves the progress which has been made in the consolidation and digging work at the site, thanks to an initiative which has made it possible for the Town Hall to contract an archaeologist, four people to dig, a builder and three building workers for a period of nine months.
A practise frequently carried out here on archaeological sites is the part reconstruction of walls, protecting the actual base remains and giving visitors a clearer idea of the site layout, an activity which forms part of the work undertaken here.
According to Mayor Domingo Aranda, this has cost almost 200,000 euros, which has been subsidized by the regional employment and training service. This now looks like money well invested: the work carried out has allowed officials to document three towers and some very interesting rooms at Cerro de las Fuentes, some of them dating back to the third millennium BC. There are also the remains of a Roman castle from the 1st century BC, which was built during the civil wars between the factions supporting Julius Caesar and Pompey.
The foundations of the site date back to the Bronze Age, and originally would have comprised a settlement protected by a solid stone wall. Unfortunately, the Romans used the same site upon which to build a fortress, so little trace of the of the Bronze Age occupation remains.
The Castle was built during the late Republican era and used the natural conditions of the hillside to dominate the surrounding area, giving views over the territories of the river valley which followed the rivers Argos and Quípar, a vital communications and trade route between Andalusia and the West, hence their importance to the Romans.
Click for map, Archivel , Caravaca de la Cruz
( There are no clear directions given for the location of the Cerro, but it's always advisable to write down the name on a piece of paper or print off the following if unsure:
Yacimiento El castillo tardo-republicano romano del Cerro de las Fuentes
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