Archaeological site

On the outskirts of the ancient city of Tarraco, on the banks of the Francolí River, the Necropolis of Tarraco takes visitors on a journey back in time to the funerary practices and beliefs of the Roman world and to life in the neighbourhoods outside the walls of a Roman city.

This sprawling cemetery includes both tombs of people of the Roman religion and early Christian Romans, from the 3rd-5th centuries AD. With more than 2,000 documented burials, the cemetery is one of the most important surviving burial grounds of the Roman Empire.

As you walk through the necropolis, you can see various types of tombs. The place and method of burial varied according to the deceased's social status. The higher the status, the closer they were buried to a main road, such as the Via Augusta. Therefore, burial sites ranged from simple graves with coffins made of materials such as wood, stone or lead, to more elaborate mausoleums and churches with decorated sarcophagi.

The necropolis was uncovered during the construction of the Tobacco Factory in 1923. Subsequent excavation made it possible to conclude that the bishop of Tarraco St. Fructuosus and his deacons St. Augurius and St. Eulogius were buried in 259 AD. It also revealed the location of the crypts of the Arches and of the Engineers; uncovered details about religious beliefs and life in Roman times; and brought to light pieces such as the tombstone of Optimus, the Lion sarcophagus and the Ivory Doll, which was found inside a sarcophagus with the remains of a six-year-old girl.

Therefore, the necropolis of Tarraco is an essential stop for all those interested in archaeology and Roman history. The complex is part of the Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

The collection of rock paintings in the Muntanyes de Prades is made up of around forty archaeological sites, only three of which are open to visitors: Portell dels Lletres, Mas d'en Llort and Mas d'en Ramon d'en Bessó.
 
The compositions and pictorial scenes preserved here show hunters and wild animals such as goats, deer, bovines, or wild boars, as well as herders with domesticated animals and a large number of abstract signs and symbols. They depict the transition from hunting and gathering (simpler language) to agriculture (more complex language).
 
This may also have been a space for solar worship: in addition to the hunting scenes, we can see depictions of honey harvesting and sunsets.
 
in order to facilitate the interpretation of all these paintings, the Rock Art Interpretation Centre of the Mountains of Prades was created in Montblanc. It presents a significant sample of these prehistoric images as well as an exhibit with full-sized reconstructions of the rock shelters where they are found.
 
Some of these archaeological sites (around fifteen) were included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1998 together with the other rock art sites in the Mediterranean Basin of the Iberian Peninsula. They are also included in the Rock Art Route.

The rock paintings of El Cocó de la Gralla, which are over 8,000 years old, were discovered in 2004 by a local, but the authorities were not informed of their existence until ten years later.
 
These paintings are found in the nature park of Els Ports, in the ravine of Montpou in the municipality of Mas de Barberans (Montsià). An extraordinary find, they show a type of figure not documented in Catalonia until 2018.

This set of paintings shows 69 figures in the Eastern Iberian or naturalist style, including 27 archers, 4 human figures and 3 goats. Some are depicted wearing ornaments such as feathers. Especially noteworthy are two rows of running archers, as well as a number of animals and footprints, which make up a possible hunting scene. These figures make this one of the most exceptional collections of rock art in Catalonia.

The town of Capçanes, in the Priorat region, houses the largest collection of rock paintings in Catalonia. This includes a total of 19 pieces in two ravines: the Barranc de la Vall and the Barranc de Parellada. One of the most important pieces is ‘The Sacrifice’, a mural with 27 figures showing a human sacrifice, a rarity in Eastern Iberian art that makes the site a unique find.  
 
Among the more than 150 human and animal figures depicted, a large 54-cm bull stands out. It is one of the largest registered pieces of rock art, along with three carvings of deer on the rock overhang. This is the first collection of paintings found on an overhang in Catalonia. They date from a period when rock art was not common in the region, and it may therefore be one of the oldest pieces of rock art in Catalonia.

Founded in 80-70 BC on a natural promontory, ancient Iluro (modern Mataró) was one of the most important Roman cities of the time, acting as an organisational centre for an extensive territory (almost the entire region of Maresme). Today, the majority of archaeological remains are preserved under the historic centre of Mataró and make up one of the most important Roman archaeological sites in Catalonia.

The main documented remains of this city, which eventually extended over 6 hectares, include sections of the wall and parts of the forum, several public buildings, urban and suburban necropolises, streets, houses, a large cistern, the market, and sewers and conduits of this city which went on to have 6 hectares of extension. A small part of these ruins can currently be seen today at ground level, within different buildings and squares.

The importance of ancient Iluro is reflected in the presence of such prominent public buildings and in the fact of having a complex defensive system that was used until the 5th century AD. During the time of Emperor Augustus the city experienced its moment of splendour and obtained the legal status of municipum. The various domus of the city are also testament to this prosperous past: of these, the Villa of the Capuchins, Villa of the Dolphins and, in particular, the Lauder Tower, are the most notable.

