Cerro de la Encina

Cerro de la Encina is a Bronze Age archaeological site on a steep hill near the Monachil River in southeastern Spain. Excavations have revealed a fortified settlement with stone walls and defensive towers spread across eight hectares.

The settlement began in the second half of the third millennium BCE and continued to be inhabited into the first millennium BCE. This long period of use shows how people repeatedly adapted to changes in their environment.

This place was home to a community for over a thousand years, and the objects found show how people valued their dead. Burials with jewelry and weapons reveal the social differences that existed among residents.

Access to the site is on foot via a hiking trail from Monachil through mountainous terrain. Visitors should wear appropriate footwear and allow time to explore the steep topography comfortably.

Animal bones show that horses were the most common livestock, followed by cattle, goats, and sheep. This combination differed from other settlements in the region and reveals much about life here.