Los Millares

Los Millares is a Chalcolithic occupation site 17 km north of Almería, in the municipality of Santa Fe de Mondújar, Andalucía, Spain [1]. The complex was in use from the fourth millennium BC (c. 3025 BC) to the end of the third millennium BC (c. 2000 BC) and probably supported around 1,000 people [1]. It was discovered in 1891 during the construction of a railway [1]. It was first excavated by Luis Siret in the succeeding years [1]. Los Millares is the type site of the Chalcolithic Millaran culture [1]. The site covers 2 hectares and comprises three concentric lines of stone walls, the outer ring the largest, running more than 200 meters with 19 'bastions' and a gate guarded by foreworks [1]. Radiocarbon dating has established that one wall collapsed and was rebuilt around 3025 BC [1]. A cluster of simple dwellings lay inside the walls as well as one large building containing evidence of copper smelting [1].