This web page uses its own cookies and the third-party cookies to collect the information which help us make the service as good as possible. By no means is our intention to use it for gathering personal data.

Cookies policy

Cerro del Villar Phoenician site

Diputación de Málaga
Etapa 35. GSM. Anfora. Cerro del Villar. Málaga

Cerro del Villar Phoenician site

Zip Code 29004
Archaelogical Sites > Phoenician Settlement

As of the latter half of the 9th century BCE, two major Phoenician colonies were established in the estuary of the Guadlahorce River: La Rebanadilla, discovered during the extension works of the Málaga airport, and Cerro del Villar, located a bit further south. The latter settlement covered several hectares and stretched out in an orthogonal pattern. The buildings were separated by transversal streets and grouped into blocks, which have been interpreted as shops where goods were displayed.

Amphorae containing fish were found inside one of these premises, as well as tiny lead weights that suggest the existence of commercial transactions, a well-known economic model in the Middle East. The dwellings consist of a series of square or rectangular rooms with flat roofs, generally arranged around a central open space that served as a courtyard.

The settlements’ economic activity has been found to include crop cultivation, such as vines in the hinterlands or fishing. This activity led to the elaboration of fish preserves that were exchanged with the indigenous settlements, as occurred in Ronda.

How to get there

More information

Discover more about the province of Malaga

Discover more about the province of Malaga