Archaeological Site of Ocuri – Ubrique – Categories

Description

The four cisterns excavated so far in the city are of the ‘a bagnarola’ type, rectangular in plan but with rounded corners. This type of cistern has been considered to be of Punic tradition and is found throughout the western Mediterranean.
The cistern is built on the side of the promontory where part of its end has been carved out to serve as a wall and on its right side there is a staircase with five steps carved into the rock. It seems to be inscribed in a rectangular building whose northwest side is the outer wall of the cistern, which is levelled in height by powerful foundations built with large squared limestone blocks, some of them almost cyclopean.

Ground Plan

Location

Its northern external corner is “L”-shaped with that of the next course, forming a strong retaining wall to resist the pressure of the stored water. This corner is 4.05 m high from the foundation to the opening of the cistern. Behind these blocks, the masonry is based on rows of limestone ashlars held together with a sand and lime mortar. Its interior is waterproofed with an “opus signinum” that has a hydraulic cord in its lower joints and has no cleaning well or drainage system. Its total depth is 2.25 metres and its dimensions are 8.20 metres long and 3.15 metres wide. It has been calculated that it would have a storage capacity of around 30,000 litres.

Photos

The Cyclopean Wall

Description

It is a defensive structure made up of a series of large irregular limestone blocks, placed “a hueso” (without mortar) and in which later rectifications can be seen made with mortared ashlars and even an area with cushioned ashlars. It is estimated that the wall must have had, in its final phase, an average width of about two metres, with large blocks on the outside, some up to 1.80 by 0.90 metres, placed in an anarchic but solid appearance. Sometimes the interstices are closed by smaller limestones.
The length of the preserved remains is about 26 metres and their height is about 3.65 metres, so it is estimated that they must have been at least 5 metres high. In the western area, a series of squared sandstone ashlars have been included in the base, which are different in both material and typology from the other limestone stones, as they are moulded and cushioned. It has been suggested that they are from the Carthaginian period.

Ground Plan

Location

uring its excavation between 1999 and 2003, an entrance was found with forward pillars built differently from the rest of the wall and supported by perfectly squared cubes made of masonry of small rectangular ashlars joined with mortar. Externally they were plastered with stucco so they must have been part of a 1.70 metre wide doorway. Two ashlars with circular holes for the door hinge and various elements of the cornice and lintel with moulded lines are preserved. Some of the steps can also be seen.
Its chronology would range from the 5th century BC for its construction phase to the 3rd century AD for its abandonment. Therefore, its origin is fully Iberian, having been remodelled in the Carthaginian period (ashlars with cushions) and, above all, Roman, with the construction of the monumental gateway, which could be dated between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, coinciding with the maximum splendour of the city.