The archaeological work carried out in April in the Iberian city of Molí d’Espígol, in Tornabous (Lleida), confirms the importance of this invisible and complex city and the monumentality of its defensive structures.
The campaign has allowed us to better understand the evolution and construction during the full Iberian period, between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, of the monumental access door in the eastern sector, which had been discovered in previous excavations.
A ramp and paving at the entrance to the city have been documented and the solid bastion that flanks this access on the north side has been deepened. The investigation will continue next year with the objective of documenting the bastion in the southern part.
The coordinator of the excavations and research at the Molí d’Espígol, Jordi Principal, has stated that the last campaigns at the Molí d’Espígol have brought to light “considerable, prestigious and monumental” defensive structures that confirm “the importance and dignity” of this Iberian city.
Principal has said that it is the “most important site of the full Iberian period in the lands of Ponent”, and that it is “very likely” that the Molí d’Espígol was one of the capitals of the Ilergetas.
It is a new step that reinforces the hypothesis that says that the city corresponds to the disappeared Atanagrum, the capital of the Ilergetas, although this theory cannot be proven until archaeologists find “an epigraphic remains where it says Atanagrum”, added Principal.
The excavations were carried out by seven archaeologists during the month of April and are part of the four-year (2022-2025) archaeological research project of the Department of Culture ‘Poliorcetic access systems to Iberian habitats: the indiget and ilerget cases’ (SPAHI), promoted from the Museum of Archeology of Catalonia.