New Tartessian altar shaped like a bull hide in Casas del Turuñuelo

The Casas del Turuñuelo site in Guareña (Badajoz) adds a significant discovery in its eighth campaign. Archaeologists have located an altar shaped like a bull's hide in a corridor adjacent to room 100. The piece preserves remains of ash from animal sacrifices, confirming the ritual activity of this culture dating back to the 5th century BC.

archaeologists with brushes and spatulas uncovering a stone altar shaped like a bull's hide in a narrow mud corridor, gray ash scattered over the carved surface, charred bone fragments near the base, LED lanterns illuminating suspended dust during excavation, macro photography of sedimentary textures, laser measuring tools on tripods in the background, cinematic photorealistic style, dim sunset light filtered through collapsed ceilings, atmosphere of ancient ritual discovery

Technology applied to the excavation of Tartessian remains 🏛️

The team uses photogrammetry and 3D scanning to document each layer of the site without damaging the remains. The position of the altar, next to another similar one found earlier, allows cross-referencing data on the orientation of ritual spaces. Carbon-14 analysis of the ashes and the study of phytoliths in the soil help reconstruct the burning practices and animal species sacrificed in the 5th century BC.

The bull didn't leave, it just changed its hide 🐂

The Tartessians had an obsession with bull hides that even modern decorators don't match. After finding a similar altar in previous campaigns, another one now appears in a corridor. It seems the ancient inhabitants of Guareña couldn't walk down a hallway without leaving a bovine-shaped altar. Good thing they didn't use carpet, because cleaning up the sacrificial ashes would have been a nightmare.