Ancient bronze chariot discovered at Tartessian site of Turuñuelo

Archaeology

A 6th-century BC vessel featuring the Greek god Achelous has been unearthed in Spain alongside luxury ivory and Egyptian imports during the eighth excavation campaign in Extremadura.

Mónica Arrizabalaga

Every excavation campaign at Casas del Turuñuelo in Guareña, Badajoz, holds a surprise for archaeologists.

"There’s always something unique, an extraordinary find, and ... this year has been no exception," revealed Sebastián Celestino, co-director of the Construyendo Tarteso team.

The Extremaduran site is fundamentally altering our understanding of the legendary Tartessos civilisation. Beneath a mound in the Vegas del Guadiana - where the mass sacrifice of some 50 horses inside a monumental building was previously documented - archaeologists have unearthed treasures as impressive as those attributed to the semi-mythical King Argantonio.

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  • The team unearthing the chariot. (IAM-CSIC)

    "He is the god of the waters who has bull’s horns and the face of a Gorgon, like Medusa, but with her tongue sticking out," describes Celestino, noting this is the first depiction of the deity ever found on the Iberian Peninsula. On either side of the deity, two bearded, loincloth-clad male figures act as Atlantean supports.

    The 60-centimetre-long artefact was unearthed in April and immediately transferred to the conservation laboratory at the Autonomous University of Madrid. While isotope analyses are pending to determine the origin of the bronze, researchers believe the lost-wax casting technique points toward Etruria in modern-day Italy.

    Part of he votive chariot. (IAM-CSIC)

    The vehicle was intentionally split in two before the inhabitants abandoned the site. Following a massive animal sacrifice and a final feast, the community systematically smashed their household items and sculptures. However, archaeologists note the chariot was treated less ruthlessly than other items, likely out of fear of the protective deity depicted on it.

    The 'year of imports'

    The object was discovered on the upper floor of the complex, next to a newly identified "banquet hall." This southern residential zone has yielded such a high volume of foreign luxury goods that the team has dubbed this season "the year of imports".

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