Archaeological digs have shown that Galera was populated more than a million years ago. The Altiplano has a wealth of remains of prehistoric cultures. The Iberian Bastetano people, founders of the city of Basti (the origin of modern Baza), one of the oldest in the Iberian peninsula, settled here in the 6th century BC. The Lady of Baza, chief among Iberian remains, was also found here.
Castellón Alto, Galera
The site was discovered by looters in the spring of 1980 and then suffered pillaging just after this, meaning that the excavation had to be carried out with great urgency. Culturally-speaking the town dates back to argaric Culture, within an advanced period of the Bronze Age.
The Early Man of Orce.
There is now an information office on site.
Directions: In Galera follow the road Calle Cervantes as it leads away from the town centre. This is will lead to you the archaelogical dig. It is approx 5 min drive from the town centre.
Earthwatch expedition - Venta Micena
The earthwatch expedition has been working in the Baza lacustrine basin since 1976. The Baza basin was connected with the sea during the Miocene. However, about 5 million years ago, a tectonic uplift disconnected this region from the sea and formed a 1000 square kilometers lake. |
The fossils of a female elephant Elephas Meridionalis have been found in the site of Fuentenueva 3. It is one of the most complete animal remains discovered in Europe in the last thirteen years and also one of most spectacular discovered in the Yacimientos of Orce.
The pelvis of the elephant is complete with the 'sacred bone', part of the spine and several ribs, it lacks the front legs and the head.
This species of elephant was around in the Iberian Peninsula from Africa 2.5 million years ago and it became extinct one million years ago. According to paleontologists it was an "all terrain" that fed on branches of the trees and although it could not be hunted by the homÃnids given its size, they still integrated it in the food chain as carrion.
