El Castillón

El Castillon is a fortified Late Roman settlement in Santa Eulalia de Tabara, Zamora, Spain, situated on the historical frontier between the Swabian and Visigothic kingdoms. Occupied from the Iron Age, its peak period spans the 5th to 8th centuries AD, making it crucial for understanding the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages. Excavations since 2007 have uncovered a structured urban plan with specialized metalworking districts for iron production, thick enclosing walls, and over 6,000 pottery fragments. The site controlled the Esla River valley and nearby iron ore mines.