Reported by Ancient Origins:
A brilliant new study conducted by an international team of researchers has revealed the construction processes employed at the Casas del Turuñuelo archaeological site in Guareña, Badajoz, Spain. This research sheds new light on one of the best-preserved earthen structures from the Bronze Age in the western Mediterranean, offering a detailed reconstruction of its building methods, piecing together the techniques that allowed this colossal, monumental edifice to stand the test of time so successfully.
The research team, comprising scholars from the Universities of Helsinki and Murcia, as well as the Institute of Archaeology (CSIC—Junta de Extremadura), have been led by Esther Rodríguez Gonzales and Sebastian Celestino Pérez of CSIC since 2014. Working at the site dated to the 5th century BC, they’ve published their finds in the journal Scientific Reports.
The construction techniques employed by the Tartessians demonstrate an advanced understanding of local materials and environmental conditions, with the use of adobe (sun-dried bricks) and rammed earth (compressed soil), which allowed them to create durable structures that were both sustainable and well-suited to the climate of southwestern Spain.
Marta Lorenzon, a prominent member of the research team from the University of Helsinki, emphasizes the core objectives of their study in a press release:
"We sought to investigate how earthen materials were processed and employed, the organizational structure behind the labor, and the degree of expertise within the community responsible for its construction. Our aim was to illuminate the building methods, resource exploitation, and the socio-political mechanisms that enabled such monumental architecture."
By sourcing their building materials locally, they minimized the need for long-distance transportation and worked in harmony with the natural landscape. The Casas del Turuñuelo site, in particular, exemplifies these methods, showcasing a sophisticated coordination of labor, with skilled artisans overseeing the preparation and layering of earthen materials.
The Casas del Turuñuelo site, attributed to the Tartessian culture, showcases a sophisticated use of earthen construction materials, which, according to Benjamín Cutillas Victoria, one of the co-authors of the study, represents an adaptive and highly sustainable architectural approach. This approach reveals a level of ingenuity and environmental awareness in the Tartessians, often underexplored in previous scholarship.
Read more here.