Cerro de los Santos facts for kids
Cerro de los Santos is an ancient Iberian religious site, or sanctuary, in southeastern Spain. It was built around the 4th century BCE (that's over 2,400 years ago!). People continued to use it even during the Roman period. The site is famous for the many statues found there, about 300 in total. Most of these statues show women, including the very well-known Dama del Cerro de los Santos. Some statues of men and a few animals have also been discovered.
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Where is Cerro de los Santos?
The site is located near the town of Montealegre del Castillo in the Albacete province of Spain. A special stone monument, called an obelisk, was put up in 1929 to mark the spot. The site was once along an important ancient road called the Via Heraclea. This road connected different parts of the Iberian lands. Not much of the original buildings can be seen today. Even the outline of the temple, which was visible long ago, has now disappeared.
The Ancient Temple
The temple at Cerro de los Santos was about 15.6 meters long and 9.9 meters wide. It had a wide doorway, about 2.6 meters across, with two sets of steps leading up to it. From old excavations, we know the walls were made of square stone blocks. The roof was covered with tiles. The floor might have been paved with special terracotta tiles. This temple was a bit unusual and did not have all the typical features of other Iberian sanctuaries.
Amazing Sculptures Found
About 300 stone sculptures were found during excavations at Cerro de los Santos. Most of these are "votives," which means they were gifts offered to gods or spirits. Many of the sculptures are human figures, mostly women, but a few animal statues were also found. Most are individual statues, with only one example of a group sculpture.
The oldest statues are from the 4th century BCE. Later ones sometimes have Latin writing or look more like Roman art. The site probably stopped being used during the Imperial Roman period. Most of these amazing sculptures are now kept at the National Archaeological Museum of Spain in Madrid.
Statues of Women
The female statues often wear cloaks or special headdresses that look like tiaras. Most of these figures are standing, but some show the person seated on a chair or a throne. The way their clothes are carved often shows zig-zag lines for folds.
The most famous statue from the site is the
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Dama del Cerro de los Santos. This statue is 1 meter and 40 centimeters tall. She is holding a cup, possibly for an offering. Experts believe she was made between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE. Her style is very unique and does not show much influence from Greek or Roman art.
Statues of Men
The male statues found at Cerro de los Santos are quite similar to each other. They all wear the same type of cloak, called a pallium, which they hold in their right hand. Some of the male figures have earrings or special pendants called bullae. Only one statue has been identified as a warrior, and he is holding a short sword. No complete male statues have been preserved. The hair on the male figures is carved as a solid mass with carved lines to show curls.
Some historians believe that most of the female sculptures were made before the Punic Wars. They think that the male statues, which look more like Greek art, were made during or after these wars.
See also
In Spanish: Cerro de los Santos para niños
