In an extraordinary moment of archaeological discovery, researchers in Spain have uncovered remnants of ancient Roman civilizations that are helping redefine our understanding of the Roman Empire’s reach in the Iberian Peninsula. Although finding Roman ruins is a common news piece in much of Europe, the excavation of a large forum in La Cabañeta caught many by surprise. The ruins uncovered of a previously unknown Roman city, marking a significant advancement in the study of ancient Rome’s urban planning.
La Cabañeta, an archaeological site nestled along the banks of the Ebro River in northeastern Spain, is situated around 250km from Barcelona. The site was revealed towards then end of 2023, and it contained ruins of an enormous Roman plaza dating back around 2,000 years. This discovery, made by a team from the University of Zaragoza, highlights the plaza as the oldest known public square on the Iberian Peninsula’s interior.
Despite the many hotels in Barcelona, Zaragoza has been an increasingly popular destination for travellers for this very reason – though the site can be reached as a day trip. Surrounded by a portico with meticulously crafted tiles, the site also includes a series of chambers likely used for commercial activity. The excavation provides some clues to the architectural diffusion of Roman styles across the region and the economic life within this mysterious city founded around 200 B.C. but destroyed less than a century later during a civil war. The significance of this find is not only architectural but also historical.
Annual Discoveries of Roman Ruins
Similarly, a separate team from the same university has unearthed the entirety of an ancient city at El Forau de la Tuta, near Artieda. This site was discovered in 2022, not long before the La Cabañeta site. It was initially thought to be a collection of disparate ruins, has proven to be a single, interconnected Roman city. This city would have thrived from the first through the fifth century.
The extensive excavation has revealed a couple of streets, the remains of sidewalks, sewer outlets, a life-sized marble hand from a public monument, and a thermal bath’s reception room – complete with mosaics. The discovery of these urban elements suggests the existence of a city with buildings of “monumental proportions,” highlighting an advanced level of urban planning and cultural sophistication. The ruins help add a new chapter to the history of Roman occupation in the Iberian Peninsula.
The uncovering of these sites does as much for Roman history as it does for Spain. It highlights the peninsula’s role as a vital hub of commercial and cultural exchange during this era. These discoveries, which span from large public plazas to entire cities, show the depth of Roman influence on the urban development of northeastern Spain.
As archaeologists continue to excavate and analyze these sites, the findings are expected to offer further insights into Roman urban planning and the social hierarchy. It’s an increasingly popular place to visit to gauge an understanding of how the inhabitants must have lived, given so much of their environment still stands up.
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