The ancient Greeks believed that Tartessos was the first civilization in the West. This culture, which developed on the southwest coast of the Iberian Peninsula, between the triangle formed by Huelva, Cádiz and Seville, until now was believed to be aniconic. In other words, they avoided making representations of their gods and even of their own citizens.
A surprising discovery made in Badajoz, however, has just overturned years of theories about this culture that developed between the 8th and 4th centuries BC. Archaeologists from the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) have found the remains of up to five reliefs of human faces dating back more than 2,500 years.
The discovery was made during excavations in the eastern sector of the Tartessian site of Casas del Turuñuelo (Guareña). It is at this point that an open space (probably a courtyard) was found next to a building and in which a massive sacrifice of animals, mainly horses, had been carried out.
Researchers Esther Rodríguez González and Sebastián Celestino Pérez confirmed this morning at a press conference that among the set recovered to date, there are two almost complete figures that correspond to two women adorned with outstanding earrings that represent typical pieces of Tartessian goldsmithing.
Until now, references to this type of ornamental pieces made of gold were only known through discoveries made in enclaves such as the Cancho Roano site or within the Aliseda treasure, a funerary trousseau found in Cáceres.
“Given the technical quality and the artistic detail with which they were made, it seems that we are dealing with the representation of two female divinities from the Tartessian pantheon. Although it cannot be ruled out that they are prominent figures of that society ”, the experts have assured.
Along with these two figures, fragments of other reliefs have also been recovered. These belong to at least three individuals, one of them identified as a warrior who still has part of his battle helmet.
"This extraordinary find represents a profound paradigm shift in the interpretation of Tartessos, traditionally considered an aniconic culture for representing divinity through animal or plant motifs, or through betilos (sacred stones)," add the archaeologists.
The Construyendo Tarteso project team began its excavations in 2015 at the Casas del Turuñuelo site located in Las Vegas Altas del Guadiana. The objective of the current campaign was to study the eastern sector to try to locate the façade of the building and an access point.
The Tartessian constructions followed an oriental pattern, usually oriented towards the east, that is, towards the sunrise. In addition, the researchers have tried to discover if there is a symmetry with the patio (where the animal sacrifices were found) or if there could be a door that communicated directly with said space.
Casas de Turuñuelo, as the CSIC specialists have explained, is unique in many respects, fundamentally, for its excellent state of conservation. To date, it is the best-preserved building built on land in the western Mediterranean.
This is due, among other reasons, to the fact that it still maintains its two floors and you can walk through both the upper and lower floors. This makes it possible to document construction techniques and architectural solutions that to date had not been seen in a Tartessian site.
"Without a doubt, it is a unique site," say the archaeologists. First, due to the possible existence of a vault that covered one of its main rooms or the use of lime mortar to make the lower steps of the stairs. But also because of the massive sacrifice of animals, the largest that has been documented to date in the western Mediterranean.
A marble sculpture from Mount Pentelicus (located northwest of Athens) has also been found at the site, of which only the feet or a set of glasses of Macedonian origin remain, along with the collection of Etruscan ivories. "All this is evidence of the cultural and material wealth of the enclave," they conclude.
