Villavieja Archaeological Site

Although only about 10% of the entire wall has been excavated, Villavieja Archaeological Site is one of the best preserved prehistoric walled towns from the Copper Age in Europe, a veritable treasure for the heritage of western Granada.

The almost 5,000-year-old prehistoric settlement of Villavieja is located just 2 km from Fuentes de Cesna, in Algarinejo. Although geographer Pascual Madoz was the first person to mention it in 1845, it was not studied in depth until 2012, when its importance as a prehistoric site became apparent. The Villavieja prehistoric settlement was well-protected by two elements: first, the excellent natural shelter provided by the ravines, up to 50 metres high at some points; and second, the massive wall that was 300 metres long, 2 metres wide and 5 metres high, which its inhabitants built 4,800 years ago, making the town an impregnable fortress against the attack of other tribes or predators.

Along the wall of Villavieja Archaeological Site there was also a series of towers, which were used as housing and buttresses, as well as additional elements to protect and reinforce structure. This wall was not only built for defensive purposes, but also as a symbol of power. At a time when humans lived in wooden huts, a construction like this one was a symbol of power for its inhabitants, since an enormous amount of work and resources would have been necessary to build the wall and its towers. This fortress was an important place for all the villages that were scattered around the forests in this area. It also served as a place of refuge where they would go in case of conflict with other tribes. Once you visit this site, and you take in the view that the people who decided to settle here had, you will quickly understand why they chose this place: they had an excellent view of the surrounding area.

Antonio Morgado, the archaeologist in charge of the latest excavations, points out two elements that make this site stand out from others built in the same period. First, it has been preeserved in excellent condition, as 3 metres of original walls (it is thought that it was 5 metres long when it achieved its greatest splendour); and second, because it was discovered in the 21st century, “when we thought that there was nothing left to be discovered”. The timing of its discovery is not an insignificant detail, since the tools and techniques that archaeology possesses today can provide much more information than the tools that historians and archaeologists possessed 50 years ago, This means that current and future research in Villavieja can shed a lot more light on Bronze Age societies and the way of life of humans back then. A site yet to be discovered.

According to Antonio Morgado, the archaeology team aims to unearth at least 40% and also to start with the urban layout, that is, the area where the dwellings of the settlers were. This area could also provide a lot of information about the life of this settlement and the way of life of these prehistoric humans. The study of everyday items that archaeologists find is also very important; for example, one of the professionals taking part in the excavations told us that, by analysing clay pots, thanks to current analysis tools and techniques, scientists can tell if the food they contained had any types of lipids, that is, fat, so that tells us what food was stored in those containers. This, together with the study of seeds or pollen, will provide information on the diet of these societies and the natural environment that surrounded them.