Castro de La Loma, Iron Age hillfort in Santibáñez de la Peña, Spain
Castro de La Loma is a prehistoric fortified settlement on a hilltop in the northern Spanish region of Cantabria. The site spreads across a large area and displays clearly visible defensive walls and a rock-cut moat system as protection barriers.
The fortification developed during the Iron Age as a settlement for Cantabrian communities. It gained major importance when Roman legions established military camps around it during conflicts around 30 BCE.
The settlement was home to Cantabrian people who built their homes, workshops, and storage areas on the hillside. These everyday spaces reveal how inhabitants organized their lives and what crafting skills they developed.
The site sits on a hilltop and can be explored on foot, making sturdy footwear a smart choice. The surroundings offer open terrain where you can clearly see the defensive structure and its layout.
Archaeologists uncovered hundreds of arrowheads made from bronze and iron scattered across the site, revealing the intensity of combat that took place here. These finds document remarkably well what warfare looked like during that era.
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