Celtiberian castrum

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Settlement areas of the Celtiberians : Arevacians (red); Pelendons (brown); Berons (green); Lusonen (blue); Beller (olive); Tittier (yellow); Lobetaner (blue-green) - mixed tribal groups resided in the shaded areas
Schematic drawing of the Castro de Hocincavero near Anguita , Guadalajara
Fortress at Santa María de Huerta , Soria Province

A Celtiberian Castrum (Spanish: Castro Celtibérico ) is a fortified (high) settlement of the population known as the Celtiberians from the 6th to 2nd centuries BC. In the northern center of the Iberian Peninsula - d. H. predominantly in today's Spanish regions of Castile , Aragón and Rioja .

function

The Celtiberian fortresses ( castra ), which are mostly located on natural elevations, some on heaped ground, or on the edge of rocky slopes, served both for defense and for production, trade and residential purposes; there will also have been stables. In addition, they often functioned as control posts for the trade routes.

history

Despite poor sources and only a few archaeological finds, research largely agrees that Celtiberian tribes and tribal groups ( Berons , Lusons , Arevacians , Pelendons , Bellers, Tittier and Lobetans have been passed down) since around 1000 BC. Were resident in the region of the Iberian Meseta . They came into historical awareness through their years of resistance against the Romans in the Celtiberian (197-179 BC) and the Spanish War (154-133 BC). After the Roman conquest, the castra lost its importance; some of them were probably also razed, but because of their limited altitude, they were seldom built over.

architecture

The Celtiberian castra show a wide range of fortifications - some were surrounded by trenches , others were secured exclusively by high and steep embankments and meter-thick walls made of hewn stone blocks or rubble stones ; some offered space for around 1,000 people, others only had space for around 100 people. In many cases the buildings inside the facilities ( houses , workshops , stables ) are connected to the outer walls, in other cases they are free. The house roofs were often used as battlements ; Wall projections are not uncommon, but the existence of defensive towers etc. could not yet be determined with certainty. In most cases there was only one or two entrances to the plant.

Necropolis

In the vicinity of some castra , larger burial areas ( necropolises ) were discovered, which indicates a longer period of settlement.

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