Traces of a Roman Republic-era battle have been found in Spain.

For the first time, a group of researchers documented the direct involvement of the Vascones, the ancestors of the modern Basques, in the Sertorian War of 82-72 BC. The results of the work are published in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology.

The Sertorian War is a civil conflict between two Roman factions. On one side were the populares under the command of Sertorius, who had entrenched himself in Spain, on the other side were the Senate optimates, who sent the generals Metellus and Pompey against him. The ancient sources about this war, according to the authors of the article, are extremely scarce and suffer from geographical and chronological inaccuracy, which is why the material evidence from Irulega is of particular value.

Traces of a military attack were recorded in oppidum Irulegi, a fortified settlement on a hilltop 889 m high in the Aranguren Valley in northern Spain. There are intact traces of destruction here: burnt raw bricks, charred wooden structures and weapons scattered through the streets and houses.

In total, archaeologists have recovered almost a hundred pieces of military equipment — arrowheads, lead projectiles, slings, pilums, spearheads, daggers, as well as items of ammunition: fibulae and buckles. According to the density of finds, the authors of the study call Irulegi one of the most complete archaeological evidence of the Sertorian war on the territory of the Vascones.

The location of the objects inside the buildings indicates that the residents were caught off guard: all the property remained in its place at the time of the fire. The only possible trace of an attempt to hide valuables is a bronze jug found in one of the buildings. The researchers date the attack to the period between 76 and 73 BC, considering the year 74 or 73 the most likely.

Archaeological evidence from Irulegi confirms that the local population took an active part in the Sertorian War. Based on ancient sources, researchers suggest that the inhabitants of Oppidum supported the rebellious commander Quintus Sertorius. In the winter of 77-76 BC, he established control over the right bank of the Ebro and built alliances with indigenous communities that provided his army with people and provisions. The siege of Kalagurris by pro—government troops in 72 BC is an indirect confirmation of the pro-Victorian sympathies of the Vascones. The authors highlight this argument in their conclusions.

After the defeat of oppidum, Irulegi remained uninhabited for more than a thousand years. It was only in the Middle Ages that a castle was built on the same hill, partially using antique structures. No traces of re-settlement have yet been found during the excavations.

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On March 19, Arkeonews magazine reported the discovery of a 5.5 thousand-year-old settlement on the Bolivian island of Isla del Sol. According to the researchers, the first inhabitants appeared on Lake Titicaca between 3635 and 3381 BC. It was also clarified that the people who lived in the area had the ability to build boats and cross open water.

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