An ancient Tartessos sanctuary and Proto-Corinthian Greek Ceramics have been discovered in Spain in the Castilla la Mancha region.
The site, La Bienvenida-Sisapo, located in the southwest corner of Ciudad Real, is a significant find that alters our perspective of the Tartessian people in the Iberian Peninsula during the Iron Age. The discovery of the 7th-century BC sanctuary highlights their expansion into the inner reaches of Hispania in search of valuable mining sites.
“It is identified with the ancient Roman city of Sisapo, cited in ancient Greco-Latin sources, and characterized as the management center of an important mining region of Hispania where the exploitation of lead, silver, cinnabar/mercury and copper was carried out,” said the release issued on Castilla la Mancha’s cultural website.
Greek Proto-Corinthian Style
The Proto-Corinthian style emerged in Corinth, Greece around 720–620 BC, marking an early phase of Greek pottery. Known for its fine, light-colored clay and intricate black-figure decoration, it often featured mythological scenes, animals, and geometric patterns. Artists used incision techniques and added color to enhance details. This style influenced later Greek pottery and played a key role in the development of the black-figure technique.
One might wonder how 7th-century BC pottery ended up in Spain. It likely arrived through Phoenician and Greek trade networks. During the 8th–6th centuries BC, the Phoenicians played a major role in Mediterranean trade, establishing colonies and facilitating exchanges across the region. Similarly, Greek merchants interacted with local Iberian communities, bringing luxury goods like Proto-Corinthian pottery, prized for its fine craftsmanship. This discovery is not unprecedented, as Mycenaean pottery has also been found in Spain, suggesting the presence of Greek materials on the Iberian Peninsula and confirming Mediterranean trade long before the Phoenician arrival.
Tartessos Sanctuary and Greek Ceramics in Spain
The sanctuary is strategically located on the Eastern “Castillejo” of the Bienvenida-Sisapo site. Within the sanctuary was a trove of artifacts indicating ancient religious rituals associated with the Phoenicians. The most significant discovery is the proto-Corinthian Greek ceramics, believed to have been used in ritual banquets, and vessels linked to the worship of the Phoenician goddess Astarte.
Along with the artifacts, multiple basalt baetyls representing deities have been found. Items concerning metallurgical activities such as crucibles, tuyères, and copper and lead slag were also discovered.
Inside the sanctuary, the centerpiece was a ceremonial altar shaped like a bull’s hide, consistent with traditional Tartessian sanctuaries found in Seville and Málaga. The discovery of the artifacts, along with the altar, has allowed researchers to create a timeline of the building’s different uses. A detailed examination of the structure itself revealed several restorations and renovations, all handled with extreme care, demonstrating that the space’s importance transcended centuries.
“The building has a specific plan in its construction, with constants in the organization of the internal space and its use throughout its existence,” said the press release. “In the successive reforms that can be seen in the different phases documented to date, there is evidence of a concern for the dismantling, cleaning or sanitation of the previous remains, sealing them with significant fillings, and leveling and later creating a new surface for construction and use.”
According to lead researcher Professor Mar Zarzalejos Prieto, this finding demonstrates that “the foundation of Sisapo was part of a Tartessian strategy to control the area’s mineral resources—including silver, lead, cinnabar, mercury, and copper—and integrate them into Mediterranean trade networks under Phoenician influence.”
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