GUAREÑA, SPAIN—Archaeologists working at the site of Casas del Turuñuelo in central Spain have unearthed evidence that the native Tartessians, a little understood Iron Age culture, used advanced, sustainable methods of construction to build what remains the best-preserved earthen building in the Mediterranean, according to a report in SciTech Daily. “Our goal was to understand how the earthen materials were processed and used, the organization of labor, and the skill levels of the community involved in the construction,” says archaeologist and team member Marta Lorenzon of the University of Helsinki. “We aimed to shed light on the construction methods, environmental exploitation, and the socio-political structures that enabled the creation of such monumental architecture.” The researchers suggest that in addition to what can be learned about the building methods and materials of the Tartessians, their study also may provide insights for how modern construction projects might be accomplished in a sustainable way with respect for locally available materials. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Scientific Reports. To read more about another of Iberia's native Iron Age cultures, go to "Off the Grid: Citânia de Briteiros."
