News about Pintia Project

Presentation of the XXIX Campaign

Th 07/12/2018

Ceramics from tomb 308 (photograph of <i>El Norte de Castilla</i>)

Ceramics from tomb 308 (photograph of El Norte de Castilla)

Yesterday the first results of the XXIX Campaign were presented to the media, as well as the cultural agenda of the CEVFW for this year in which 150 years of the re-discovery of Pintia are commemorated. The event took place in the Palace of Santa Cruz and was run by Julio Grijalba, Vice Chancellor of Heritage and Infrastructures of UVa, and Carlos Sanz, Director of CEVFW.

Presentation of the XXIX Excavation Campaign. Photograph by Juan Carlos Barrena

Presentation of the XXIX Excavation Campaign. Photograph by Juan Carlos Barrena

As for the results obtained so far, the first two excavated sectors (F1i9 and F1i10) correspond to the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, and they have already found a score of limestone burial steles that would indicate the original location of the tombs. Two highly disturbed tombs have been exhumed (309 and 311) and two others more (308 and 310) in a magnificent state of conservation. The 310 has thirteen ceramic pieces, while the 308, with more than forty ceramic and metallic objects, is among the ten best collections recovered to date. At the moment both trousseaus are being processed in the laboratories of the CEVFW, but it is already possible to advance that the one found in 308 corresponds to a very complete warrior trousseau, with dagger, belt, spearhead, grill and tongs for fire and an exceptional bronze piece with horse protoms that could correspond to an authority crosier. It also has some vessels of a new typology and ritual function, among them a kernos and two pieces with two levels for libations.

Until 26 August intervention will take place in another area of 16 square meters, where we hope to get new grave goods.

Kernos from tomb 308. Photograph by Agapito Ojosnegros/El Norte de Castilla

Kernos from tomb 308. Photograph by Agapito Ojosnegros/El Norte de Castilla