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  • Villa romana de Los Cantos
  • Bullas
  •  
  • Spain
  • Murcia
  • Murcia
  • Bullas

Credits

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Monuments

Periods

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Chronology

  • 50 AD - 400 AD

Season

    • The Roman Villa of Los Cantos is located in the town of Bullas, in the upper basin of the Mula river within the north-western area of the region of Murcia. As typically seen in the land colonization scheme developed in rural areas during the Roman period, this livestock farm has several cores. Some of the most important ones are the _pars_ _urbana_, where the seasonal residence of the owner ( _domus_ ) was located, the thermal complex and the industry sector ( _pars_ _frumentaria_ ), which was used for manufacturing and storing agricultural and livestock production. The villa possibly owned slave dwellings located in the _pars _rustica_, as well as a garden or _hortus_. By virtue of the site’s wide chronological span (from the 2nd century BC until the 5th century AD), all of the buildings and structures have undergone abundant exploitation and overlapping throughout time. It is worth mentioning that the best-defined architectural complex in terms of preservation was built around the 2nd century AD. The residential area ( _domus_ ) is shaped in Mediterranean style, covering an area of 800 m² built around a 330-square-metre patio. There is an ornamental pool ( _impluvium_ ) surrounded by a peristyle of columns coated with hydraulic lime mortar ( _opus_ _signinum_ ). Indoor access is possible through a large gate placed in the axis of the _impluvium_ and the entrance of the chambers ( _cubicula_ ) is located right in the portico. Amongst others, one of the building's most important features is a southern-oriented vantage point that offers sweeping views of the surrounding area: Sierra Espuña and El Castellar. The patio ( _peristilum_ ) used to be adorned with rural motifs. Its base was presented in a series of blue, red and ochre-coloured panels. In spite of the absence of documentation regarding the interior decoration of the small chambers, it is very likely they were furnished. A superficial excavation of around 450 m² was conducted in the thermal complex, although the overall dimensions are larger. Thus far, two furnaces for room heating have been documented, as well as the water used in baths and pools. Moreover, two air chambers (subterranean and parietal) were installed and revealed the existence of a heating system, also known as _hypocaustum_. The _caldarium_, which was the room for hot baths, was found between the aforementioned furnaces in the western end of the archaeological site. Inside of the large chamber, a set of stairs head down towards the hot water pool. Additionally, the room for luke-warm baths or _tepidarium_ is located between the _caldarium_ and _frigidarium_ (intended for cold baths). The mosaics and paintings that were found in one of the chambers might have originally belonged to the _frigidarium_. (translation by Sara Azaña-Sanz López)

Bibliography

    • Balil Illana, A. (1987): "La «Venus de Bullas»", Cuadernos de Prehistoria y Arqueología Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 14, pp. 121-127.
    • López Campuzano, M.A. (1999): “La villa romana de Los Cantos (Bullas, Murcia): cambio y continuidad de un asentamiento rural en la Cuenta Alta del Río Mula”. Memorias de Arqueología, 9. Consejería de Cultura de la Región de Murcia. Murcia, pp. 257-270.
    • Ramallo Asensio, S. (2001): “Un mosaico con decoración geométrica procedente de la villa de Los Cantos (Bullas)”. Studia E. Cuadrado, Anales de Prehistoria y Arqueología, Universidad de Murcia, 16-17, pp. 383-392.
    • Guirado Escámez, D. (2005): “El Niño de las Uvas: aproximación a su estudio”. Revista Murciana de Antropología, 12 (monográfico de las actas del Congreso de Etnoarqueología del Vino, Bullas 2004); Universidad de Murcia, pp. 387-391.
    • Noguera, J.M. (2009): El Kairos otoñal (“Baco niño”) de Bullas (Murcia). En Homenaje al académico Julio Mas, pp. 311-350.
    • Caballero Escribano, S. (2009): "1909 Noticias en la prensa de hace un siglo". En Libro de las Fiestas de Bullas.
    • Guirado Escámez, D. (2010): "Los Cantos: nuevas aportaciones". En Libro de las Fiestas de Bullas.
    • Porrúa Martínez, A., (2011): "Las monedas de la Villa romana de Los Cantos". En XIV Congreso Nacional de Numismática, pp. 657-676.
    • Porrúa Martínez, A. (2012): “La villa romana de Los Cantos, Bullas. Campañas de 2009 y 2010”, Verdolay: Revista del Museo Arqueológico de Murcia, 13, pp. 143-155.
    • Guirado Escámez, D., (2012): El balneum de Los Cantos. Libro de Fiestas 2012. Bullas.
    • Martínez Sánchez, S. (2012): "La villa romana de Los Cantos: historia al descubierto". En Libro de las Fiestas de Bullas.
    • Martínez Sánchez, S. y García Ruiz, M. (2013): Memoria campaña arqueológica en Los Cantos 2012. Servicio Regional de Patrimonio. Consejería de Cultura y Turismo de la Región de Murcia.
    • Martínez Sánchez, S. y García Moreno, P. (2014): "El Museo del Vino de Bullas y la Red Europea Vinest", RdM. Revista de Museología, 60, pp. 115-125.
    • Martínez Sánchez, S. y García Ruiz, M. (2015): “Mundo Rural y Vino en época romana: la villa de Los Cantos (Bullas)”. En Actas I Jornadas de Arqueoturismo y Ecoturismo Tierra de Íberos. El Patrimonio como generador de estrategias e ideas para el desarrollo territorial (Caravaca de la Cruz, 12-14 noviembre de 2015). INTEGRAL, Sociedad para el desarrollo rural. Murcia, pp. 144-158.
    • Loza Azuaga, Mª L. y Noguera Celdrán, J. M. (2018): Las estatuas-fuente de la villa romana de Los Cantos (Bullas, Murcia): informe preliminar, en C. Márquez – D. Ojeda (eds.), Escultura romana en Hispania, VIII, Córdoba, pp. 253-278.
    • Martínez Sánchez, S.; Porrúa Martínez, A.; Romero Molero, A. y Martínez García, J.J. (e.p.): “La villa romana de Los Cantos (Bullas, Murcia). Un proyecto de futuro”. En Actas del Congreso Internacional Las Villas Romanas Bajoimperiales de Hispania, Diputación de Palencia (15-17 noviembre 2018).