Archaeologists excavating a nearly 3,000-year-old Phoenician settlement in southern Spain have uncovered Greek imports, trading weights and evidence of extensive craft production, offering new clues about ancient Mediterranean commerce.
The discoveries come from Cerro del Villar near Málaga, where University of Málaga researchers are completing their fifth excavation campaign. Less than 10% of the site has been uncovered. The findings are shedding new light on the Phoenician origins of ancient Malaka and its role in Mediterranean trade.
Greek amphorae reveal Mediterranean trade links
Near the northeastern edge of what was once an island, archaeologists are studying a large building close to an ancient docking or boat-launching area. They previously found part of an anchor nearby, along with rooms associated with religious practices.
Several rooms have yielded fragments of Greek amphorae, including vessels produced in Corinth. They likely carried high-quality wine and oil. Similar discoveries of Corinthian Greek ceramics in Spain have provided evidence of commercial contacts across the Mediterranean.
Weights, metals and ivory point to thriving commerce
Researchers discovered lead and bronze balance weights made according to Phoenician measurement standards. Merchants likely used them to weigh valuable goods.
Scientific analysis led by Spain’s Higher Council for Scientific Research traced some lead found at Cerro del Villar to Gádor in Almería. Ivory objects and manufacturing waste also suggest craftspeople transformed imported raw materials into luxury products. The discoveries reflect the wider role of the Phoenicians as major Mediterranean traders and sailors.
La quinta campaña de excavación en el yacimiento fenicio del Cerro del Villar, en Málaga, ha superado "todas las expectativas" del equipo científico y ha confirmado este espacio como uno de los principales enclaves del Mediterráneo occidental. pic.twitter.com/gaY6VUvjom
— EFE Andalucía (@EFE_Andalucia) September 14, 2026
By the seventh century B.C., Cerro del Villar was one of the leading trading ports in the southern Iberian Peninsula. Some researchers have associated the settlement with ancient Mainake, although the identification remains debated. Greek communities later established colonies and trading centers in ancient Spain.
Ancient buildings preserve layers of Phoenician life
In the northern part of Cerro del Villar, archaeologists identified at least three major construction phases dating from the late eighth to seventh centuries B.C.
Buildings were repeatedly constructed over earlier structures, creating an artificial mound known as a “tell.” Some walls remain nearly 1.5 meters, or 5 feet, high.
One fire-damaged storage room contained at least six Phoenician amphorae, charred wooden shelving and ancient seeds. Researchers also found evidence of lead, bronze and iron working.
New evidence extends settlement’s history
A newly discovered fragment of a locally produced terracotta mask adds to evidence of religious activity. Archaeologists also identified possible pottery kilns and large deposits of discarded amphorae, plates and bowls dating from the sixth to fifth centuries B.C.
The discoveries show that Cerro del Villar remained active from at least the eighth through fifth centuries B.C., a longer period of continuous occupation than previously established.
José Suárez, the campaign’s scientific director and a University of Málaga prehistory professor, said the scale of later craft production was greater than researchers had previously imagined.
With more than 90% of Cerro del Villar still unexplored, the site could reveal much more about Phoenician Málaga and the trade networks connecting ancient Iberia with the wider Mediterranean.
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