The first late-antique castle in the Basque Country has been found

An archaeological excavation campaign has revealed the existence of what is the first late-antique castle in the Basque Country.

The campaign is the second in this initiative and has been carried out by archaeologists from the Research Group on Heritage and Cultural Landscapes of the University of the Basque Country (Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, UPV/EHU) in Spain.

Berbeia Castle is located at an altitude of 849 meters and located in Valdegobía, between the Alava towns of Barrio and Bachicabo. Unlike other medieval fortifications in the Basque Country, this place is characterized by the lack of monumental constructions or large defensive systems. However, behind its apparent modesty, the history of one of the main centers of power of the High Middle Ages can be perceived. “Berbeia allows us to understand the characteristics and functions of the first medieval castles in the Basque Country”, confirms Juan Antonio Quirós Castillo, professor at the Department of Geography, Prehistory and Archeology at the UPV/EHU and director of the Heritage and Landscapes Research Group Cultural (GIPyPAC).

The existence of a castle in that area is only documented in the 12th century, but some earlier documents show that the site was an important spatial and social reference for the inhabitants of Valdegobía and the early medieval County of Lantarón. Around the year one thousand, Berbeia was a place where justice was administered and conflicts between different contenders were resolved. It was also a strong point of a military nature from which a wide territory that reached the course of the Ebro river and the Omecillo valley was controlled. But it was also a discontinuous place of residence for the elites that governed that county through a network of relationships that were established with the bishopric of Valpuesta and other central places in Valdegobía. In addition, that castle had other secondary centers, such as the fortification found in the nearby Peña los Castros. “The discovery of ceramic horns in both places informs us that sound warnings were used to transmit news between the two fortifications”, explains the researcher.

The second campaign of archaeological excavations carried out in Berbeia has made it possible to recover a certain number of archaeological materials that show that the castle was in use as early as the High Middle Ages, being one of the few examples known to date in the Basque Country. But, in addition, the discovery of a rare specimen of a rigid bronze plate belt clasp, decorated with incised motifs, allows us to place the first medieval occupation in the 6th and 7th centuries. “The few known specimens come from necropolises such as Aldaieta, Escota or Buzaga. This finding allows us to think that the inhabitants of the castle used objects of high value on a daily basis, resorting to an elaborate strategy of distinction, Quirós points out.

Rigid bronze plate belt clasp found in Berbeia. (Photo: GIPyPAC)

Other findings, currently under study, will allow a better understanding of the lifestyle of the elites residing in the fortification and the different forms of occupation.

In addition, under medieval occupation, the remains of an Iron Age fort have been found, revealing the strategic importance of the place over time. “Taking into account all this information, the hypothesis that identifies the Berbeia fortification system with Lantarón Castle is gaining more and more strength,” concludes the UPV/EHU professor. (Source: UPV/EHU)