Castro from Yecla la Vieja

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The wall of Castro Yecla la Vieja

The Castro of Yecla la Vieja is a pre-Roman fortification of the Celtic Vettons in the province of Salamanca in the Spanish region of Castile and León . It is one kilometer south of Yecla de Yeltes , and 20 kilometers east of the border with Portugal , on a rocky promontory above the Varlaña stream.

The approximately five hectares large archaeological site is bordered by a thick, well-preserved walls and other defenses. On the west side of the complex, outside the walls, there are several areas with Cheval de Frize , stones set vertically into the ground. They may have been placed to protect against attacks, because this is the open side of the fortification.

The origin of Castro goes back to the 5th century BC. BC back. It was then used from Roman times to the high Middle Ages. After the abandonment of the complex, the Catholic kings built a chapel on the castle grounds, which is still in use.

Next to the wall are the petroglyphs that adorn many of the stones. It is usually a representation of horses, some of them with riders.

literature

  • Reynaldo González: Arte prehistórico (Las claves del arte; Vol. 6). Editorial Planeta, Barcelona 1995, ISBN 84-08-01416-1 .

Web links

Commons : Castro by Yecla la Vieja  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 40 ° 56 ′ 49.6 ″  N , 6 ° 29 ′ 15.7 ″  W.