CONJUNTO ARQUEOLÓGICO DE CÁSTULO
Historic environment
The Cástulo archaeological complex collects archaeological evidence from the Bronze Age to the 14th century. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Iberian Peninsula, with special prominence in the Iberian and Roman era.
The city, capital of Oretania, had control of the silver, copper and gold mining operations of Sierra Morena. Its fundamental role during the course of the Second Punic War, first for its loyalty to Carthage and later as an ally of Rome, allowed the municipality to maintain important power and political autonomy during the Roman domination of Hispania.
In Cástulo, the existence of one of the oldest Christian buildings in the Iberian Peninsula stands out, dating from the 4th century AD. and in which the paten of Christ in Majesty was found.
For the Visigothic period, the documented evidence is quite scarce due to the demographic and population contraction suffered by this municipality in said period. The city lost influence to the benefit of Baeza.
From that late antique and Visigothic period, only some documented remains can be highlighted in the so-called “northeast plateau” and the identified necropolis in the area around the North Gate. However, from the sources, we are aware of the presence of bishops or priests representing the diocese of Cástulo, which remained active from Roman times until the end of the 7th century, when the see was moved from Cástulo to Baeza, probably due to the population reduction indicated above, the X Council of Toledo being the last in which the presence of representatives of the Castulon diocese is documented. In the Andalusian era (785-6) a battle (Qastuluna) took place there between the troops of the emir ‘Abd al-Raḥmān I and a rebel from the Toledo March. By then it had lost its urban status, becoming designated as qarya. Since then, the place became a quarry.
Description
Known since ancient times, the first systematic interventions at the site began in the 1960s by José María Blázquez.
The different actions have brought to light different spaces, mainly belonging to the Iberian and Roman periods, such as the Torre Alba, the Mosaico de los Amores, Mosaico de los Octógonos, the Castellum Aquae i> and the Roman cisterns, the necropolis areas, the major baths or the Ibero-Roman walls.
For the late-antique/high-imperial period, we must highlight mainly a sector located to the southwest of the monumental center of Cástulo in which the existence of a luxurious public building from the high-imperial period has been documented, as well as a Christian religious complex, one of the oldest in the Iberian Peninsula, erected in the second half of the 4th century AD. and abandoned approximately a century later. This is a sector excavated for the Research Project orvm MMX (Cástulo Siglo XXI) in 2011. The results show the magnificent state of conservation of numerous buildings and stratigraphy.
It is precisely inside one of the rooms of this building intended for religious worship where an exceptional find was located in 2014: The Paten of Christ of the Majesty. It is a paten, 22 cm in diameter and approximately 4 cm high, made of glass and decorated by sgraffito, dating from the 4th century. The piece represents Christ in Majesty, beardless and with curly hair in the Alexandrian style, flanked by two apostles, who would almost certainly be Peter and Paul in the celestial orb, all framed between two palm trees.
The scene is completed with the presence of some symbolic elements, such as the gemstone cross in one hand, a symbol of the resurrection, and the Holy Scriptures in the other. In the upper right part there is a chrismon with the alpha and the omega, while the lateral figures carry in their hands a scroll or rotulus legis.
Rubén-Lot García Lerga y Virgilio Martínez Enamorado for URBS REGIA
Other interesting information
You can visit the city of Cástulo, next to the Guadalimar River, and the Archaeological Museum of Linares – Cástulo Monograph. The visit can be made independently to both places.
From January 1 to March 31, Tuesday to Saturday from 09:00 to 21:00. Linares Archaeological Museum. Cástulo Monograph, Tuesday to Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday, holidays and Monday before holidays, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Closed Mondays (except the eve of holidays).
Visiting hours and conditions
From April 1 to June 15, Tuesday to Saturday from 09:00 to 21:00. Sunday, holidays and Monday before holidays, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Closed Mondays (except the eve of holidays).
From June 16 to September 15, Tuesday to Saturday from 09:00 to 15:00. Sunday, holidays and Monday before holidays, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Closed Mondays (except the eve of holidays).
Occasionally, due to the celebration of some activity, it will open during the afternoon and evening hours.
From September 16 to December 31, Tuesday to Saturday from 09:00 to 21:00. Linares Archaeological Museum. Cástulo Monograph Tuesday to Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday, holidays and Monday before holidays, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Closed Mondays (except the eve of holidays).
Holidays and opening Mondays: February 28 /April 14 /April 15 /May 2 /August 5 – Local Holiday /August 15 /August 28 – Local Holiday /October 12 /October 31 /1 November / December 5 / December 6 / December 8 / December 26.
Closing days and holidays: January 1 / January 6 / May 1 / December 24 / December 25 / December 31.
Accredited EU citizens: free.
Other countries: 1.50 euros.
Bibliography
García Bellido, Mª Paz, 1982: Las monedas de Cástulo con escritura indígena: historia numismática de una ciudad minera, Instituto Antonio Agustín de Numismática del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Departamento de Arqueología y Prehistoria de la Universidad de Salamanca
Blazquez, Jose María, 1985: “La ciudad de Cástulo”, Arqueología de las ciudades modernas superpuestas a las antiguas. (Zaragoza, 1983), pp. 119-156.
García-Gelabert Pérez, 1992: “Evolución socio-política de Cástulo: sociedad de jefatura”, Lucentum, 6, pp. 29-42
Sánchez Fernández, Carmen, 1992: “Las copas tipo Cástulo en la Península Ibérica”, Trabajos de prehistoria 49, pp. 327-333.
Blazquez, Jose María, García-Gelabert Pérez, 1992: “Secuencia histórica de Cástulo (Linares, Jaén), Estudios de arqueología ibércia y romana. Homenaje a Enrique Pla Ballester, pp. 391-396
De la Bandera Romero, María Luisa, Ferrer Albelda, Eduardo, 1995: “Reconstrucción del ajuar de una tumba de Cástulo. ¿Indicios de mestizaje?” Arqueólogos, historiadores y filólogos: homenaje a Fernando Gascó, pp. 53-66
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