until date he was known Only world of the deadthrough the great cemeteries related to tapes (from the second half of the 7th century BC) and poblenou (a century later). Both allowed to know many graves, some very large and detailed, a oriental Society Buried With Jewels, Metal objects, ceramics and other elements brought from Egypt, Canaan and other parts of the Mediterranean. According to the Vila Joiosa Municipal Archaeological Service, everything pointed to the fact that the city was located. Owners of those graves It was at the top of the old town.
The surprise occurred during the archaeological observation. rehabilitation of a home It is located at 32 Fray Posidonio Mayor street, run by Ana Martínez for the organizer Sollolli SL at the end of 2022. Never before has there been such a modest discovery —a simple layer preserved in a small area— it was very important in vile archeology.
And what makes it special is that it simply contains. amphorae, red slipped plates and sherds Phoenician-Punic grays from the 6th century BC, identical to those seen in Cassette tombs. Therefore, for the first time, “We see the face of the living world As highlighted by La Vila Joiosa City Hall, who occupied these burials?
The same sources state that if the remains of the Phoenician city do appear anywhere, it is under a building attached to the Renaissance wall, just as in the past. The explanation is very simple.
Inside 1301 founded and grown vilajoyosa in the style of Christian conquest with grid urbanism. Called residents as flat ground as possibleand others parallel and perpendicular to them, descending towards the sea. It has nothing to do with Islamic societies. It is adapted for hills with winding and steep streets such as Biar or Petrer. But Vilajoiosa was a “vila nova” created from scratch. It did not occupy an earlier Islamic population because it did not exist. Only the ruins of Allon, abandoned 700 years ago, remain.
To create that flat surface, destroy the middle of the hill and use this land for the embankments of the wall surrounding the new Vilajoiosa. In other words, a mound had to be turned into a large walkway. And in doing so, “They destroyed the overlapping remnants of ancient cities. along the middle of the hill: Phoenician, Iberian and RomanIt was built on top of each other for 1,300 years, from the 7th century BC to the 6th century AD.
Just on the fringes of Vilajoiosa, right next to your wallsthose old layers they were not destroyedbut covered and preserved.
strategic position
The Phoenician layer was cut to build the river wall, but part of it was preserved behind it. So we have first material testimony Phoenician colony For more north of the Iberian PeninsulaJudging by the cassette tombs, it was founded in the 7th century BC.
Its location was strategic, a day’s voyage from the Phoenician cities of La Fonteta (Guardamar) to the south and Ibiza to the east. Because, stopover on the navigation route Between Gadir (Cádiz) and Canaan, as the Phoenicians called their country.
explains wealth and exoticism Many other items found in Vila Joiosa, such as the well-known Phoenician-Punic gold necklaces, talc stone amulets, ornate ostrich eggs or the Egyptian New Year’s flask.