Almizaraque, Archaeological site in Cuevas del Almanzora, Almería, Spain

Almizaraque is an archaeological site on a hill about 4 m high, 100 m long and 60 m wide, 1.5 km north of Palomares in the Vera basin. It lies between the Almanzora and Rambla de la Canalejas, about 1.2 km northwest of their confluence and 3 km from the Mediterranean. Five successive occupation layers were found, from a Neolithic settlement to a Copper Age village of about 2500 m² with round wooden huts, silos, wells and small sheds.

Almizaraque was occupied from about 2500 to 1900 BC, with five successive settlement layers spanning the Neolithic to the Copper Age. Luis Siret first excavated in 1907 and returned in 1932–33; Germán Delibes de Castro led new research between 1980 and 1984. The nearby La Encantada tombs were used from the early Copper Age into the Bronze Age.

The name comes from Arabic origins related to the river valley location. Visitors today see the layout of round houses with stone bases and storage silos, revealing how people organized their daily lives and food management.

The site allows visitors to see remains of dwellings and fortifications directly, but requires comfortable footwear for uneven terrain. Plan your visit during cooler times of day, particularly in warmer months.

Almizaraque lies about 1.2 km northwest of where the Almanzora and the Rambla de la Canalejas meet, roughly 3 km from the Mediterranean, not at the river mouth. Slag residues show ore from the Sierra Almagrera was smelted here; its high arsenic content yielded arsenical bronze without added alloy. Only small amounts were made, for local use.