Turuñuelo Explained

El Turuñuelo, also called Casas del Turuñuelo and El Turuñuelo de Guareña, is an archaeological site in Guareña, province of Badajoz, Spain. It corresponds to the late Tartessian culture developed in the Middle Guadiana Valley in the southwestern Iberian Peninsula in the 5th century BCE after the downfall of the Tartessian archaeological culture's main core around the Guadalquivir valley by the end of the 6th century BCE.^[1] It consists of a big building which was ritually set on fire and buried after a hecatomb-like ceremony was performed.^[2]

The mound under which the building is located was already known since the 1980s. The earliest digging works began in 2015.^[3] As of 2021, there were another 12 similar structures identified in the region, of which only two, Cancho Roano (Zalamea de la Serena) and (Campanario) had been excavated.^[4] The site was declared bien de interés cultural in May 2022.

The six last steps of the courtyard stairs in the site singularly display the use of lime mortar.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Textiles and Rituality in the Late Tartessian Culture of the Guadiana Valley. 2020. 20. Luis. Berrocal-Rangel. Sebastián. Celestino Pérez. Esther. Rodríguez González. Sagvntvm. 2253-7295. Valencia. Departament de Prehistòria, Arqueologia i Història Antiga de la Universitat de València. 113. Beatriz. Marín-Aguilera. Margarita. Gleba.
2. El Turuñuelo se ha convertido en un ejemplo excepcional para el estudio de la arquitectura tartésica. Hoy Guareña. 12 October 2016. 17 April 2017.
3. Web site: Meritxell Batet destaca el yacimiento tartésico de 'El Turuñuelo' en Guareña y la "colaboración entre administraciones". Europa Press. 17 September 2022.
4. Web site: El Turuñuelo: la misteriosa escalera extremeña que podría cambiar todos los manuales. El Confidencial. 12 July 2021. C.. Macías.
5. Un espacio para el sacrificio: el patio del yacimiento tartésico de Casas del Turuñuelo (Guareña, Badajoz). Ediciones Complutense. Madrid. Complutum. 1131-6993. 10.5209/cmpl.66337. 30. 2. 2019. Sebastián. Celestino Pérez. Esther. Rodríguez González. 362. 10261/213982. free.