THE REMOTEST PAST: THE ARCHAEOLOGY WITHIN ONE'S REACH

 

Excavacions de la ciutat romana

Ciutat romana de Iesso

Enterrament romà a Iesso

GUISSONA : Arcahaelogical park – Eduard Camps museum. In Guissona you can visit the archaeological excavations of the Roman city of Iesso, one of the most imporatnt in the Roman period in Ponent region. In Eduard Camps museum (timetable: Saturdays 11 to 14 and 17 to 19 ; Sundays and holoday 11 to 14, tel: 973551414), you can enjoy an excellent documentation about the Roman presence in Guissona just as some excpetional pieces coming from the archaeologiacal excavations done. The Sevilla Praepusa tombstone stands out with one of the most beautiful funerary laments ever written, or some other singular pieces like the bronze rider which has become an emblem of the city. You cannot miss the guided visit both to the museum and the archaeological park. You can have a sample of the archaeological riches of Guissona in its web: http://www.guisona.net/turisme/iesso/iesso.htm

 

 

CASTELL NOU D’OSSÓ. Circular Roman tower (2nd century a.c.) with some medieval remains on the upper part. This singular fortification is important for the big blocks of stone arranged in regualr rows (opus certum).

 

Poblat ibèric del Molí d'Espígol

MOLÍ D’ESPIGOL (Tornabous). Iberian village (8th century a.c. to 218a.c.). One of the most important deposits of the Iberian civilization in Catalonia. It is known since 1919 and has been regularly excavated since 1970. The village covered a circular space and was surrounded by a wall. The streets were paved and the houses were of rectangular plant, inside them some houses are preserved.

 

Columbari

PLANS DE SIÓ. Near Aranyó we find, in the middle of the field, two impressive coarse sand rocks popularly called “Pallers de pedra” commemorating a legend which said that two big haystack of a rich mean person, who denied alms to a poor were turned into stone as a punishment. Near these haystacks we can find the high Middle ages necropolis of Aranyó constituted for a total of five excavated tombs in teh rock. If qe come back to the road, in front of the village of Montcortés, we find the indicator to go to the columbari in less than one kilometre. They are some quadrangular holes excavated in the rock which could possibly be the cavities for the urnes with the ashes, according to one of the most established funerary tradition in the Roman age. Although this space has been called “columbari” in a generic way, it is certain that no origin neither function have been cleared up. Moreover, some people have seen there a druidical temple, related to solar worships.

 

Sepultures medievals del Clot dels Nens Xics

 

Sepultures medievals del Clot dels Nens Xics

 

Necròpolis de Massoteres

 

Necròpolis de Massoteres

 

Sepultura de Canelles (Cellers)

ROUTE OF THE MEDIEVAL NECROPOLIS.  The excavated tombs in the rock or in the tombstones, which were built depending on the soil caractheristics or the cultural tradition or the person’s social position, are a particular funerary element which are setlled in Catalonia in the Medieval age as a common way of interment and the experts believe it is developed from the visigothic age to, at least, the 12th century. Concerning its typology we can differenciate two different tombs excavated in the rock:  

  1. The earliest, being rectangular and trapezoidal with more or less rounded ends. These are found mainly in preeminent or elevated places and can be related to some kind of preroman habitat, such as the late villaes, hamlets or manor houses but next to the churches or holy places as well. They can be cronologically placed in all the time period included from the 6th an 7th to the 12th.  

  2. The ones with antropomorphous shape, with the stub differentiated in the head. They are normaly related to some religious building and they are circumscibed aproximately the year 1000 and henceforth.

In la Segarra several high medieval necropolis are located, the most important ones are in the township of Torà, the biggest in the region and with an important number of archaeological elements (See COBERÓ; GARGANTÉ; OLIVA; ROS : Inventari del patrimoni arqueològic, arquitectònic i artístic de la Segarra. Volum II. Torà. Hostafrancs 2000)(1). In Torà it is remarkable the necropolis called Clot dels nens xics, which is characteristic for the children’s tombs. We can find the tombs of Collet Alt de cal Galzeran as well. In the region we can find several deposits like the mentioned necropolis of Aranyó, or the one of Mas Formiga in the township of Torrefeta i Florejacs.

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(1) For further information: www.fundaciocasesllebot.org

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Jaciment d'Antona

RUTA D’ARTESA DE SEGRE: Artesa de Segre (la Noguera) és un dels municipis de major riquesa arqueològica de les comarques de Lleida. Prop d’Artesa, al municipi d’Alòs de Balaguer hi ha la cova del Parco, un dels jaciments arqueològics més importants de Catalunya. Actualment les excavacions que s’hi efectuen es troben als estrats del període magdalenià (aproximadament d’uns 12.000 anys). Alguns materials d’aquest jaciment els trobem a l’exposició permanent del Museu del Montsec, a Artesa de Segre (obert dissabtes de 17 a 19 h i diumenges de 12 a 14 h, entrada gratuïta), on també trobem materials interessantíssims procedents d’altres jaciments del municipi. Aquests jaciments són Antona, al marge dret del Segre, dalt d’un turó, on trobem un poblat ibèric, que forma part d’un gran parc arqueològic, declarat monument nacional l’any 1978. També es localitzen diversos obradors de sílex, com el de La Roureda, a Vernet. En aquests llocs es fabricaven destrals i estris amb els palets de riu. Algunes mostres, fruit d’aquests obradors, es troben al museu del Montsec. Si voleu saber més sobre aquests jaciments, el museu i la riquesa arqueològica i patrimonial del municipi d’Artesa de Segre visiteu les webs:

www.ac-laroureda.com

www.artesadesegre.com/patrimoni.html