The Iberian city of Molí d’Espígol, located in Tornabous (Catalonia), is one of the most significant remnants of the Iberian tribe known as the Ilergetes. The oldest structures date back to the early Iron Age, around the 7th century BC, starting as a fortress and growing into a large city. It’s situated on a gentle rise in the Urgell plain and covers a vast area, with about a third of the urban core excavated so far.
Excavations have revealed a complex and organized urban layout, indicative of a community engaged in intense political, economic, and social activities. The city was fortified with a strong wall, featured an organized urban system with paved streets, squares, water management structures, houses of various types, a manufacturing district, and a silo field.
The economy was primarily based on robust agricultural and livestock activities. The city’s wall, excavated over 40 meters, is about 2.10 meters thick with smooth outer facings and reaches nearly 5 meters high at some points. Notable among the excavated structures is a large building with a 10-meter facade, possibly related to cultic activities or political functions.
Declared a Cultural Site of National Interest in 2009, the Molí d’Espígol site is one of the most developed and complex examples of the urbanistic system of the Iberian culture of the Ilergetes, which dominated much of the current provinces of Lleida and Huesca between the 6th and 1st centuries BC. The city was abandoned around 200 BC due to the Second Punic War and, despite a brief recovery around 100 BC, was finally left deserted in the mid-1st century BC. Some hypotheses suggest that Molí d’Espígol could correspond to the mythical city of Athanagia, the ancient capital of the Ilergetes tribe, destroyed by Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio during the Second Punic War123.
For more detailed information or to plan a visit, you can check the resources provided123.
https://patrimoni.gencat.cat/en/monuments/monuments/moli-d-espigol-iberian-city
Geotag: https://maps.app.goo.gl/MEBzBaRMYkUbQZY69

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