GUARDAMAR ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE
The Phoenician fort ‘Cabeço Petit de l’Estany’
It is a small core fort of Phoenician origin (9th-7th c. BC) located on the right bank of the River Segura, approximately 2 km west of Guardamar town.
The defensive system consists of a powerful and singular wall with bastions in projection and an interior structure known as ‘casemates’.
Inside the walls there were angular houses with different rooms where household and other craft activities were carried out. We must point out the metal production carried out here.
A small earthquake ruined the town in the mid-8th c. BC, which was beginning to grow and to house more and more people.
Therefore, many inhabitants decided it was time to find a better location closer to the open sea. In addition to the earthquake, the ‘Cabeço Petit de l’Estany’ began to seem rather small, and the siltation of the River Segura’s elements made berthing extremely difficult for ships.
This combination of factors marked the migration of its people to ‘La Fonteta’, the new Phoenician City, where another wall was designed, to withstand the region’s high earthquake risk.
Excavations indicate that a group of craftsmen were still living in the village during the 7th c. BC. They produced metal objects in their furnaces and forges.
Nevertheless, the enormous growth of the neighbouring ‘La Fonteta’ settlement was the reason why this Phoenician settlement was abandoned and remained in ruins.