The site of Cástulo, located 5 km south of the modern city of Linares (Jaén) in Spain, was a major settlement for more than thousand years. First settled around 700 BCE, in what is known as the Early Iron Age, or the Iberian period, the town lay on a plateau overlooking the Guadalimar river. It was surrounded by hills with rich metal deposits, especially silver and lead, which made Cástulo wealthy and politically powerful. Cástulo played an important role in the Second Punic War, between Rome and Carthage, and it continued to be prominent under Roman rule. It was the site of a bishop’s seat in the Early Christian period, and continued to exist into the Visigothic period.

Archaeologists have worked at Cástulo since the 1960’s, uncovering evidence for the life and development of the site over its entire history. This website explains the town’s history and archaeology. It also describes the various investigations that have been done, and which continue to be carried out, including the innovative technology that we are using to document the past and present it to scholars and the public.