7 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeological excavations unearthed the first great Iberian city in Contestania and the oldest one

Archaeologists from the University of Alicante and the University of Murcia “Damas y Héroes. In the project “Tras la Ilici ibérica (Ladies and Heroes. After the Iberian Ilici)” he uncovered architectural ruins in Iberia’s principal city of Ilici (modern Elche in southeastern Spain), which provide invaluable information about Iberian society and its historical context.

Despite the absence of architectural remnants to corroborate the degree of Iberian society’s complexity and development, researchers were already aware of the site’s significance due to earlier discoveries, such as the well-known sculpture of the Lady of Elche. Thanks to excavations that began in 2017, remains have been found that allow a better understanding of the foundational site, which dates back to around 500 BCE.

“This area was known due to the magnitude of some of the finds found, among which the sculpture of the Lady of Elche stands out without a doubt. However, we needed to find the architectural remains that would explain the importance of the Iberian groups settled there and that would allow us to know what the society of the time was like,” explains the professor of Prehistory at the University of Alicante, Alberto Lorrio, director of the project. research together with the professor of Ancient History of the University of Murcia, Héctor Uroz.

The Lady of Elche. Photo: Francisco J. Díez Martín
The Lady of Elche. Photo: Francisco J. Díez Martín

As a result of the research, in addition to the city walls,  eight rooms have been identified that belong to houses attached to the foundational wall, demonstrating that Ilici was one of the most important cities in the Iberian region of Contestania, which encompassed parts of the present-day provinces of Alicante, Murcia, Albacete, and Valencia. This new information confirms that La Alcudia was home to the first metropolis, the first major Iberian city in Contestania.

The enclave discovered in l’Alcúdia is “the first metropolis, the first large Iberian city of the Contestania, and the oldest. There is no older one of this magnitude,” says Professor Uroz.

The finding helps to clarify everyday life in the city and offers context for the Iberian elites who commissioned sculptures such as the Lady of Elche. Lorrio emphasizes that these discoveries add significantly to our understanding of the site’s history and archaeology, making them even more important than the discovery of another sculpture.

Family photo of some of the participants in the 2024 campaign of the project “Ladies and Heroes. After the Iberian Ilici” at the L’Alcúdia site. Photo: Universidad de Alicante
Family photo of some of the participants in the 2024 campaign of the project “Ladies and Heroes. After the Iberian Ilici” at the L’Alcúdia site. Photo: Universidad de Alicante

Because of the frequent flooding, the ancient inhabitants decided to leave the area, which is why the remains are in such excellent preservation. They filled the houses’ interiors before departing, which helped to preserve the buildings and let archaeologists find out unusual building techniques like the use of molded mud or adobe walls.

The excavation phase has been completed and now, with the site covered for its protection, the researchers have begun the phase of laboratory analysis of the pieces found. In the next campaign, the excavation of the dwellings will be extended into the interior of the settlement in order to obtain a complete view of the oldest Iberian phases of the excavated sector.

Alicante Üniversitesi

Damas y Héroes. Tras la Ilici ibérica Project

Cover photo: View of the excavation carried out in l’Alcúdia in the 2024 University of Alicante campaign. University of Alicante

Related Articles

Germany: 700-year-old Causeway Found Under Central Berlin Street

19 February 2022

19 February 2022

Archaeologists from the Landesdenkmalamt Berlin (LDA) made a sensational find during their excavation at Molkenmarkt: about 2.50 m below Stralauer...

300-Year-Old Sacred Mummified Mermaid From Japan’s Mystery Solved

20 February 2023

20 February 2023

A mummified mermaid has been worshiped in Japan for centuries because locals believe it has healing powers. However, upon closer...

Saxon ‘London’ was Bigger Than Previously Believed

23 February 2024

23 February 2024

Archaeologists digging at the northern end of Trafalgar Square found evidence that Saxon London’s center was bigger and extended further...

New insights into Scotland’s ‘bodies in the bog’

31 March 2022

31 March 2022

Fourteen bodies were found at Cramond near Edinburgh in 1975. New research suggests that two of the remains of these...

The latest excavations in the ancient city of Dülük will shed light on the history of different religions

11 October 2021

11 October 2021

It is thought that the ancient city of Dülük, one of the 25 oldest settlements in the world, will shed...

Lidar Technology Reveals a 3,000-year-old Secret Mayan City with Full of Pyramids and Plazas

30 October 2024

30 October 2024

Tulane University researchers used laser-guided imaging to uncover vast unexplored Maya settlements in Campeche, Mexico, revealing more than 6,500 pre-Hispanic...

2,000-Year-Old Artifacts Found at Swat’s Butkara Site in Pakistan, Including Coins and Kharosthi Inscriptions

14 February 2025

14 February 2025

Excavations at the Butkara Stupa, located near Mingora in Swat, Pakistan, have uncovered significant findings, including two-thousand-year-old coins, pottery, and...

Inscriptions That Could Change the History of Turkish Migration to Anatolia Are Disappearing: Esatlı Kaya Inscriptions

30 March 2025

30 March 2025

Researchers made a significant discovery during field research conducted in 1994 in Esatlı village, Mesudiye, Ordu. They introduced a series...

Polish archaeologists discovered new petroglyphs dating back to the 3rd century in Colorado

14 December 2023

14 December 2023

Archaeologists from the Jagiellonian University, southern Poland, have made a significant discovery of ancient indigenous paintings and carvings in the...

The earliest human remains 11,000-year-old discovered in northern Britain

25 January 2023

25 January 2023

An international team of archaeologists at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has discovered 11,000-year-old human remains in the Heaning...

Red lipstick dating back 3,600 years was discovered in Iran -the oldest ever found-

14 February 2024

14 February 2024

Archaeologists have discovered a small chlorite vial containing a deep red cosmetic preparation believed to be an ancient type of...

Archaeologists Discover Assyrian-Style Leather Armor 2,700 Years Old in China

11 December 2021

11 December 2021

The new research shows that the unique leather armor found in a horse rider’s tomb in Northwest China was made...

Deadly 7.7 quakes hit Turkey destroys historical Gaziantep Castle

6 February 2023

6 February 2023

A deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake that rocked the southern province of Kahramanmaraş, with tremors felt in the neighboring provinces, has...

A Rare Roman-Era Bronze Filter Discovered in Hadrianopolis, Türkiye

11 February 2025

11 February 2025

Archaeologists excavating at Hadrianopolis in Karabük, Türkiye, have unearthed a 5th-century AD bronze filter used in Roman and Byzantine times...

One of the earliest water channels in history dating back 8,200 years was discovered in western Türkiye

27 August 2023

27 August 2023

One of the earliest water channels in history dating back 8,200 years was found during the excavation work carried out...