Tag Archives: republic

Building 1

29 de December de 2015General @en, zona d'excavacióarchaeology, camp, data sheet, documentation, excavations, geophysics, gpr, ground penetrating radar, praetorium, principia, Puig Ciutat, republic, romans, stratigrafic, SU, total station, unitpuig_admin

Aquest sondeig es va realitzar amb l’objectiu de confirmar la presència i les característiques d’un edifici de grans dimensions, que havia estat prèviament detectat per les prospeccions geofísiques.

The archaeological excavation revealed a square building, 11 by 11 metres, divided up into various rooms opening onto a central distribution space. This was reached by a passage that communicated with the building’s only entrance, open in the southern façade. The date provided by the ceramic material recovered confirmed that the building belonged to the latest phase of occupation of the settlement, in the Late Roman Republican Period.

The work revealed that the structure had been heavily affected by farming work in the field in recent times and some of the walls that divided up the complex have not survived. Despite the poor condition of the remains, carbon was found which could have been part of the door latch.

Two surveys performed in the interior of the building showed that it had been looted in ancient times, probably to recover some of the stones from the north and west walls.

Its large size make this building an important one in the settlement’s complex of buildings. According to documentary sources, a building of these characteristics could have been the praetorium, or residence of the Roman camp’s Commander, or the principia, or administrative building. In the case of Puig Ciutat, this building could have fulfilled both functions.

City Wall Buildings

29 de December de 2015zona d'excavacióarchaeology, battle, bronze, camp, city wall, data sheet, documentation, excavations, fire, Puig Ciutat, republic, romans, siege, stratigrafic, SU, total station, unitpuig_admin

Magnetic surveying showed evidence of an urban layout in the north-east of the site and important signs of combustion, which could have been from fireplaces or they could have been traces of a possible fire.

The excavations confirmed the presence of archaeological materials and structures from the settlement’s three occupation phases, going from the Late Bronze/Early Iron Age (mid-9th – 7th centuries BC) to the Late Roman Republican Period (mid-1st century BC).

Five dwelling spaces and a street from the last phase were found built onto the north-eastern section of the wall. These constructs could be part of one large building combining the functions of dwelling and storage.

The state of destruction of the different rooms, with abundant crushed ceramic material above the living level, and the presence of abundant military projectiles above the ruins (indicating they were fired from outside) speak for a military confrontation which may have begun at this end of the settlement.

Excavation work in the buildings close to the Late Republican Roman wall

July 2012

Surveys of the different occupation phases at Puig Ciutat (Late Bronze/Early Iron (9th – 7th centuries BC) up to the Late Roman Republican Period (mid-1st century BC)

July 2015

The inner face of the wall is built over the two walls from the previous occupation phase (intermediate phase) and above the demolition level of this same phase

July 2011

Photogrammetric study of the different constructions excavated at the north-eastern end of the settlement

December 2015.

Constructions abutting the wall

July 2010

The process of excavating the hearth (redder area). At the bottom of the picture can be seen the test trench thanks to which the wall from the intermediate phase was discovered

July 2011

Excavation of the floor of the hearth, made with heat-resistant ceramics

July 2012

Scattered fallen material above the living level

July 2010

[left] Various fallen materials (remains of animals, metal objects, etc.) above the living level. [right] Fallen dolium and amphora above the ruins of a ceiling or a first floor

July 2011-2012

Northern room abutting the wall

July 2013

Articulated animal remains located under the ruins of the northern room

July 2013

Projectiles located in the rooms abutting the wall

Photographs by CRBMB-Ramon Maroto. July 2011-2012.

5. Building 3

18 de March de 2015fotogrametria @en3D @en, archaeology, arqueologia @en, cup, Fotogrametria @en, model @en, Photogrammetry, Puig Ciutat @en, republic, republica @en, restauracio @en, romans @en, virtual, virtual @enpuig_admin

The Historical Context

5 de February de 2015jaciment @enarchaeology, civil war, Gnaeus Pompeius, Hispania, history, Julius Cesar, map, Puig Ciutat, republic, romanspuig_admin

The Civil War between Julius Caesar and followers of Gnaeus Pompeius (BC 49-45)

The excavations carried out so far have given a date for the destruction of Puig Ciutat at the end of the Roman Republic, possibly during the Civil War between followers of Julius Caesar and followers of Gnaeus Pompeius. The map shows the area of influence of the two sides in the moments before the Battle of Ilerda (49 BC), when Caesar had control over Gaul and Pompey over a large part of Hispania. The regions under the control of the Roman Senate also supported Pompey.

Historical sources mention the movement of Caesar’s troops from Marseille to Hispania via unidentified points of the Pyrenees to confront Pompey’s followers, who had taken up position in Ilerda (Lleida).

The Geographical Context

5 de February de 2015jaciment @enarchaeology, Catalonia, civil war, GIS, herd migration, least cost path, Llobregat, Llucanes, map, Puig Ciutat, republic, romans, spatial analisis, Terpuig_admin

Exploring Lluçanès

Puig Ciutat is located in the area of Lluçanès, a raised plain separating the Ter and Llobregat basins. Although the region has a long history of north-south seasonal herd migration, it’s also clear that there were long-distance routes between the two basins and beyond.

