Inventory number: PC10-101-191 Name of the object: hilt of a bidiscoidal dagger Material: metal, iron Type: weaponry Shape: bidiscoidal Dimensions: length: 12cm maximum diametre: 6cm Chronology: Roman Late Republic Survey: july 2010 Provenance: SUPI 4 Description: Hilt of a bidiscoidal dagger still with the rivets that joined the two parts together. The blade has been lost. Using X-rays, it has been possible to see that the dagger had bronze decorations in the areas close to the rivets on the discs.
Inventory number: PC12-2084-120 Name of the object: plate reparaired with lead staples Material: ceramic Production: black burnish from Cales. Type: ware Shape: Lamb. 5/7. Dimensions: diametre of 33cm Chronology: 125-25 BC Survey: julyl 2012 Provenance: sector 7 Description: Large black glazed plate or dish from Cales. This is an important item of tableware and is of some value. They are considered luxury products imitating the gold, silver or bronze tableware that not everyone could afford.
Inventory number: PC13-2130-OC72 Name of the object: Pruner Material: metal, iron Type: tool Dimensions: maximum length: 18,5 cm; width: 2,7 cm; thickness: 0,4cm. Chronology: Roman Late Republic Survey: july 2013 Provenance: sector 10 Description: Small scythe or billhook located in a domestic context. This type of small scythe or pruning knife are associated with work on vines or trees such as olive trees,
The archaeological site of Puig Ciutat is located in the municipal district of Oristà (Barcelona province). The archaeological site is currently located at the top of an elevated plain 526 metres (1,700 ft) above sea level. It covers a surface area of 5.1 hectares (12.6 acres), distributed over farmland and steeply sloping areas.
The hill is surrounded by two watercourses, the river Gavarresa and one of its affluents, the river Olost, which make the site very valuable from a defensive and strategic point of view.
What is its historical context?
Research has revealed archaeological evidence of different chronological phases that go from the Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age to the Late Roman Republican Period (mid-1st century BC).
Most of the information we have at the moment relates to the late Roman Republican period. At that time, Puig Ciutat could have played a role as a garrison or military camp (praesidium). At the end of this period Rome’s Civil War between Julius Caesar and followers of Gnaeus Pompeius took place (BC 49 – 44).
How can we visit?
So far only a small part of the Puig Ciutat site has been excavated. The rest of the site is still buried. Two routes have been set up for visiting the consolidated remains:
1) A tour of the interior of the site: there are five information panels describing the settlement during the Late Republican Roman Period. The panels have QR codes to complement and enlarge on the information.
2) A tour of the site surroundings: provides a picture of the surrounding area and describes the geographical and natural conditions of Puig Ciutat.
The location of the settlement makes it very valuable from a defensive and strategic point of view as access is only by two natural routes to the north and south. However, the poor long-distance visibility might have made it necessary to have several control points in the vicinity.
In two of the excavated areas a city wall from the Late Roman Republican Period was discovered.
The section of wall described in this panel is not currently visible. Until it has been consolidated, it has been covered over again to ensure its conservation.
Where was the way in?
The archaeological excavations suggest that the wall bordered the settlement on the east and south sides of the hill.
It’s difficult to know the exact location of the gates in the wall, on account of its eroded state. However, certain clues suggest the presence of a gate on the south-east flank of the site.
How did they get in?
The excavation has revealed a rectangular construction located inside the wall.
Its purpose and date are unknown to us. It has a small, sealed entrance that could have been a second way into the settlement.
Who were they defending themselves from?
Roman military remains have been found in different parts of the site and its vicinity. This suggests a siege by Roman troops established in camps around the settlement.
It’s therefore believed that there could have been a confrontation between Romans.
This point was excavated to identify one of the rooms that had been best located in the geophysical surveys and that seemed to have been burned.
We also wanted to check for the presence of a street crossing the camp from north to south, providing access from one of the gates in the city wall to the interior of the settlement.
How was it built?
The room was built with walls of rammed earth on a socle of stone bound with mud, like the rest of the buildings from the Roman Republican Period.
The roof, supported on oak beams, was made with twigs and waterproofed with clay.
The room borders on the street to the west and has an opening on the southern side. The fact that the door opens to the south indicates that this room is part of a complex building.
What was its purpose?
The material recovered doesn’t indicate a specific use for the room, as there were work tools (a saw, a pair of loom weights, etc.) as well as ceramic recipients for domestic use.
Two amphorae have been located, one from the south of the Iberian Peninsula and the other from the Italian Peninsula, which speak for the transport of oil, wine or salted products (preserved fish).
One outstanding set consists of a krater, a recipient used for mixing water and wine, and several little drinking glasses. The krater was from Sicily and the glasses from modern-day Italy.
An Iberian ceramic playing counter was also recovered.
What happened to it?
The room was destroyed during the battle that brought an end to the life of the settlement in the mid-1st century. The evidence recovered at this point is:
Burnt ceiling beams. They must have been moved around to retrieve material once the battle was over.
Projectiles (sling-bullets, catapult-bolts and javelin tips) above the ruins. These could only have been fired from the exterior.
Ceramics crushed in situ.
Front part of a dog trapped under the ruins. The rear, being exposed to the elements, was eaten by carrion-feeders.
