Archaeologists Unearth ‘Hidden Empire’ in Lost Roman Settlements

In a surprising twist, archaeologists have uncovered what appears to be a “hidden empire” among ancient Roman settlements in Spain, thanks to an unanticipated discovery.

The team, which initially set out in 2023 to locate at least one settlement in Spain’s Sierra de Cádiz region, was astonished to find 57 Roman-era sites of what they described as an “unprecedented nature.”

Researchers believe this remarkable find may be linked to ancient trade and communication routes in the area. Currently, they are embarking on a second phase of research to unravel how these sites are interconnected. This marks the first time such an extensive analysis of Roman settlements in this region has been undertaken.

The 57 Roman sites were discovered in the middle valley of the Guadalete River, with particular focus on areas around Arcos de la Frontera, Bornos, Villamartin, and Puerto Serrano. These locations seem to have been connected by the Guadalete River in ancient times, leading experts to theorize that they were part of a hidden Roman empire.

To uncover these settlements, the archaeologists employed geo radar technology, which is designed to detect hidden objects beneath the ground. The team believes that these findings will shed new light on the presence of the Roman Empire in the Guadalete River valley over 2,000 years ago.

“The aim is to understand the interaction between the Bay of Cadiz and the settlements in the Guadalete River depression during the Roman period, an aspect that has been largely unknown until now,” the researchers explained in their report.

While it is known that the Romans settled near the Guadalete River after their conquest of Spain in 264 BC, the exact timing of when these newly discovered structures were built remains uncertain.

Lara, a professor of archaeology at the University of Cadiz, emphasized the importance of this discovery in a statement, saying, “The data we’ve gathered provides a strong foundation of archaeological information and documentation to continue research in this area in the coming years.”

“Our primary goal is to keep conducting excavations and surveys using non-traditional techniques and tools. These will be complemented by studying the contexts we uncover and analyzing the materials we document, which will give us a comprehensive understanding of the Roman settlement and the surrounding territory near the Bornos and Arcos de la Frontera reservoirs,” she added.