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a r ch a eological s ite CARTEIA Salting Factory HISTORY In the 7th century BCE, the Phoenicians established an outpost on Cerro del Prado, a hill roughly 2 km north-west of Carteia, as part of their influential and civilising trade network. In the 4th century BCE, their descendants, the Carthaginians or Punics, founded what we now know as Carteia. They chose to build their new town on a promontory closer to the mouth of the River Guadarranque, which commanded a splendid view of the Strait of Gibraltar from the shelter of the inner Bay of Algeciras. Cover: Grand staircase of the Augustan building After defeating Carthage in the Punic Wars (3rd century BCE), the Romans took over, expanding the town substantially and filling it with monumental structures. However, those born there, the offspring of Roman soldiers and native women of Hispania, were not acknowledged by Rome as citizens. The town sent a delegation to the mother city requesting a solution to this problem, and in 171 BCE the Senate agreed to grant Carteia the status of colonia libertinorum, making it the first Roman colony outside of Italy. The town became embroiled in the republic’s internal conflicts, such as the power struggle between Caesar and Pompey in the late 1st century BCE. The people of Carteia backed Pompey, who ended up losing the war, and the town and its inhabitants suffered the consequences. In the 6th century CE the Visigoths settled here and made additional changes to the town’s structure. Today we know they used part of it as a necropolis. Arab troops appeared in the area in the early 8th century and mustered here to begin the conquest of Al-Andalus. Islamic texts tell us that they adapted one of the existing religious buildings in Carteia for use as a mosque. Later, when the Marinid armies arrived from North Africa in the 13th century, they built a compound near the town of Carteia and named it Hisn Quartayana, now known as Torre Cartagena. It remained in Arab hands until the mid-14th century, when it was seized by the troops of King Alfonso XI of Castile, and the site continued to play a role in the region’s military control network until the 18th century. In the late 16th century, the Rocadillo Tower was erected on the seaward side as part of the coastal defence systems built by Philip II and his successors. It stands atop the ruins of the old Roman wall, overlooking the mouth of the River Guadarranque. During World War II, fear of a British invasion from Gibraltar led authorities to construct several bunkers at Carteia which, though never used, demonstrate the strategic military importance of this position even in modern times. TOUR Punic Wall [1] This section includes a gate made of rusticated sandstone ashlars. The casemate wall was built in the manner of Greek fortifications, the prevailing style at the time. Republican Temple [2] A large temple was erected over the ruins of religious structures from Punic times. This is the oldest Roman Republican monument found at Carteia (2nd century BCE). With a surface area of 24 x 18 metres, the temple stood on a 1.9-metre-high podium. The entrance was reached by climbing a staircase at the front, flanked by two side wings completing the facade. Grand staircase of the Augustan building Visigothic necropolis over the temple ruins It may have been a hexastyle temple (having six frontal columns) of the type known as peripteros sine posticum, i.e. surrounded by columns on all except the back side. On the podium stood the single central hall or cella where the statue of the titular deity would have been displayed, although the god’s identity remains a mystery. Buildings [3] Beside the temple was a large porticoed residential structure. The main section was a domus or Roman house of the type reserved for wealthy citizens. Its layout is typical: a corridor or fauces leads to an atrium or central courtyard with rooms on both sides. An insula or apartment block for housing the less affluent adjoined the domus and shared its facade. This area also contained a large building from Augustan times with a monumental staircase. The strength and fine masonry of General view of the baths Roman high street (decumanus) its thick walls suggest the existence of an upper storey which would have opened onto the rooftop terrace. To the right of the staircase, whose middle flight once held a massive double door, there were various rooms arranged like typical Roman shops or tabernae that opened onto a street coming from the lower part of town. Visigothic Necropolis [4] The Roman temple is surrounded by graves from the Visigothic period, when this site was still used as a holy place. Baths [5] This substantial structure was probably in use between the 1st and 4th centuries CE. It had all the standard rooms found in Roman thermae: the caldarium or hot bath; the tepidarium or Rocadillo Tower warm bath; the frigidarium or cold bath; and the apodyterium or dressing room. It also had a palaestra or exercise gymnasium, complete with a natatio (outdoor swimming pool) and a latrine. This was therefore a large complex offering more than just the baths. In the 6th and 7th centuries the area was used as a necropolis. In the same place, vestiges of another building with an apsidal plan suggest the existence of a late Roman basilica. Roman House [6] Here we can observe the building known as the “Rocadillo Domus”, with a layout and constructive features similar to the residence beside the temple. This house at the intersection of two slab-paved roads stood slightly above street level, with two steps leading up to the entrance. It was a typical domus, with numerous rooms, an atrium with a water tank and a mosaicpaved peristyle. Sections of the old Roman street nearby have also survived. Rocadillo Tower [7] Built on a square plan abutting the Roman defensive wall, this watchtower was designed by the engineer Livadote in the late 16th century and stands 12 metres high. The lower section has a solid core, and above it was the guard room, reached by means of a rope ladder. This vaulted chamber has a fireplace with a vertical chimney and a narrow window through which one can see the mouth of the River Guadarranque. Salting Factory [8] The fishing industry was very important in Roman times. The coastal areas near the Strait of Gibraltar had a prosperous and powerful economy based on the bounty of the sea, as evidenced by the proliferation of salting factories after the 1st century BCE. Salting vats were common elements in all such factories. Once cleaned and gutted, the fish were laid in these vats and packed between layers of salt. Salting factories also manufactured garum sauce, a highly prized and expensive delicacy. Used as a condiment, garum was made from macerated fish intestines mixed with aromatic herbs. Once prepared, the salted fish and other products were packed in amphorae to be shipped and sold. Bunker Nearby we can also see one of the World War II bunkers. This one was recently turned into a miniature museum, the first of its kind in Andalusia. Theatre [9] The partially excavated Roman theatre has preserved part of the stage structure and seating area, which rests on the sloping terrain except in the summa cavea or upper stands. The theatre was recently opened to the public, greatly enhancing its heritage value. Its structure is quite similar to that of the Roman theatre in Mérida: the cavea has a diameter of 78 metres, and the seating area occupies 2,500 m2. With an estimated capacity for 5,200 people, this is the largest completely visible cavea in Andalusia. General view of the Roman theatre LOCATION AND CONTACT DETAILS Avenida del Puerto, S/N 11369 San Roque (Cádiz) +34 956 908 030 / +34 600 143 014 Fax: +34 956 908 035 [email protected] Free admission 1 2 3 4 1. Punic wall 2. Temple 3. Buildings 4. Visigothic necropolis 5. Baths 6. Roman house 7. Rocadillo Tower 8. Salting factory and bunker 9. Theatre 5 ENTRANCE Reception 6 8 7 9