The Department of Archaeological Sites of the City of Totana is planning to promote, after the summer, a meeting of municipalities that are related to the research and promotion of the argaric culture so that, through their respective autonomous communities, To UNESCO to be declared World Heritage, according to its holder, the first Deputy Mayor Juan José Cánovas.
The spaces and municipalities called will be in the provinces of Almería (Gatas in Turre, the Office in Cuevas de Almanzora);
Alicante (Cabezo Redondo in Villena and Illeta dels Banyets in Alicante);
Jaén (Cuesta del Negro in Purullena, Peñalosa in Jaén);
And in the Region of Murcia (Cerro del Castillo de Lorca, Cerro de las Viñas in Coy, Ifre in Mazarrón, La Almoloya in Pliego, archaeological park Los Cipreses in Lorca, Puntarrón Chico in Beniaján and El Rincon de Almendricos).
The Autonomous Community has been collaborating in several projects that aim to promote knowledge of the culture of El Algar (beginning of the Bronze Age, between 2200 and 1550 BC) in the Northwest of the Region and consolidate the deposits of La Bastida and The Tira del Lienzo, in Totana.
The first centuries of the Bronze Age in the provinces of Almeria, Jaén, Granada, Alicante and Murcia, approximately between the years 2200 and 1550 before our era, are known by the name of "argárico archeological group" or, more commonly, "Culture of El Argar.
Large settlements located in hills, numerous tombs excavated under the floor of houses and a wide range of metallic objects, most copper, bronze, and silver, as well as stone, bone and ceramic containers are the original combination that has given Archaeological archeology is renowned. The presence of deposits of this culture in our region is ample.
However, La Bastida is undoubtedly one of the most important archaeological sites in Western Europe.
The site of La Bastida de Totana is located 6 kilometers from the town of Totana, in the area of ​​Viñas-Carivete;
And occupies a steep hill in the confluence between the ravine of Lebor and the ravine Salado.
La Bastida is the first argárico enclave discovered and, at the moment, one of the most important of the European prehistory, in particular of the call Age of the Bronze.
This period is of special interest for the knowledge of our past, since it produced events whose effects still influence our present, such as the strengthening of sedentary life, the development of metallurgy and the generation of permanent political and economic inequalities .
Dozens of houses have been found, staggered in artificial terraces along the slopes of the hill.
The enclave itself is located in a strategic place, hidden from the valley of Guadalentín and with good natural conditions for the defense. They are of special interest their tombs, since these are located under the floor of the houses.
They used to contain one or sometimes two individuals in a shrunken position, inside pottery or cist vessels, that is, boxes made with slabs or stone walls.
Some of these tombs also contained offerings, such as ceramic bowls and pots, weapons, utensils and copper or silver ornaments, and bone, shell and stone bead necklaces.
The differences between these offerings tell us about a community divided into social classes.
Other enclaves of great importance
La Almoloya is one of the most important archaeological sites of El Argar society.
It is located in a hill amesetado to the north of Sierra Espuña, in the term of Pliego.
The Tira del Lienzo deposit is a warehouse for the supply of raw materials and food to the rest of Argaric cities and is located on a small hill at the end of Totana.
The objective of both projects is the consolidation of excavated archaeological remains to avoid their degradation and the elements with risk of detachment or loss.
The protections have been made with the same original materials from the walls and the consolidation has consisted of cleaning, removal of vegetal elements and degraded materials, study and recreation of the original profiles following the vestiges and the reconstruction of the structures.
