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Las Aguilillas Necropolis, Campillos (Unique Site)

Diputación de Málaga
Necrópolis de las Aguilillas, Campillos (Rincón Singular)

Las Aguilillas Necropolis, Campillos (Unique Site)

Archaelogical Sites > Necropolis

This funerary archaeological site is located at the junction of the rivers Guadalteba, Guadalhorce and Turón. It dates back to the transition from the 3rd to the 2nd millennium and is made up of seven structures that were excavated in sandstone, featuring corridor plants that lead to the main chamber.

Recommended month to visit it: May.

In the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula, sharing a lapse of time with the megalithic art, we find necropoli in artificial caves. They are constructions dug into the rocky substratum of the land that normally have similar plans to those of the megalithic sepulchres, with one corridor and a chamber, as well as doors that delimit the inner areas.

Morphologically, the megalithic constructions recall a mother's womb, to which the
deceased return after being laid to rest in them. A magnificent example of this is the Necropolis of las Aguilillas, located in the valleys of the rivers Guadaltelba and Turón, in a sandstone promontory from the Miocene that rises over the landscape to 500 metres above the sea level.

There is a circular path to visit the seven tombs of the Necropolis; the route is around two kilometres long and of medium-low difficulty.

Coordinates
  • Parking 1: 339313 / 4089639
  • Parking 2 and access to the site: 337901 / 4090498
Additional information

This funerary archaeological site is located at the junction of the rivers Guadalteba, Guadalhorce and Turón. It dates back to the transition from the 3rd to the 2nd millennium and is made up of seven structures that were excavated in sandstone, featuring corridor plants that lead to the main chamber.
In the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula, sharing a time span with the megalithic art, we find this necropolis in artificial caves. These constructions dug into the rocky substratum typically have similar plans to those of the megalithic sepulchres, with one corridor and a chamber, as well as doors that delimit the inner areas.

Morphologically, the megalithic constructions recall a mother’s womb, to which the deceased return after being laid to rest in them.

The Las Aguilillas Necropolis meets the Bobastro Ruins and the Ardales Cave, two other examples of troglodytic architecture in the Guadalteba region. It consists of 50 mass graves that contain trousseaus made of ceramic vessels, necklaces, personal ornaments, amulets, and what are thought to be the first metal tools in the region, such as a good set of copper spearheads. Apparently, the necropolis was associated with the village of El Castillón, which is about 500 m beyond the Guadalteba River.

History

This enclave was discovered in the late 1980s and explored in 1991. During the investigation works, over 2,000 architectural pieces and about 50 male and female individuals of all ages have been studied. They were buried in these tombs between 2100 and 1900 BCE, during the transitional period between the Copper and Bronze Ages.

How to get there

More information

Discover more about the province of Malaga

Discover more about the province of Malaga