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Coria del Río, a town nestled along the banks of the Guadalquivir near Seville, has once again proven itself a hidden gem for archaeologists. A recent excavation on the Cerro de San Juan has uncovered the remains of an early Roman Imperial building, alongside evidence of occupation stretching as far back as the 1st century AD.

 

Led by archaeologist and local academic Jacobo Vázquez, and supported by the town council, the latest dig has been hailed as a major step forward in understanding the town’s strategic importance through the ages. “The results have been very positive,” the council said in a statement, adding that the findings offer new insights into the area’s long history of settlement.

 

Among the highlights was a foundation from a Roman building, dating back to the 1st or 2nd century AD. This discovery alone, researchers say, confirms that the hill was in use during the height of the Roman Empire.

 

One layer above, signs of life continued into the early Christian period of the 5th century. Archaeologists found an outdoor hearth, remnants of food preparation including a crude cooking pot, burnt charcoal, and pottery known as African sigillata - a type of fine tableware traded across the Roman world. The layer also revealed two ancient coins found in a trench dug by later looters, adding even more historical intrigue to the site.

 

Coria’s mayor, Modesto González, expressed his amazement at what continues to be uncovered beneath the town’s soil. “We know Coria del Río has been important to many civilisations because of its location on the Guadalquivir, but it still astonishes us every time we look just a few metres below our feet,” he said. “We will keep promoting these kinds of initiatives so that the history buried beneath our town continues to emerge, and the people of Coria can experience it first-hand.”

 

Elsewhere on the site, another survey revealed a much more recent but equally meaningful discovery: a 17th or 18th-century water well. Built using bricks and lime mortar and covered with a cement dome in the 1970s, the well still reaches a depth of 16.5 metres. It likely served as the main water supply for that part of the town and even appears in photographs taken in the 1930s.

 

The town council said these findings mark “a decisive step in the historical and heritage revaluation of Cerro de San Juan.” They hope continued study of the area will deepen understanding of Coria del Río’s role throughout Spanish and Mediterranean history.

 

 

Image: Ayuntamiento de Coria del Rio