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Archaeologists have responded enthusiastically to a recent find in Guardamar, dating back to the 8th century BC. Excavations about two kilometers from the sea have uncovered a 3,000-year-old moat from the Phoenician era. With a depth of three meters and a width of eight meters, the archaeologists describe the find as important for several reasons. The first is that a comparable find has only been made in Cadiz in Spain. Moreover, the defensive moat appears to be completely intact. But perhaps more important is the size. Similar large structures have only been found near Beirut in Lebanon. Since the center of gravity of the vast empire of the Phoenicians was in Lebanon, Israel and Syria, the discovery shows how strategically important Guardamar was to the interests of this seafaring people.
Earlier finds have made Guardamar decide to start organizing tours from June 2021. Two locations in the dunes will be visited. The Rabita Califal is a place where visitors can learn about the remains of Moorish defensive towers and a Roman villa. They date from the 9th to the 11th century. At the site of La Fonteta, experts tell of Phoenician finds dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries BC.
The Phoenician civilization was one of the most advanced in modern-day Europe in the run-up to the era. They possessed a number of important qualities that enabled their trade and expansion drive. They were very good at building seaworthy ships and had a good understanding of the navigation of the Mediterranean. Thus they succeeded in settling in different locations. Defensive walls and moats were important to keep disaffected workers in line. That local workforce was deployed for the extraction of natural metals from the soil of Guardamar.
The fact that the moat was found a few kilometers from the coast has a simple explanation. At that time the sea came further inland than it is today. The archaeological find therefore corresponds to the place where the mouth of the Segura river was located at the time.
The archaeological breakthrough means that Guardamar's genesis must be rewritten. The find traces the earliest history back in time several hundred years. The town can now also claim that, as far as is known, the earliest presence of Phoenicians in the Alicante region must be placed at the mouth of the Segura River.
This also means that there is work to be done for the Archaeological Museum of Guardamar. The latest developments will undoubtedly help to give visitors an even better and detailed insight into the rich past of the town.
