La Hoya, Álava
Archaeological site in the Basque Country, Spain / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
La Hoya is an important archaeological site of the Bronze and Iron Ages in Laguardia, Álava, Basque Country, Spain.[3] The fortified town was inhabited between the 12th and 3rd centuries BCE. It has three levels:[4]
- Middle-Late Bronze Age: in this early period, the fortifications, as well the houses, were all made of wood.
- Early-Middle Iron Age: construction became more complex using mixed formulas with stone, wood and adobe. Most houses were near the wall in this period.
- The Late Iron Age, with a cultural context that some classify as Celtiberian, shows important changes in urbanization: with paved streets and plazas that form a reticular structure. The wall is also rebuilt on stone. This final period also shows great advancement in the technologies: potter's wheel, elaborated blacksmithing, etc.
Quick Facts Location, Coordinates ...
Location | Laguardia, Álava, Basque Country, Spain |
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Coordinates | 42.565°N 2.5864°W / 42.565; -2.5864 |
Type | Settlement |
Area | 5.1 ha (13 acres) |
History | |
Founded | 12th century BCE |
Abandoned | c. 250 BCE |
Cultures | Celtiberian |
Site notes | |
Discovered | 1935[1] |
Archaeologists |
|
Official name | Recinto Arqueológico de la Hoya[2] |
Type | Non-movable |
Criteria | Monument |
Designated | 17 July 1984 |
Reference no. | RI-51-0005133 |
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The successive layers of rubble, that served as cementations for further edification, make up a small tell 3 meters high.[citation needed]
The town was destroyed violently between 350 and 200 BCE, leaving the remains of the people and their everyday items in the streets.[5]