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The latest edition of the Alhama de Murcia Archaeology Work Camp got underway this week, on Monday July 7, marking the start of two weeks of excavation and research at two of the municipality’s most important historical sites: Cabecico Redondo and Las Paleras.

 

The initiative, organised by Alhama Town Council in collaboration with the University of Murcia, has brought together 31 participants from across the country, including archaeologists, university students, graduates and local residents with a shared passion for history.

 

Team members have travelled from provinces such as Madrid, Toledo, Alicante and Murcia, and include people from towns such as Cartagena, Caravaca, Totana, Beniel, Librilla and Alhama itself.

 

The volunteers were welcomed at a reception held at the Plaza Vieja Cultural Centre by the Councillor for Culture and Heritage, Alicia Martínez, who highlighted the importance of the project in helping to protect and promote Alhama’s historical identity.

 

At the Bronze Age site of Cabecico Redondo in La Muela, the fourth excavation campaign is being led by archaeologists Benjamín Cutillas, Alberto López and José Baños.

 

The team is working to uncover more details about the settlement that existed there at the end of the third millennium BC. The site, over 4,000 years old, offers valuable insights into the dwellings and everyday lives of its prehistoric inhabitants.

 

At the same time, excavations are continuing at Las Paleras on the Cerro del Castillo, a site that was an important settlement between the 8th and 10th centuries AD.

 

This campaign is focusing on key areas including the north wall, grain silos and residential spaces within the former citadel. The findings are expected to shed light on the layout and strategic importance of this medieval settlement, which once played a key role in the Guadalentín valley.

 

 

In addition to the ongoing fieldwork, preparations are being made for a wider musealisation project that will begin in the coming weeks. This project will enhance the Cerro del Castillo as a visitor-friendly historical space, alongside the Castle of Alhama and the Archaeological Museum of Los Baños.

 

The work camp represents a unique opportunity for training and research while strengthening the town’s commitment to heritage conservation. Through initiatives like this, Alhama continues to invest in both the study and celebration of its rich and diverse past.

 

 

 

Images: Ayuntamiento de Alhama de Murcia