Castulo City

The relevance of the city of Castulo is evident since antiquity. We can find lots of citations in classical sources in addition to evidence of continued occupation, at least from the Copper Age to the fourteenth century. We are talking about more than 4,000 years of occupation.

The importance acquired by Castulo is favored by the abundance of existing argentiferous galena in the environment and its strategic location. Castulo is situated on a broad plateau of nearly 50 hectares along the river Guadalimar (Betis river to the Romans). Until the city reached the main roads in Roman times. This is the case of the Via Augusta, which ran alongside the river, where a harbor was built, which served as the backbone for the export of silver, lead, olive oil, cereal or livestock.

Despite the systematic pillaging suffered in Castulo throughout their history, archaeological interventions and various findings demonstrate the importance of the site and show great cultural and historical wealth.

The current archaeological site not only stands out for its high historical and archaeological interest, also has landscape and environmental resources which give it a special uniqueness.

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The discovery of metallurgy is an important step for the development of new and more sophisticated tools for hunting.

The exploitation of mineral resources occurs from very early stages, existing prehistoric efficient tools developed for this purpose.

The richness of the area favors the early arrival of settlers in the eastern Mediterranean, who introduce new technologies and styling applied, for example, to pottery, like this pot with stand.

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The presence of the Phoenicians and the oriental character of the temple of La Muela is evident in pebble mosaics, can find constructive parallel from the first millennium B.C. in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean.

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This bronze thymiaterium is an import from the eastern Mediterranean that would be used to burn incense in some ritual, until eventually is deposited as grave goods in the tomb of a prominent person in town, no doubt related to it.

The lid of the thymiaterion has triangular holes that allow the smoke to escape.

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Over the lid, forming part of it, a hollow bronze bull that also allowed the smoke to escape through his mouth.

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The Sphinx was part of the ritual set, and possibly was the handle of the lid of the box destined to store the incense.

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Virtual reconstruction of the set of Thymiaterion and Sphinx.

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Trade routes through the river Guadalimar allowed the arrival of luxury items such as the Greek craters, used in funeral rites and deposited in tombs as grave goods.

Currently there are few visible architectural remains of this phase, but thanks to the sources and archaeological studies, we know elements that allow us to approach the monumentality of some Iberian constructions in Castulo.

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Since the late third century B.C. until the first century B.C. Castulo mints its own currency in which we find symbols such as the Sphinx and the name of the city with Iberian characters.

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The falcata is a characteristic weapon of the Iberians, an effective and feared weapon by enemies. According to Diodorus (5.33.4) “cuts through anything which gets in its way, for no shield or helmet or bone can withstand a blow from it, because of the exceptional quality of the iron”.

With the votive offerings we can make an approach to religion and beliefs of the Iberians. These figures are representations of humans, animals or body parts, and were deposited in sanctuaries, such as Collado de los Jardines or Castellar de Santisteban, in honor of the gods in exchange for welfare, health, protection or prosperity.

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This particular representation of an Iberian rider on a blackboard allows us to observe details of the clothing and equipment of the Iberian time that otherwise would be impossible to know. Among them, the saddle made from animal skin and the cinch for clamping it. Such materials are not generally preserved, due to their organic nature.

In 228 B.C. Castulo is submitted by the Carthaginians in command of Amilcar Barca, after its entry into the Peninsula in 236 B.C. after the defeat in the First Punic War against Rome.

Iberian Peninsula was the main supply base of men, food and riches, to organize the expedition to Italy in the Second Punic War. Castulo with argentiferous wealth was the main source of income.

After the defeat and death of Amilcar by Orisio, oretano ruler, in 228 BC, his son-in-law and successor Asdrubal come his death and conquer the Oretania initiating a policy of friendship with the nobility that would further enhance his successor, Aníbal Barca.

Anibal married the daughter of a ruler from Castulo to strengthen its alliances and start from here the conquest of the Plateau and lead the beginning of the Second Punic War against Rome with the conquest of Sagunto in 219 BC.

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During the late Republic and Roman Empire Castulo enjoyed enormous economic and social prosperity known through the remains of public buildings that have been documented by archaeological methodology in recent decades or epigraphy, by which we know the existence of a theater and an amphitheater.

After the conquest of Castulo by Rome, were granted to the city social and political privileges and economic control over the metalliferous deposits of Sierra Morena Oriental, on which quickly began work attracting many publicans from southern Italy to exploit mines.

At the beginning of the Roman period, Castulo becomes federated city ("civitas et liberae immune") partially exempt from tax payments, but should hold a Roman garrison and provide troops in case of war.

It is possible that Castulo began his political and administrative organization with Caesar in the first century B.C., being with Augustus when it seems that the administrative organization is adapted to the Roman model, configured as municipality of Latin law.

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In Roman times the cultivation of olive groves in the area of Castulo should be of great importance as evidence this rescript, a legal rule issued by the emperor in response to a legal consultation in a dispute about an issue of taxation or administration about olive oil.

Other sculptures have not been preserved as well as the previous one, and in some cases erosion and deterioration have given an almost cartoonish peculiar aspect.

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The remains unaltered of the demolished building permit to know in detail the decoration of the walls of the room, with interlocking swastikas, red stucco panels, false pilasters with floral decoration and a height of 3.80 meters.

In 313 A.D. Constantine I legalized Christianity, and in 325 D.C. with the First Council of Nicaea gives legitimacy to it in the Empire that would favor its expansion. In Castulo stands the presence of one of the oldest Christian buildings in the Iberian Peninsula, dating from the fourth century A.D. and wherein the paten of Christ in Majesty was found.

The abandonment of the central area of the city in Visigothic period is manifest with evidences as this burial in a mass grave of two people that were killed, buried in a secluded and abandoned place, away from unwanted looks, in what previously was the heart of a great city.

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About the history of the city at this stage we have some historical references, such as the Battle of Qastuluna in 786 A.D. between the troops of Abderramán I and AI-Fihiri Yusuf, the governor of the Mark of Toledo who rebelled against the emir. We can find another later reference with the uprising of the Muladies in Qastuluna by which Ubay ben Alah ben AI-Shaliya proclaims king and rule about for twenty years until Abderramán III decides to end the revolt and AI-Shaliya must deliver the city unable to cope with its small troops to the caliph.

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Between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries the main fortification is positioned at the southern end of the old city. The Castle of Santa Eufemia is in this phase, which only remains of a tower built in the late twelfth century. This castle is located at the southern end and is isolated from the main plateau, with a moat to the north to favor the defense of the most vulnerable area.

After the Christian conquest, Cástulo continued occupied with a small village until the fourteenth century, before being finally abandoned. From that moment, the rise of Baeza and Linares supposed the dismantling of Castulo, serving its ruins as quarry for the growth of these two cities.

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