The Museum of Huelva
has added to its collections a bethel stone from the archaeological site of
Tejada la Vieja in Escacena del Campo. The discovery was made in
December because of the intervention that the research group Vrbanitas,
Archaeology and Heritage (HUM 132), from the Department of Archaeology at the
University of Huelva, at the archaeological site with
the cooperation of the City of Escacena del Campo.
After a preliminary study and cleaning, the bethel stone has been delivered
to the Provincial Museum of Huelva by Professor of Archaeology, Juan M.
Campos, and the project director, Clara Toscano, in the presence of the
territorial delegate of Culture, Tourism and Sport Carmen Solana, and
the director of the museum space, Paul Guisande.
The discovery was made
following a surface cleaning aimed at strengthening the structures of
the site, which confirmed its enormous potential, partially excavated
in various campaigns since 1975 and whose materials are in the
collections of the Museum of Huelva. These form part, together with the
new bethel, of a temporary exhibition dedicated to the archaeological
sites of Tejada la Vieja (Escacena del Campo) and Tejada la Nueva
(Paterna del Campo and Escacena del Campo). The presentation of the
piece, and the exhibition will be held at the museum in May.
The exhibition will be curated by Clara Toscano and will aim to expose
first the pieces from the different campaigns and the richness of
the two important enclaves of the province, which, despite belonging to
different periods, have as a link their abandonment in one period and their reoccupation in a second. Specifically, Tejada La Vieja
belongs to tartésico-turdetano periods (8th- 4thC BC) and the New
Tejada from the Punic period (4thC BC) to medieval times as seen in the
various construction phases of its wall , which reaches the Almohad period.
The archaeological site
of Tejada la Vieja has been listed as an Archaeological
Zone in the General Catalogue of the Andalusian Historical Heritage Site
of Cultural Interest since 2007. The first excavation took place in
1975 led by Professor Antonio Blanco. The site has been managed and excavated
since 1983 by the Provincial Deputation of Huelva. Today, thanks to
the signing of an agreement, the site has been transferred to the University of
Huelva for its management, conservation and maintenance.
The site of Tejada la
Vieja, where the bethel stone was discovered, is a walled settlement
located on a hill, with a strategic position between the Huelva
countryside and the mountains. This location would suit the
production and distribution of the mineral, and control of the road between Riotinto
and Aznalcollar mines. The occupation of the site takes
place between the late ninth century and early eighth BC directly
related to the contact between the native population and the
Phoenicians, the site being quickly walled at an early stage, and a final phase of
occupation in the fourth century BC