Extensive archaeological dig in Cártama nears completion

Mayor of Cártama, Jorge Gallardo, has announced that the extensive archaeological excavations in Plaza de la Constitución are coming to an end. The work is part of the town hall’s project to recover the history and heritage of Cártama, and once the work is complete, an archaeological museum will be constructed in the square, where many of the items discovered will be displayed.

The final stage of the excavation has been carried out in the area around Calle Toril, with a total budget of 174,093.59 euros, which has been co-financed by the town hall and the provincial authority.

This final dig has resulted in the discovery of further remains from the Iberian and Visigoth periods. In addition, relics from the Nasrid and Almohad eras have been unearthed, a discovery which the mayor, who visited the site on Wednesday, said “has exceeded all expectations”.

The archaeologist in charge of the work, Francisco Melero, said, “What we have discovered is what we expected, although it must be said that we have had great surprises, like the discovery of a huge number of Andalusian ceramics from the Muslim era.”

The excavation work has involved the participation of international universities such as Reading (UK), Montpellier (France) and Pisa (Italy), together with collaboration of Granada University.

British professor Rowena Banerjea said, “These discoveries are samples of the best preserved in the Western Mediterranean. These will allow us to reconstruct the landscape of Cártama in the time of al-Andalus.”

“Plaza de la Constitución is one of the few archaeological sites in the country where constructions from all historical periods ranging from the eighth century BCE until present day have been discovered,” the town’s mayor added.