At the end of the Second Iron Age (around 100 BC), and coinciding with the beginning of the Roman presence in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, there was a notable demographic increase and the consequent construction of new indigenous settlements, to which was added the high fortification of the already existing ones. And although there is little data on this process, the implementation of what is called non-invasive archeology – which arose thanks to the development of new technologies – has made it possible to significantly advance the knowledge of this historical stage. This is the case of the fortified settlement of Cerro de la Breña (Talaván, Cáceres), to which archaeologists have subjected a battery of non-invasive processes (geomagnetic prospecting, georadar, electrical tomography, LiDAR, RGB and multispectral cameras) that have given As a result, the discovery of a complex indigenous defensive system, promoted by the Romans, to protect a dense and regular urban fabric from the attack of other peninsular towns. The settlement stood right on the borders that divided Lusitanians and Vetones. It is unknown to which town the walled population belonged.
The study Non-invasive exploration of a fortified town from the late Republican period in the Tagus Valley. The Cerro de la Breña ―published in the magazine Spal and signed by experts from the Institute of Archeology of Mérida (CSIC-Junta de Extremadura), the University of Extremadura and the Scientific and Technological Research Center of Extremadura (CICYTEX) – reveals that it was “a military enclave, related to the presence Roman, for the strategic control and domination of the territories between the Guadiana and the Tagus. This enclave, furthermore, “differs clearly from the solutions adopted [para defenderse] by other indigenous settlements in the area in the Iron Age”, since it had a double wall with a moat and embankments.
The place is surrounded by stone fences that overlap the old walled area that defended the settlement. The wall covered an area of 3.5 hectares and was 307 meters long. The scientific article – signed by the experts Victorino Mayoral, Carmen Pro, Jesús García Sánchez, Elia Quirós Rosado and Andrea Gil Llorente― has resulted in a “first and successful characterization of the structure of the settlement” which, in addition to the wall, had a second twin enclosure with a moat and embankment, as well as a “ type of tower or bastion” in its southwest area.
The archaeological structures detected – very affected in their superficial part by agricultural work – are visible at only 20 centimeters deep, although at 40 or 50 centimeters there are already “collapse levels and other differentiated deposits, in addition to what appear to be the streets” that would articulate the circulation inside the enclosure. At a deeper depth, up to one meter, “walls, horizontal reflections that underline the presence of an urban framework with streets and larger structures, perhaps foundations” have been detected.
Defensive system with moat
Archaeologists believe, therefore, that the “Cerro de la Breña housed an important population center” that would have been in operation between the end of the Iron Age and the beginning of the Roman presence. They also highlight its particular defensive system, with “moats and embankments that formed a double line, which covered the entire perimeter, even in the sections where the topography offers the best protection.” This configuration has notable differences with the usual schemes in the indigenous forts around Upper Extremadura, since these mostly lacked moats, and those that did have them were small and located in the most vulnerable parts.
However, there is a certain connection with the enclave called Cáceres Viejo (Casas de Millán), 20 kilometers away, a Roman surveillance and control point dating back to the beginning of the 1st century BC. C. and which is related to the Sertorian Wars (Roman civil confrontations between 82 and 72 BC). It was a strategic point next to the Roman road of the Vía de la Plata.
“In short,” the specialists conclude, “what we propose is that, due to its formal characteristics, the defensive system of Cerro de la Breña is clearly different from the solutions adopted by the indigenous settlements in the area. This, together with other features of the urban plot revealed by the non-invasive study and the dispersed material evidence, make us think that it may be a military-type enclave, related to the Roman presence throughout the process of implementation, strategic control and domination of these territories between the Guadiana and the Tagus.” A way to protect himself from the danger that lurked, wherever it came from. It is planned to begin archaeological tastings on the hill soon, which will possibly reveal who defended themselves against whom.
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