La Bastida de Totana, Bronze Age archaeological site in Totana, Spain
La Bastida de Totana is a Bronze Age settlement located on a steep hill near Murcia at the junction of two waterways. The site spreads across multiple hectares and contains the remains of residential terraces, defensive walls, and structures that reveal how people organized their living spaces.
The site was first studied in 1869 and contains human settlements spanning roughly a thousand years during the early Bronze Age. The settlement was abandoned around 1550 BCE, marking the end of an important era of early metalworking in the Mediterranean.
The residents arranged their homes on terraces up the steep slope, showing careful planning of how people lived close together. This layout tells us how the community organized itself in the daily use of space.
The site is reached by a walking path that climbs the hill and connects the different areas of the archaeological zone. Sturdy shoes are recommended since the path is steep and crosses uneven ground throughout the excavation areas.
Archaeologists found burials beneath the floors of many homes, where the dead were placed with pottery, weapons, and jewelry made of copper and silver. This practice of burying people within their houses reveals how closely family and home were connected in this society.
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