The latter was located on the outskirts of the city, right next to the Via Augusta. The remains of the residential area (pars urbana), and the area reserved for agricultural production have been preserved here. As usual, the rooms of the manor house were arranged around the atrium or entrance hall, and in the central part there was the impluvium, an area used for water storage. Equipped with thermal baths, the villa, in a good state of conservation, is richly decorated in mosaics with geometric and plant motifs.

A la cruïlla entre el Baix Aragó i la desembocadura del riu Ebre, trobem un jaciment arqueològic ibèric molt inusual. Aquí, al punt més alt del recinte, s’ha conservat una gran torre , testimoni del seu període més gran (l’assentament ja existia cap al 600 aC, tot i que fou al segle V aC que es va fortificar). Però això no és tot. El coll del Moro és un dels pocs pobles ibèrics de Catalunya en què s’ha descobert una necròpolis visitable.

Situat en un punt estratègic d’Ilercavònia, l’assentament controlava el flux del comerç comercial entre la costa i l’interior. De manera significativa, s'ha localitzat un taller dissenyat per al processament del lliçó i la fabricació de tèxtils .

La necròpolis, amb tres zones sepulcrals , dades aproximadament entre els anys 800 i 450 aC sembla que conviurà amb la ciutat a la seva primera fase. El lloc estarà ocupat fins al segle I dC.

This Iberian village at the mouth of the river Ebro, located on a hill in the Serra del Montsià, had some very distinguished inhabitants: the elite of the Ilercavones tribe who, from here, controlled the surplus from other settlements in the area and the trade in luxury products with other villages of the Mediterranean.

Moleta del Remei is considered to have been a large village from the first iron age and then became a long-lasting and important Iberian settlement. In fact, it is the only continuously occupied village in the south of Ilercavonia (from the 7th century BC to the 2nd century BC).

The archaeological site has a fortified enclosure with monumental defensive systems, and walls with towers and bastions that had no military purpose. Rather, these were elements of prestige that indicated the status of the inhabitants of the village. Inside, ring roads have been identified and almost all the houses have been built against the wall. Three buildings have been found which might have had a worship function, where child burials have been found.

From the 5th century BC, what had been a small Iberian settlement at the top of a hill in front of the pools of the beach of Calafell, became one of the most notable villages of the Cessetani tribe. At this time, a strong wall was built and a large urban area mapped out. Part of the uniqueness of this site, however, is in the Museum. A large part of the Citadel of Calafell has been rebuilt using experimental archaeological criteria. The result is a scientific and educational experience which shows how the Iberians really lived.

Of the 3 hectares that the town occupied, almost all the whole area inside the wall has been excavated. It has been identified that some of the houses belonged to a warrior elite and that the home of the chief was at the highest point. Enclosures for domestic worship, a water well, ovens to bake bread, and towers that were used for storage have also been located.

The archaeological data extracted from the excavations allowed the village to be rebuilt in 1992, following museum models of the Nordic countries. It was decided that the site should represent the last phase of occupation, in the 3rd century BC, just before the Romanisation of the Iberian Peninsula. Thus, you can walk down the streets and go into the houses, which are even furnished with replicas of the objects found at the site. This work on the museum has meant that, since 2007, the Citadel of Calafell has been a member of the EXARC (European Exchange on Archaeological Research and Communication) network.

El 1912 a Tivissa, un punt estratègic del riu Ebre, on té vistes a la Cubeta de Móra (conca de moreres), es van trobar per casualitat un conjunt de polseres, arracades, anells, mànecs de miralls i 29 monedes d’època ibèrica. Més tard, va aparèixer una figura de bronze d’un parell de toros. Però va ser el 1927 quan va produir la seva troballa més important: això és el que es coneix com el Tresor de Tivissa , el millor exemple de fusteria ibèrica conservada a Catalunya.

A partir d’aquest punt, es va començar a excavar l’assentament ibèric de Castellet de Banyoles de Tivissa, que ha estat considerat un dels més importants de Catalunya. Ocupava una superfície de 4,4 hectàrees i la seva ubicació li permetia controlar les rutes comercials dels grecs i els fenicis al llarg de l’Ebre. No està clar quan es va fundar, però es creu que pot haver existit ja abans del segle VI aC. Va ser abandonada a finals del segle III aC, amb l'arribada dels romans. Més tard es va construir aquí un petit castell medieval.

Actualment, es poden observar les restes de dues torres pentagonals , l'únic exemple d'aquest tipus d'estructures al món ibèric. La seva posició suggereix que, en aquest cas, més que no tenir una funció defensiva, eren elements de prestigi. També s’han excavat una sèrie de cases que s’irradien cap a l’exterior, que haurien format grups de cases o barris.

Tot fa pensar que, dins de l’assentament, hi havia un santuari o lloc de culte . El Tresor de Tivissa, que actualment es pot veure al Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya , consta de 17 peces d’argent dels segles IV al III aC, que són en gran part vaixella de luxe dissenyada probablement per a ser utilitzada en celebracions rituals.