CASTRO VILLASVIEJAS DE TAMUJA

The castro of Villasviejas del Tamuja is a fortified settlement from the second Iron Age. It spans from the fourth century to the first century BC. It is the largest and the one that has left us the most generous archaeological record in terms of remains of all kinds of these historical moments.

It has an area of more than six hectares and is surrounded by a stone wall with circular and square towers. In its interior and in its vicinity several well differentiated areas have been identified: places where the most important buildings were located; an area for housing, spaces dedicated to economic activity and in the vicinity up to three necropolises.

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RIVERA DE TAMUJA
10188
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The complex has two walled enclosures: the first is more related to the Vetton world, with the first stable settlements in the area. The second is more modern and is built at a time when the whole area is already more Romanized, the wars between natives and Romans are over and now the fights are between Romans and Romans, in which the native peoples are also involved in many ways.

It is located in one of the meanders formed by the Tamuja River. In the widest and most strategically located, since it coincides with a turn of the river, in which it almost forms a closed circle. This natural defense will be joined by walls, moats and other structures that confer an important resistance.

The mining interest of the entire course of the river may be at the origin of this imposing construction, there are dozens of wells that have been used throughout history, especially in Roman times, although the story begins long before the arrival of Rome to Spain.

The ruins have already attracted attention since ancient times, in 1231, in the fuero of Cáceres there is a mention of the castle of tamuja in Cáceres when describing the city limits. Later, in the nineteenth century, with the mining resurgence, several mentions are made, among which are the references in the dictionary of Pascual Madoz, 1846, which literally says “there are the ruins called old villas, where the remains of a ring wall, slag forge and several old mine shafts, which have begun to be cleaned by a particular company”.

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