The Altamira Hillfort

In the last terrace of the southern slope of the hillfort, there is a Baroque chapel from the 18th century dedicated to Saint Bartholomew. (Deputación de Pontevedra)

This fortiﬁed village is known for the interest and importance of its material ﬁnds, especially Roman bronze ﬁgures, although few archaeological interventions have been carried out.

During the 20th century, the site was plundered by poachers, who carried out various illegal excavations without any scientiﬁc purpose. Thanks to local residents, various materials were recovered, including a bronze representation of the Roman god Mercury. Many other objects are only known from press reports and are unaccounted for.

The diﬀerent interventions carried out at the Altamira site have so far not been able to establish a precise chronology of the site. Through the study of the spoliated bronzes, approximate dates were established for this material, da ng it to between the 3rd and 4th centuries. A review of the ceramic material recovered established the beginning of the occupation of the site in the 4th-2nd centuries BC.

This is one of the circular huts located on the southern slope of the hillfort in 2014. (Deputación de Pontevedra)

Situated at an altitude of 324 m, its acropolis or croa is surrounded by three terraces or enclosures. The acropolis, which is almost circular in shape, is enclosed by the wall. Below this are two terraces of varying widths that lead to a parapet and moat. The living space of the site is approximately 1.8 hectares.

Digital model of the terrain of the hillfort and hillforts in the surroundings.

Dominig the river Minho

Its geographical location provides a vast visual domain of the surroundings and makes it visible from any point in the valley of the river Minho. The control of these lands was fundamental, as it was here that the local inhabitants found their means of subsistence. They also grazed their livestock on these lands. In ancient times, the Minho was also an important river, as its waters were used for ﬁshing and river trade.

Plan and section of the hillfort. (Drawing by Anxo R. Paz).

Cave engravings

Two of the rock engravings that are preserved in the Castro of Altamira. (Deputación de Pontevedra)

In the croa of the hillfort there is a cave engraving, possibly da ng from the Bronze Age. It depicts a circle and a profuse combination of "cazoletas" or "coviñas". There is also another petroglyph, engraved on an inclined granite surface in the form of a grid or game board that is divided in half. There are references to other engravings at the site, but the ac on of a quarry in the mid-20th century probably contributed to their disappearance. The existence of engravings in the castro is not surprising, as there is a signiﬁcant concentration of petroglyphs in the vicinity.

Myths and legends

The Altamira hillfort has many unsolved mysteries that have given rise to legends surrounding it. One of the legends tells of the existence of an arﬁcial cave that led to the parish church of Taboexa, located at the foot of the site. The possible entrance to the cave may have been blocked and cannot be found, as the mountain has been greatly altered by the work of a quarry opened in the mid-20th century.

Seven churches
The location of a hermitage dedicated to Saint Bartholomew at the foot of the hillfort is an a7empt to annul and Chris anise pagan rituals practised on the mountain.

At the legend, Saint Bartholomew was one of the seven brothers who decided to climb to the top of a hill in order to see the body of Saint Telmo, who had drowned in the river Minho. Today there are several chapels in these places, such as Sanomedio, San Fins, in Arbo, or this one of San Bartolomé (the others are in Portugal).

The Altamira bronzes

Many of the pieces that are preserved today are of accidental origin or the result of furtive excavations. The scarce information available means that this site remains largely unknown, given that the scientiﬁc results of the excavation campaigns were never published. Furthermore, most of the ﬁnds lack an archaeological context and a chronology based on the use of parallels had to be used, which allows us to date the bronzes to between the 1st and 4th centuries AD. The remains of slag and raw metal ingots point to the probable existence of a smelting workshop in the castro where these pieces were produced. The bronze ﬁgures found in the hillfort, all of which are small in size, were cast using moulds and may have been used as votive oﬀerings, i.e. as a commemoration of a vow or promise for some grace received. All of them appear broken and fragmented, which could indicate that they were intended to be remelted.

Hand with forearm

Right arm of a bronze sculpture cast in bronze. It is broken above the elbow and shows an outstretched hand with the thumb slightly bent inwards. The inner part of the arm preserves the remains of a cloak. The piece, which, despite its size, has good anatomical proportions and shows great technical quality, is hollow and must have been cast using the lost-wax technique.

Wing

Small, ﬂat-bo7omed le= wing. It is in an unfurled position with the feathers marked by incisions. It could correspond to the ﬁgure of an Erote, that is, a god of love in Greek and Roman mythology, an equivalent of Cupid or Amore?. These deities were the companions of the god Eros and were dedicated to the complementary tasks of love. According to some myths, they were the children of Aphrodite; according to others, they formed part of her retinue.

