Walking through Els Ports is walking through the history of the men and women who, for millennia, have inhabited these lands. Lands in which archaeological sites have shown that humanity chose, chooses and will choose Els Ports to live and prosper. From these lines we move to three points in the region: the San Joaquín de La Menadella burial mounds in Forcall, the Lloma Comuna site in Castellfort and the En Balaguer site in Portell.
Our first stop along the way will be in San Joaquín de La Menadella in Forcall. It is a necropolis located in the Menarella mountain range. Its discovery was thanks to the construction of the wind farm in the area and the field studies carried out. 28 structures and 20 funerary deposits have been documented in which ninety people were placed, according to the cremation rite, during the 7th and 6th centuries BC, in the Iron Age. The remains found correspond to a child under one year old, adolescents between 12 and 20 years old and adults. In addition to human remains, different bronze objects have been found, such as bracelets or bracelets; necklace beads, pendants or earrings. In the same mountain range, in La Menarella, is the Tossal de la Menarella site, dating from the Late Bronze Age, from which a room with seven basins (9th and 8th centuries BC) and a silo from the Iberian era are preserved.
San Joaquín de La Menadella (www.castellonarqueologico.es)< /a>
Next, we head to the Lloma Commune of Castellfort. This fortified town occupies an area of 6,000 m2 at an altitude of 1,295 meters in the area of Les Llomes de Folch. According to the ceramic remains found and the mural remains, two processes of formation of the town have been identified: a first phase that began in the Ancient Iron Age (7th century BC) and a second, from the Iberian era. With impressive aerial images, the town of La Lloma Comuna was made up of walls, the South Tower, the Habitat space and the necropolis. In addition to ceramics from different periods, which has been fundamental for the dating of the settlement, quite deteriorated metal remains have been found, such as bronze objects (fragments of bracelets, needles or pendants) and iron (nails, knives or a small sickle). Of special mention are the stone utensils that have appeared, such as reciprocating mills, sharpening stones or two idols.
Lloma Commune of Castellfort (www.castellonarqueologico.es)
The En Balaguer de Portell site is the last one we have left to discover on this small route. Remains have been found in it that demonstrate a lasting settlement over time, since the Iron Age, the Iberian era and the Roman era are present. It is located between the Gúdar mountain range and the Maestrat coast. In Balaguer it is defined as a set of rural centers and not as a town as a whole. The different elements discovered and studied allow us to understand the area and its inhabitants as farmers and ranchers, taking advantage of existing resources, and storing various products.
In Balaguer (www.castellonarqueologico.es)
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