Los Millares
Millares Settlement · Fortified Village of Los Millares
Chalcolithic (Copper Age)·Los Millares culture·🇪🇸 Andalusia, Almería, Spain
About
About Los Millares
Chalcolithic fortified settlement and necropolis near Almería, largest Copper Age town in Iberia: outer walls with bastions and four inner citadels plus aqueduct, covering 6 ha and housing ~1000 people c.3200–2200 BCE, with craft specialization and copper smelting. Outside, necropolis of ~80 passage graves and tholoi with corbelled chambers up to 5 m. Site defines Los Millares culture of southeast Iberia. Excavated by Luis Siret 1891-94.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Aqueduct — earliest hydraulic engineering in Iberia?
Theories
- 01Copper wealth driving social stratification
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 3200–2200 BCE
- Period
- Chalcolithic (Copper Age)
- Culture
- Los Millares culture
- Purpose
- Fortified settlement and tholos necropolis
- Abandoned
- c.2200 BCE (Bronze Age Argaric succession)
- Rediscovered
- Excavated 1891 Siret
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 3200–2200 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1037 CE
Major expansion
On the ground
Structures & features
37.1289° N · 2.4380° W · 240 m · 2 mapped features
Tholos Necropolis
tholos80 corbelled tholos tombs outside walls
37.1285° N · 2.4385° WFortified Citadel
fortificationFour citadels with bastioned walls
37.1289° N · 2.4380° W
Gallery