Archaeologists conducting excavations at the Phoenician site of Cabezo Pequeño del Estaño, located in the Alicante province town of Guardamar del Segura on Spain’s southeastern Costa Blanca have discovered a large Phoenician defensive moat.
Cabezo Pequeño del Estaño was a walled merchant town constructed by the Phoenicians during the 8th and 9th century BC on the banks of the Segura River.
The town served as a centre for metallurgy and trade, that led to a series of large defensive walls and bastions being constructed to protect the inhabitants from attack.
Previous excavations onsite have uncovered a metallurgical workshop, furnaces and forges, and a large circular house with adobe benches.
Research conducted by the INAPH archaeological research institute of the University of Alicante (UA), in conjunction with the Archaeological Museum of Guardamar del Segura have now discovered a defensive moat during recent excavations that measures three metres in-depth, and over eight metres in height.
Aerial photography had previously suggested the existence of a moat traversing the hill parallel to the lines of the town walls, but this was obscured by sedimentary accumulation.
Archaeologists involved in the project have stated the latest discovery is the only Phoenician moat still preserved in the western Mediterranean area from its time, and that the moat further demonstrates that the town was an important colonial Phoenician stronghold.
Header Image Credit : Asociación RUVID
