Remains of an Iberian palace uncovered at Jaén

Excavations at Puente Tablas, the Iberian settlement which was discovered in Jaén at the beginning of the 1970s, have uncovered the remains of an Iberian palace which would have covered an area of 400 square metres 25 centuries ago. 

The building would have covered an area of 400 square metres and was part of the Puente Tablas Iberian settlement [Credit: EFE]

It’s the first to have ever been excavated in Andalucía. Archaeologists say construction started in the 5th Century BC and would have been completed over the next two centuries. It was built on two floors, with a central patio, a private area for the family, and a public area where the prince would have received his visitors. 

There was also a small sanctuary and a production area for oil and wine. Professor Ruiz, from the CAAI Andalucía Centre for Iberian Archaeology, described the discovery to El País as a quantum leap forward in our knowledge of life in Iberian times. 

The fortified city of Puente Tablas is some 7 kilometres outside Jaén’s provincial capital, to the north east of the city, and extended for more than five hectares. It would have had around 1,000 inhabitants in the 4th Century BC and is protected as a BIC Site of Cultural Interest. 

Source: Typically Spanish [July 05, 2011]