ARCHIVED - Saturday 14th December theatrical guided tour of la Bastida archaeological site in Totana
ARCHIVED ARTICLE
This is an important Bronze Age Archaeological site
On Saturday 14th December the tourist office of Totana is offering a chance to visit the La Bastida Argaric site in the company of costumed actors, bringing a site which was last inhabited around 4,000 years ago back to life.
This guided visit is theatrical, although it is possible to visit the site in the company of conventionally clad guides on most weekend dates throughout the year, as guided tours are generally offered on Saturdays and Sundays.
Tickets include entry to the newly inuagurated replica of an Argaric house.
A theatrical tour aimed specifically at children is at 09.30.
This is a tantalising site for archaeologists as just 15% of the total surface area covered by this Bronze Age settlement has been excavated to date, the remainder of what would once have been home to nearly 1,000 people still buried beneath three and a half thousand years of soil and vegetation.
The Argaric culture is one of the great mysteries of Bronze Age Europe and archaeologists working at the site admit that the more they learn about this intriguing culture, the more questions they have.
The site was first discovered back in 1869 and although civil engineer Rogelio de Inchaurrandieta uncovered 20 graves, its significance was not fully understood until 1886 when two Belgian brothers, Henri and Louis Seret undertook investigative work on the site as there appeared to be a link to other sites they were investigating in the province of Almería, over the border in Andalucía. Artefacts had a uniformity which indicated a cultural parity between a number of sites and finally the culture was designated the “Argaric Culture”following the excavation of a first major settlement at El Algar.
Since then further sites have come to light and it is now known that the Argaric Culture covered all of Almería, much of Murcia, parts of Granada and Jaén and along the coast into Alicante province in the Comunidad Valenciana.
Tours are in Spanish, although English speaking visitors can register with the tourist office and once a group has been formed an English language visit can also be arranged. Information boards on the site are all in dual languages.There is a fee of 4.80 euros for children or 7.20 euros for adults, with tours at 10:00 and 12:30.
Reservations for all visits can be made at the Totana tourist office in person, by telephone on 968 418153, by email at turismo@totana.es or by using the online booking system below.
Click for more information about La Bastida which can be printed off using the icons in the header bar.
Click for Totana Tourist Office
NB: IF THE DATE YOU REQUIRE DOES NOT SHOW IN THE LIST, (DATES DISAPPEAR ONCE THE ROUTE IS FULL) CONTACT THE TOURIST OFFICE AND ASK TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITING LIST OR FOR ALTERNATIVE DATES.
Click for more information about visiting Totana including places to visit and what's on in the municipality