"The for"The Elviña castro is a Galician castro , later Romanised, belonging to what is known as the Castro culture of the north-west of the peninsula. It is located in the parish of San Vicenzo de Elviña , near the current Campus of Elviña of the University of A Coruña , in a small elevation that dominates the lands of the valleys of Elviña and Mesoiro , in the municipality of A Coruña .
Description
The castro is made up of several enclosures with terraces, separated by walls. Among them, the wall of the croa (the highest and most central enclosure) stands out with a monumental entrance flanked by two semicircular defensive towers between which a ramp and cobbled access stairs open. In some of its sections, the wall has preserved a width and height exceeding four meters. In the area of ??terraces, located in the southeast, you can see different constructions, some of them unique in the whole of the castrexa culture, such as the rectangular fountain-cistern and the temple of the phallic idol.; different houses are also preserved, mainly of square shapes, and the complex "house of the Exedra" which would give shelter to affluent families. In addition, in the castro was found the famous treasure of Elviña (preserved in the Archaeological and Historical Museum of the Castle of San Antón ).
Phases occupation
First, dated from III century; C., preRoman and typically castrexa. The earliest phases of occupation were found in the croa or acropolis, with remains related as pottery dated to the 2nd century BC. C., antenna sword molds or the set of gold jewelry.
A second, from the 1st century BC. C. until the 1st century d. C., of progressive Romanization (presence of imported ceramics) but characterized by the presence of circular houses.
A third phase of occupation that was the heyday of the community, an economic boom that is witnessed through archaeological remains of goods resulting from maritime commercial activity. During this stage the castro undergoes a process of urban transformation, visible mainly in its walls and doors and in the construction of rectangular houses.
A fourth period of progressive abandonment. Probably the castro was abandoned in the 2nd century AD. C. and perhaps its population moved towards the Roman city of Brigantium , established in the peninsula coruñesa, in the present zone of the Parrote. It is characterized by the reuse and transformation of some pre-existing constructions taking advantage of the materials.
The most notorious constructions are:
The House of the Exedra , dated on the I century; C .. It is rectangular and stood on several previous circular houses, one of which was reused leaving a semicircle ( exedra ) which was vaulted. The House of the Exedra was possibly an oven. In a second stage it was divided into two parts, adding a small lobby.
The Temple of the Phallic Idol is an oval construction so named by Francisco Luengo , who found inside a large stone with the forehead worked representing the figure of a personified phallus.
The fountain- cistern , which is 5.33 meters deep, allowed the water supply. It is accessed by two open staircases on both sides. [ 2 ] The spring, from the croa, still provides water today. It is possible that it had a slate roof over wood.
The Treasury is close to the fountain and in it were found gold jewelry from the first century .
Archaeological excavations
The first excavations date from the late 1940s The City Council subsidized the excavations with 10,000 pesetas . Being able to establish different stages in its study:
Stage ( 1947 - 1953 ), in which excavations directed by Jose Maria Luengo and Luis Monteagudo are realized . These excavations were carried out outside the wall, southeast of the croa. Houses (including the house of the exedra and the house of the treasure), the cistern, the wall and the cubes of the southeast entrance of the croa come to light.
Stage ( 1979 - 1985 ), years in which excavations directed by Felipe Senén Lopez were realized . Recovery work was carried out on the previously excavated areas, and excavations were carried out inside the walled enclosure.
Stage ( 2002 - present), in which excavations led by Xosé María Bello are carried out as part of the Artabria Project to enhance the site.
It is noteworthy that the current director of the excavations and his predecessors, held and held the same position in the Archaeological and Historical Museum Castle of San Antón .
Current Situation
The castro de Elviña was declared a Historic Artistic Monument in 1962 , which did not prevent Fenosa from installing an electrical turret in the middle of the croa, which was launched on March 12, 2015.
New excavations and consolidation works are being carried out included in the Artabria Project , in the municipality of A Coruña and supported by the Xunta de Galicia. This project aims to create an archaeological park of about 65 hectares dedicated not only to the interpretation of the site, but also to its rural environment little altered by the proximity of the city.
As a first step, an area of ??13 hectares centered on the croa was expropriated. When cleaning the vegetation, irregularities were observed in the ground that had not been noticed before. In them were conducted polls that confirmed that hid them under new walls castrexas that expanded significantly the surface of the fort known, above four hectares. New remains of buildings were also noticed on the northern slope of the Acropolis, indicating that the village had a continuity yet to be delimited outside the wall. These new discoveries make it considered one of the largest castros in northern Galicia.
A new entrance to the croa was also found to the southwest at a point where the wall is four and a half meters thick and about three meters high preserved, with remains of towers and cobbled path, as well as a large construction on the terrace outside the wall. In this area, inside the croa, some small houses have been excavated around a small street with a drainage system dated to the 2nd to 1st centuries BC ."
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visit link)
Summer hours:
(from July 1 to September 30)
Thursday - July - at 9:00 p.m.
Thursday - September - at 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays at 12:00 p.m.
Winter hours:
Sundays at 12:00, during the months of October to June.