The archaeological site of Pico de la Muela in Las Valeras (Cuenca) will be the subject of a new excavation nearly 50 years later thanks to a research project promoted by the City Council and led by Doctors Santiago David Domínguez and Jesús Francisco Torres.
According to Domínguez, this initiative, which has already begun with positive and promising preliminary results, aims to resume the study at the site to understand its prehistoric and historical urbanism, as well as its access forms and defenses. The site is located on the top of a spur in a bend of the Gritos River, between Valeria and Valera de Abajo, and was mostly excavated by Santiago Valiente Cánovas in the 1970s, recovering a large amount of prehistoric and historical materials.
The first phase of this new excavation campaign has received funding through a small grant of 5,000 euros awarded by the Diputación de Cuenca. Domínguez emphasizes the importance of this site to understand relevant aspects of the mountainous prehistory, as well as the later phases that can also be understood through this heritage.
The initiative is part of a broader project called 'The Castrification', focused on the process of territorialization during the final prehistory through hillforts or fortified settlements. Furthermore, it is planned to enhance the site with informational panels, audiovisual resources, conferences, workshops, and specialized publications.