Bovine

The back is well treated and the neck wrinkles are well marked. The eyes are incised and the head turns to the right. It is missing a horn, part of the two legs on the le= side and the start of the tail has been preserved. This type of zoomorphic sculpture or ex-voto was interpreted as an oﬀering or gift to the gods and as a substitute for sacriﬁcial animals. The only type of animal represented in them are bovids, linked in some cases to oriental cults such as the Apis ox from Iria Flavia. The representations reﬂect the realis c anatomy of the animal.

Fragments of sistulae

Sistulae are richly decorated metal vessels that are extraordinarily ornate and stood out in the castros for their high degree of technical sophistication. They were probably used for ceremonial banquets or other exceptional community celebrations. Given their size, it is thought that they are vessels that can be dated to between the 2nd century BC and the 2nd century AD. A plate and a support for a s le handle, both cast in bronze, were found at this site. All the surviving fragments of sitsulae coincide in their taste for ornate decora on distributed in horizontal and/or vertical bands in which the diﬀerent motifs are framed.

Mercury

This mythological god was the son of Jupiter and Maulla Maiestas. God of the sea, his name is related to the La n word merx, -cis (merchandise). He is the god of cunning and intelligence, protector of travellers and merchants. As a messenger, Mercury is seen as the inventor of languages, the alphabet and weights and measures, essential for trade.

In the small bronze sculpture found in Taboexa, Mercury turns slightly to the right, and is depicted with his head wearing the petasus or winged hat - very worn - under which his hair is showing. The ﬁgure has a face with incised, triangular-shaped, strongly marked eyes, and wears a chlamys (a short cloak) buckled over the le= shoulder, which falls in so= folds to the level of the knees. In the le= hand he would carry the caduceus (a staﬀ with two cobras coiled and two small ones at the upper end, now used as a symbol of trade and medicine), and in the right, the pouch or marsupium, both of which are missing. The le= leg is broken at the knee and the le= leg is broken at the ankle.

Robed ﬁgures

These robed ﬁgurines represent a genie or protective spirit in Roman mythology. One of them wears a veil and toga, the other only a toga, the manly garment symbolising Roman citizenship. This toga-wearing ﬁgure is depicted with his head par ally covered by this garment or 'capite velato', an attitude typical of when the emperor or other distinguished personage oﬃciated at a religious ceremony.

Fíbulae

A ﬁbula from the 7th-5th centuries BC, of the Acebuchal type and with a straight foot, was documented at the Altamira hillfort. This type of ﬁbula, with a curved bridge and straight foot, is typical of the Iron Age, speciﬁcally of the transition between the 8th and 4th centuries BC. They also appear throughout temperate Europe during the 5th century BC, which is evidence of the democratisation of their use. Specialists believe that this type of ﬁbulae, from the Tartessian area, located on the Mediterranean side of the Iberian Peninsula, reached northwest Galicia through Phoenician or Punic trade to replace the double-spring ﬁbulae.

Lucerne

The lantern found at Altamira is a Roman lamp that imitates the shape of a human head with blackish strokes. It is a small piece made of cast bronze with a greenish-brown patina. This piece has two qualities that make it stand out: its metalwork and its decorative theme. Both the material itself, bronze, and the technique used in its manufacture mean that it is more expensive than those made of ceramic, which are much more abundant.

Arula

The arulas are small hoops, bases or pedestals that support small zoomorphic sculptures or vove oﬀerings that are interpreted as oﬀerings or gallants oﬀered to the gods as substitutes for sacriﬁcial animals. The one found at Altamira is quadrangular in shape, hollow on the inside and ﬁnished with a smooth cornice. The upper part depicts a standing lamb joined by its legs, a tortoise with a reticulated carapace and marked head and legs. Next to it is a sign of another dubious ﬁgure, fractured at its base, which could be a scorpion.

Bronze foot

The foot is shod, broken a li7le above the ankle. The shoe's fastening straps were ed at the level of the joint between the leg and the foot by means of a lacing at the ends. The leather covering the foot, modelling the toes and heel, is very visible. The sole is also visible, so we could be looking at a calceus senatorius, i.e. a Roman boot ed with two pairs of straps that cross at the instep of the foot and go up to the middle of the leg, where they are ed with two knots. This type of footwear was exclusive to a certain social class, and was therefore not available to all the inhabitants of Rome.