The work of reconnaissance of the terrain and the spatial analysis by the Puig Ciutat team have revealed numerous archaeological sites from ancient times and allowed the start of research on east-west communications in Central Catalonia.

The following image shows a suggested route for the main communications routes crossing Lluçanès in Antiquity and points where archaeological remains have been located. (Source: Cartographic base of the Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya (Cartographic and Geological Institute of Catalonia), accessible on www.icgc.cat).

The Local Context

5 de February de 2015jaciment @enarchaeology, civil war, defense, Gavarresa, geophysics, scanning, Llucanes, map, meander, MNT, prospection, Puig Ciutat, republic, romans, siegepuig_admin

A Game of Strategy

Puig Ciutat stands in a meander of the Gavarresa stream, which provides a natural defence along part of its perimeter but gives it little long-distance visibility. Occupation of this site, then, probably didn’t respond to the strategic advantages of this meander.

What did the inhabitants of Puig Ciutat defend or control? When was it destroyed? At the end of the Roman Republic? Where was it attacked from? What factions could assailants and besieged have belonged to?

As we’ve seen, some of these questions have now been answered thanks to the work carried out so far.

To solve these mysteries, the Puig Ciutat team is applying traditional archaeological exploration as well as geophysical archaeology or remote sensing over a large area surrounding the site.

Black burnished ceramic pyx from Cales

18 de January de 2015objecte @en3D, 3D @en, archaeology, arqueologia @en, black, burnish, cales, ceramic, ceramica, cup, Fotogrametria @en, model, model @en, museum, Photogrammetry, Puig Ciutat, Puig Ciutat @en, pyx, republic, republica @en, restauracio @en, restoration, romans, romans @en, virtual, virtual @en, warepuig_admin

Inventory number: PC10-2005-3
Name of the object: pyx
Material: ceramic
Production: black burnish from Cales
Type: common ware
Shape: Lamb. 3
Dimensions: height: 4,8 cm. diametre: 8,7 cm
Chronology: 125-25 BC
Survey: july 2010
Provenance: Sector 2
Description: A small pyx with tapered edge and concave sides without a rim and with an annular foot. It has no decoration. For individual use for consuming liquids.

For more information click here

Black burnished ceramic vessel from Cales

16 de January de 2015objecte @en3D, 3D @en, archaeology, arqueologia @en, black, burnish, cales, ceramic, ceramica, cup, Fotogrametria @en, goblet, model, model @en, museum, Photogrammetry, Puig Ciutat, Puig Ciutat @en, republic, republica @en, restauracio @en, restoration, romans, romans @en, vessel, virtual, virtual @en, warepuig_admin

Inventory number: PC10-2005-4
Name of the object: small goblet or cup.
Material: ceramic.
Production: black burnish from Cales.
Type: ware
Shape: Lamb. 2
Dimensions: height: 4 cm. diametre: 9,7 cm.
Chronology: 125-25 BC.
Survey: july 2010.
Provenance: sector 2.
Description: Small goblet or tapering cup with concave sides and a marked inflection at the bottom. It shows no decoration. For individual use for consuming liquids.

For more information click here.

South-east wall

13 de January de 2015zona d'excavacióaccess, archaeology, battle, camp, city wall, data sheet, documentation, door, excavations, Puig Ciutat, republic, romans, siege, stratigrafic, SU, total station, unitpuig_admin

The intervention at this point reveals the presence of one of the main entrances to the settlement in its last phase. The suspicion that it was here was based on the fact that a path to the top of the hill from the east converges here with the main street in the area, which runs north-south.

The work located two sections of wall at this point, separated by a certain difference in height between them, at the ends of which there could have been the gate. It wasn’t possible to confirm this as they have been largely flattened. Even so, this idea is backed up by the presence inside the settlement of a wall parallel to the city wall that forms an entrance passage leading to a second gate, which was found to be sealed.

The structures preserved inside the settlement are totally unknown as the area was found covered by a thick layer of stones whose purpose could not be explained. The dating of the various associated articulated animal remains gave a date for it during the last occupation phase.

As a hypothesis, it was suggested that the layer of stones could have something to do with reinforcing the area or sealing it off in the settlement’s final moments, but we shall have to wait for future campaigns to be able to corroborate this.

East wall

13 de January de 2015zona d'excavacióarchaeology, battle, camp, city wall, data sheet, documentation, excavations, Puig Ciutat, republic, romans, siege, stratigrafic, SU, total station, unitpuig_admin

Work on this point was carried out with the object of finding out all about the entire stretch of city wall already located and, at the same time, to see how the structure was laid down.

The work showed that the city wall was laid down directly over earlier strata. On this side it could be seen that the walls of the intermediate phase were visible under the Roman wall. A wall was also located belonging to the settlement’s oldest phase (Late Bronze/Early Iron). This is the earliest structure located for this period.

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