La Bastida
La Bastida de Totana
Spain · Murcia, Totana
In brief
La Bastida, near Totana, is one of the important urban centers of El Argar society. Excavations have revealed defensive structures and graves placed beneath houses.
What was found?
- 1Stone defensive system
It consists of parallel walls, projecting towers and a narrow entrance passage. According to researchers, its design reflects a response to changes in methods of warfare and weapons.
- 2Human and animal bones
Isotopes in the bones allowed human diets to be studied alongside animal diets. This comparison reveals the limitations of interpretations based solely on human bones.
- 3Charred cereal grains
Barley and wheat remains were used to investigate diet and agricultural methods. The isotope values of the cereals help explain the effect of manuring on the values observed in human bones.
- 4Grinding implements and grain storage structures
The settlement's grinding equipment and storage facilities show the importance of cereals in the economy. They allow dietary analyses to be evaluated together with archaeological finds.
What does it point to?
La Bastida indicates an economy based on intensive farming and animal husbandry alongside strong defenses. According to researchers, animals' use of harvest residues and the return of their manure to the fields were important parts of this production system.
What did it teach us?
- The defensive structures documented the existence of advanced military architecture in the Early Bronze Age.
- It revealed the predominance of barley, and to a lesser extent wheat, in the diet.
- It showed that high nitrogen isotope values could not be explained solely by high meat consumption; manured cereals could also have contributed.
Images
Latest news / selected archive
An isotope study published in 2020 used cereal and animal remains to demonstrate the importance of manuring and herd management in local production.
Record
- Culture
- El Argar
- First modern dig
- 1869
- Team / historical
- Autonomous University of Barcelona, ASOME / La Bastida Project
- Coordinates
- 37.7611°, -1.5603°
Sources
- turismoregiondemurcia.es
- turismoregiondemurcia.es
- uab.cat
- ddd.uab.cat
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Araştırma Portalı — Antiquity
Nearby excavations
- La Almoloya 22 km
- Los Millares 123 km
- Madinat al-Zahra 291 km
- Taforalt Cave 336 km
- Tipasa 378 km
- Italica 397 km
- —
- —
- 12.000
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All excavation sites (395)
Türkiye
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