In 1978, a huge pit filled with animal remains, ancient treasures and unanswered questions was discovered by archaeologists in Andalusia, Spain.
In this pit in the Guadiana Valley were the remains of three temples that housed members of an ancient civilization. However, it seems that the inhabitants of this area one day decided to pack up and burn everything and abandon what they had built.
Ancient Tartessos civilization full of mysteries
B.C. The ancient Tartessos civilization, believed to have ruled southwest Spain from the 9th to the 6th centuries, is full of mysteries. Throughout more modern history, people have suggested the name is a river, a kingdom, or even Atlantis, but it was actually one of the first civilizations to be founded on the Iberian Peninsula. There are now more than 20 known sites of Tartessos in the area, suggesting that the area was much larger than originally thought.
The Tartessians did not leave much written record of their life in southern Spain that we can find during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Still, thanks to some long-lived metals, we have some clues as to how they survived in interesting devastation sites like Cancho Roano.
At the end of the 5th century BC, the Tartessians seem to have burned the animal remains, along with valuables such as jewelry and tools, by throwing them into a giant pit. Then they closed the burning pit and went on with their lives. It may seem like a strange local phenomenon, but a similar story later unfolded in Casas de Turuñuelo.
Considered one of the best preserved protohistoric structures in the region, it was once thought to belong to the Roman period, but was later confirmed to be the Tartessos site.
Why did they want to burn everything?
As for why the Tartessians seem determined to burn everything, there is no definitive answer yet, but research continues.
Ana Belén Gallardo Delgado, a historian and guide at La Mata, told the BBC’s Andrew Lofthouse: “The most surprising thing to me is that [Tartessos] has a very strange habit of demolishing their houses, so the same behavior has been observed in all areas found. “With new technologies, I hope a lot more can be clarified about the origin of this civilization and its lifestyle can be explored a little more,” he said. The presence of Tartessos in the Extremadura region is becoming more and more important thanks to new developments in archeology. It is also believed that the other eight burial mounds found in the Badajoz region may be Tartessos structures like the ones excavated.”
While this behavior may surprise modern historians, it’s actually not even the biggest mystery of Tartessian culture. The civilization is thought to have disappeared abruptly about 2,500 years ago, and it is unknown why they disappeared so abruptly.
40551
