Cerro de los Almadenes, Archaeological site in Otero de Herreros, Spain
Cerro de los Almadenes is an archaeological site on a granite hilltop with copper deposits near the Sierra del Quintanar in Segovia province. Two streams, the Arroyo de la Escoria and Arroyo del Quejigal, flow through the area and shaped where ancient mine entrances and water channels were positioned.
The site dates to Roman times, when people smelted and worked metals there, as evidenced by furnace structures and metal remains. A research team from the Spanish Society of Archaeological History has conducted excavations since 2009, steadily uncovering more about this ancient metalworking.
The hilltop was a metalworking center for generations, and local people knew it as a place where miners extracted copper ore and workers processed metal. The traces of this labor remain visible in the landscape today, reflecting the skills of those who worked there long ago.
The terrain is hilly and cut by streams, so sturdy footwear and careful footing are important. It is best to visit during dry weather when paths are more stable and the scattered remains are easier to see.
In the 18th century, Josef Aparicio Calatrava drew detailed sketches of the slag deposits, providing the first documented record of the site's mineral wealth. These early records later helped archaeologists understand the scale of metalworking that took place there.
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