Cabezo Redondo


Cabezo Redondo is a Bronze Age archaeological site located on a 2 km from Villena, Alicante. It was not a mere village but a true regional center inhabited between 1500 and 1100 BC, likely belonging to the Argaric culture. It is speculated that the first investigations were conducted by Juan Vilanova i Piera around 1870, although it was the archaeologist José María Soler who began systematic studies in 1959 after discovering several metal objects. In the spring of 1963, he unearthed the Cabezo Redondo treasure, now preserved in the Archaeological Museum of Villena. By then, much of the site had been lost due to local gypsum quarries, but since that year, the remaining area has been protected and studied.
In recent years, the University of Alicante, along with the University of Valencia and University of Granada, has conducted annual excavation campaigns led by Mauro S. Hernández Pérez, assisted by Gabriel García Atiénzar and Virginia Barciela. In 1968, the site was included in Villena's Historic-Artistic Complex and declared public-use land. In 2020, Cabezo Redondo was formally designated as an independent Cultural Heritage Site.

Features

Originally, the site was significantly larger, extending across the entire hill. It is believed that populations from smaller nearby settlements around the ancient Villena Lagoon may have concentrated here, as its characteristics indicate a regional capital due to its central location, extensive size, developed urban planning, population density, and intense agricultural, livestock, metallurgical, and textile activities.

Major finds