Date Published: 27/09/2024

Discovery of intact tomb in Jumilla containing Tartessian grave goods

Researchers at the dig site found several fragments of bronze jugs in the shape of animal heads, alongside a bronze reins holder, unique to Spain

During the month of September in Jumilla, archaeological excavations were carried out in the necropolis of Collado and Pinar de Santa Ana. The work was undertaken by the Municipal Archaeological Museum together with the University of Alicante. Important discoveries were made when the team opened the tomb, finding grave goods dating back to between the 7th and 6th centuries BC.

The Collado and Pinar de Santa Ana necropolis has a very varied typology, with everything from monumental quadrangular tombs, to circular Late Bronze Age tombs. Excavation of this site began all the way back in 1956, with a man named Jerónimo Molina, who continued constant work there until 1974. Nowadays, the town’s Ethnography and Natural Science Museum is named after him.

It was in the late 1980s and early 1990s when Emiliano Hernández undertook an archaeological and scientific study of the site, obtaining excellent results. He discovered a fragment of an alabaster vase, which indicates the social, cultural and economic importance of the area.

Discovery of intact tomb in Jumilla containing Tartessian grave goods

This month, the tomb found was a quadrangular mound of earth and stone, composed of historical artefacts such as the bronze rein holder and two bronze buckles from a female belt. Also, the several fragments of handles in the shape of animal heads, belonging to bronze jugs, goes to demonstrate the once great purchasing power of the owner of the tomb.

The archaeologist from Jumilla Town Council, Estefanía Gandía, has stated the national importance of the findings, as well as “the prompt musealisation and enhancement of the site thanks to the funding recently obtained with the subsidy from the Secretary of State for Tourism for the improvement of competitiveness and dynamisation of historical heritage for tourist use”.

During the three weeks that the archaeological campaign in Jumilla has lasted, the existence of seven new burial mounds has been confirmed, a total of ten have been cleaned and several tombs have been excavated, among which the intact tomb mentioned above stands out.

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Image: Ayuntamiento de Jumilla

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Oficina de Turismo Jumilla

The tourist office in the centre of Jumilla is easily found by driving straight into the centre of the town along the Avenida de Murcia and following the signposts. The tourist office is alongside the Parque de Don Albano Martínez Molina, where there are a number of parking spaces.

Jumilla, in the north of the Region of Murcia, has become internationally famous over recent decades due to the quality of the wines produced in the municipality, and wine tourism has begun to attract visitors from other parts of Spain and the rest of Europe.

The tourist office is happy to provide a range of maps and leaflets showing the different bodegas which can be visited within the municipality. Some of these form part of the Rutas del Vino de Jumilla, the Jumilla wine route, and can either be visited as a guided tour or sell their produce directly to the public.(see feed below for more details)

However, the town and the surrounding countryside have plenty of other attractions for visitors, and the popularity of Jumilla wines is leading more and more people to discover other facets of the tenth largest municipality in Spain.

Jumilla Tourist Office

These include the spectacular countryside and birdlife in the Sierra del Carche, the historic remains which range from cave paintings and a Roman mausoleum to the castle, the Iglesia de Santiago, the Town Hall and the Teatro Vico, and the gastronomy: rich stews are accompanied not only by the wines of the area but also by Jumilla pears, which also enjoy Denomination of Origin status.

Tourism in Jumilla is not as seasonal as it is in the coastal areas of the Region of Murcia, but the town is at its liveliest during the fiestas in Holy Week and the August Fair, which incorporates the grape harvest celebrations and the Moors and Christians parades.

The Altiplano of the Region of Murcia, which consists of the municipalities of Jumilla and Yecla, is only just over an hour by car from the Mar Menor, Cartagena, Mazarrón, Torrevieja and Alicante, and anyone wishing to visit real inland Spain and world-class wineries is advised to include Jumilla in their schedule.