- The archaeologist Miquel Sánchez Signes presents in the book 'La Cova de les Bruixes del Poble Nou de Benitatxell i l'arqueologia' the results of the excavations between 2000 and 2018
- This is the winning work of the IX Puig Llorença Research Prize, the first to see the light and materialize in a book after recovering this important award in 2020.
The Cova de les Bruixes of El Poble Nou de Benitatxell is a treasure of archaeology, a site with vestiges of a rich history where “there is still much to discover.” These are the words of the archaeologist and doctor in History from the University of Valencia Miquel Sánchez Signes, author of the book 'La Cova de les Bruixes del Poble Nou de Benitatxell i l'arqueologia: un jaciment ibèric, romà i medieval', which can be purchased at the Municipal Library at a price of 15 euros.
This is the winning work of the IX Puig Llorença Research Prize, the first to see the light and materialize in a book after recovering this important award in 2020 after 12 years without being awarded. In it, Sánchez Signes collects the study of the materials recovered at the site between 2000 and 2018, as well as the results of the excavations that he co-directed, together with Josep Ahuir and Anna Viciach, in different stages, between 2015 and 2018.
The Cova de les Bruixes site was discovered in 2000, when the Los Molinos urbanization began to be built. Then, during the works, many archaeological materials began to appear and it was decided to carry out an excavation campaign. In it, as well as in the second campaign of 2001, there are structures, walls, remains of tableware, amphorae and other materials that today are kept in the Soler Blasco Archaeological and Ethnological Museum of Xàbia.
After these two campaigns, the work is paralyzed and the construction of the urbanization continues without any type of archaeological control. It was not until 2015 when Miquel Sánchez Signes became interested in the site and began a new campaign financed by the El Poble Nou de Benitatxell City Council to answer the questions that arose from the first excavations and try to date all the materials.
According to the archaeologist at the presentation of the book that took place at the Social Center, “at first the work was hard and unrewarding because nothing appeared in the 2016 campaign.” Even so, it was decided to continue in 2017 and 2018, and, this time, the results were magnificent and gave a lot of information about the different settlements that have passed through the Cova de les Bruixes over the centuries.
One of the most important elements that appeared in the vicinity of the studied plot was a Roman press dating from the 3rd century AD, specifically a torcular counterweight stone. The piece was located at the base of a century-old terrace margin, where it was possibly placed to take advantage of its enormous dimensions as a support point. The two notches on the front were used to anchor wood in the process of pressing oil or wine.
Also perfectly preserved were numerous silos from the Andalusian period dating from the 12th and 13th centuries that would have been used to store grain and which are known to have later been used as landfills, since remains of broken plates and utensils and even the skeleton of a goat.
Furthermore, the different elements found confirm that different settlements would have passed through the site that would cover all chronologies: very simple domestic pieces appeared from the Iberian period; from Roman times, amphorae that were used to import solid and liquid foods throughout the Mediterranean; From the Andalusian period there are ceramic pieces that are even known to have come from an important pottery that existed at the time on Teulada avenue in Dénia; and from the Christian settlement some plates and glasses.