“There is no longer any doubt,” confirms María José Estran. Fifteen years after defending at the 14th National Numismatic Congress in 2010 that the bilingual coins of Tamosia were probably 18th-century counterfeits, the University of Zaragoza professor … He admits that these “very rare” pieces are “authentic.” Due to the multiple oddities of this unique coin bearing a Latin legend (Tamusiens) on the reverse and a Celtiberian legend (Tamus) on the obverse and its out-of-context findings, this expert raised the possibility that it was. “invention” Which was imitating a type of Roman dinar. In Spain in the 18th and 19th centuries, counterfeits were widespread, so their argument made sense. but, “The specimens appeared in the excavations of Velasvijas del Tamoja, in an archaeological context, so there is no longer any doubt», repeats Estarán by phone, who is finalizing his study these days with archaeologists Pedro Delgado, María Estévez and Victorino Mayoral, scientist at the Archaeological Institute of Mérida (CSIC) and coordinator of the research in this Iron Age fortified city located in Botega (Cáceres).
Among the remains of the Viton Castle, which doubled its extension during Roman domination and was equipped with more massive walls, moats and bastions, were found Two coins from this bilingual issue settled the controversy Who comes from afar. Father Enrique Flores, the first to unveil in the 18th century a specimen belonging to the Infante Don Gabriel de Borbón and preserved today in the National Archaeological Museum, did not actually trust the origin of the coin and included it among other “questionable medals”.
Since then, confusing news about other finds and their unusual iconography, with variants, has clouded these doubts about these coins which have now finally been dispelled. And the latest research reveals that in fact they are Another rarity for a truly unique site of 7 hectares. A key piece in a complex puzzle that reinforces the idea that this pocket lies at the center of the triangle formed by Cáceres, Trujillo and Merida. Corresponds to the desired tamosiaIt is an ancient original city that was not mentioned in written sources.
Virtual reconstruction of Velasvegas del Tamoja
“We only know their toponymy through numismatics, which also has a problem How do we explain that in a world like the world of Vettones, which did not mint money, monetary problems arise that are clearly because of their classification Celtiberian issues?», comments Victorino Mayoral in a telephone conversation. the Near Tamosia It is “the only one known in this entire area, and it is rare” and “Everything indicates that he was in Velasvijas.”He adds with conviction.
“The Tamosia Mint is the only one known in this entire area, it is rare and everything indicates that it was in Velasvijas.”
Victorino Mayoral
Researcher at the Institute of Archaeology of Mérida (CSIC)
In addition to these two bilingual coins, which represent “another firm step” in identifying this enclave, there are two other specimens of coins. It is clearly a pre-Celtiberian broadcast The authenticity of which has never been questioned. Nor that of Daggers of antennas and Spades The La Tène type, which is “clearly foreign,” according to the archaeologist, was found in villasvegas cemeteryThey also discovered graves of women and children, indicating that it was “not just a band of mercenaries or soldiers.”
Various theories have tried this Explain the Celtiberian presence in this city of Viton. It has been suggested that there could have been a Celtiberian community in Velasvijas del Tamoja that was deported by the Romans, who minted the coin. “A bit of a bold idea” for Mayoral. It is also believed that these emissions were used to pay the salaries of Celtiberian workers who migrated there to extract minerals in the nearby lead and silver mines. Or they would pay with them the salaries of Celtiberian warriors from the Roman auxiliary forces. It has even been said that Villasvijas became a Celtiberian colony, “a statement that is perhaps too strong,” in the opinion of the CSIC researcher.
400 years of history
The archaeological excavations, directed by Complutense University professor Francisca Hernández for more than 40 years and now Mayoral, have discovered occupation in Velásvegas from the end of the fifth century until the first century BC. It was originally a fortified city of the Vitones, a pre-Roman people, known for their stone pigs, who occupied mainly Salamanca, Avila and the eastern region of Cáceres. Researchers believe that during the Sertorius War (82-72 BC) The indigenous population coexisted with a Roman military garrisonIt is equipped with the necessary infrastructure to house and store troops. This could have been a strategic camp Support the Roman military camp near Cáceres el Viejo Until Las Vegas suffered violent devastation and decline.
“Villasviejas is a wonderful example of how at that moment Roman control was consolidated A melting pot of cultures Which includes the people who lived in this area, other indigenous people, such as the Celtiberians, who are certainly there at the behest of Roman rule, and the Roman world, which was deeply divided in this period of the Sertorius War. There are so many diverse cultural aspects coming together in this place, which poses a real challenge to understanding what kind of settlement it was.“, explains Mayoral.
Non-invasive remote sensing and geophysical surveys in recent years have revealed the urban fabric of the site, showing how houses, streets and open spaces are distributed. Researchers have verified the existence of two large walled enclosures, with notable differences. In the area to the north, the supposed original core, a local irregular type of urban planning can be seen, adapted to the terrain, while the southern enclosure, built in the final phase of the fort, has structures completely different from the houses and local architecture, which on the contrary would be associated with the Roman military presence.
Infrared tank vision
The violent event, which included fire, destruction and abandonment of the place, closed the rooms, allowing archaeologists to find after twenty centuries a large number of fragments and ceramics of various types and evidence of that war encounter, such as Wave projectiles, daggers, or spearheads. Moreover, they are present in the environment Studs or “clavi caligarii” of Roman sandals And other items such as wave projectiles, coins or shrapnel suggest the presence of an ephemeral enclosure – “I don’t know if we can call it a military camp,” says Mayoral cautiously – with a large bridge.
Huge stronghold
In the latest campaign this summer, they re-excavated and brought to light an area of the northern enclosure that had been partially studied in the 1970s A redoubt surrounding the wall of “astonishing proportions”As the expert described. Mayoral compares the structure made of perfectly modified granite blocks, twenty meters long on each side and more than seven or eight meters high, with sloping walls, surmounted by a large platform “like a truncated pyramid.” In his opinion, its size He explains “the political and strategic importance that this nucleus will havewhich justified the construction of such a huge system of fortifications. After its abandonment, the tower was quickly covered in seeps, which provide valuable information to archaeologists.
They were found in this dump A large amount of materials (shards, ceramics…) and richly decorated ceramicsassociated with the Iberian world, are quite different from the Italian imports or the undecorated ceramics obtained in the southern region, where they believe Roman forces were stationed. The latter form a group “much like a camp group Cáceres the Elder», confirms the researcher.
Discover the original ceramics this summer Potters’ fingerprints Which opens up a promising field of study, if they receive sufficient funding. Analysis of these relics, and those likely concealing ceramics stored in earlier excavations, could reveal whether their makers were men or women, youth or adults, and provide more data about the daily life of the Veton.
«Villasvijas is a diamond in the rough, it has so much potential To become an archaeological area like Caparra or Regina, in an environment of special beauty and ecological value,” says Mayoral, who invites you to visit the Bottega Interpretation Center or the fort itself through a mixed reality mobile application that virtually reconstructs its walls, houses and streets.