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This research focuses on the study of the ruins of a large building known as “El Torreón” (the Tower), belonging to the Ulaca oppidum (Solosancho, Province of Ávila, Spain). Different remote sensing and geophysical approaches have been used to fulfil this objective, providing a better understanding of the building’s functionality in this town, which belongs to the Late Iron Age (ca. 300–50 BCE). In this sense, the outer limits of the ruins have been identified using photogrammetry and convergent drone flights. An additional drone flight was conducted in the surrounding area to find additional data that could be used for more global interpretations. Magnetometry was used to analyze the underground bedrock structure and ground penetrating radar (GPR) was employed to evaluate the internal layout of the ruins. The combination of these digital methodologies (surface and underground) has provided a new perspective for the improved interpretation of “El Torreón” and its characteristics. Research of this type presents additional guidelines for better understanding of the role of this structure with regards to other buildings in the Ulaca oppidum. The results of these studies will additionally allow archaeologists to better plan future interventions while presenting new data that can be used for the interpretation of this archaeological complex on a larger scale.

This research presents a virtual tour performed on the oppidum of Ulaca, one of the most relevant archaeological sites of the Iberian Peninsula during the Late Iron Age (ca. 400?50 BC). Beyond the clear benefits of the tool to the interpretation, dissemination, and knowledge of the mentioned archaeological site and its surroundings, the novelty of this research is the implementation of the platform in alternative scenarios and purposes. In this way, the present work verifies how the access to multi-source and spatially geolocated information in the same tool (working as a geospatial database) allows the promotion of cross-sectional investigations in which different specialists intervene. This peculiarity is also considered useful to promote tourism with an interest beyond the purely historical/archaeological side. Likewise, the possibility of storing and managing a large amount of information in different formats facilitates the investigation in the contexts of excavations and archaeological or environmental works. In this sense, the use of this kind of tool for the study of cultural landscapes is especially novel. In order to better contextualize the potential of the virtual tour presented here, an analysis about the challenges and possibilities of implementing this tool in environments such as the Ulaca oppidum is performed. The selected site stands out for: (i) being in a unique geological, environmental and ecological context, allowing us to appreciate how human beings have modified the landscape over time; (ii) presenting numerous visible archaeological remains with certain conservation problems; and (iii) not having easy access for visitors.

El Profesor Martín Almagro Gorbea es una figura clave de la Prehistoria y Arqueología españolas por sus notables contribuciones de investigación, la influencia de las mismas, las aportaciones a diversas instituciones clave (universidad, Museo Arqueológico Nacional, Real Academia de la Historia entre otras) y el número de discípulos y colaboradores que cuenta a lo largo de su vida académica. Tras una breve biografía profesional, se destacan su trayectoria intelectual: con una obra ingente, plural y continuamente innovadora; su visión holística de la Prehistoria Reciente de España y Europa; la internacionalización que ha ayudado a dar a los estudios de Prehistoria peninsular y la arqueología española y su extraordinaria capacidad para abrir y explorar nuevos campos de estudio en esas disciplinas. Este libro celebra su rica y fecunda vida académica e intelectual con testimonios de compañeros y amigos.

Recently the incorporation of artificial intelligence has allowed the development of valuable methodological advances in taphonomy. Some studies have achieved great precision in identifying the carnivore that produced tooth marks. Additionally, other works focused on human activity have managed to specify what type of tool or raw material was used in the filleting processes identified at the sites. Through the use of geometric morphometrics and machine learning techniques, the present study intends to analyze the cut marks of the Ulaca oppidum (Solosancho, ?vila, Spain) in order to identify the type of tools used during carcass modification. Although the Ulaca oppidum is an Iron Age site, the results suggest that most of the cut marks were produced with flint tools.

In the last 30 years, considerable effort has been invested in the public presentation of archaeological sites and, in general, in the dissemination of the heritage bequeathed to us by the pre-Roman communities of the western Iberian Peninsula. In this paper, we critically analyse the most outstanding measures implemented in this area by the different administrations and specialists involved. Similarly, we present the main initiatives undertaken in this regard in recent years by our research team within the framework of the REFIT and VETTONIA projects. Finally, we put forward ten essential proposals for future actions to achieve a more effective dissemination and management of Iron Age heritage.

Se ofrecen unas consideraciones generales sobre el estudio de los famosos verracos vettones, esculturas en granito de toros y cerdos de la Segunda Edad del Hierro en las tierras de la Meseta Occidental. Seguidamente se analiza la situación de las esculturas en el Valle Amblés (Ávila), el área con mayor concentración de verracos de todo el territorio vettón. Nos centramos a continuación en las dos esculturas halladas en Villanueva del Campillo, un gran toro y un cerdo. El primero, monumental, es de grandes dimensiones y la escultura de mayor tamaño de la Europa céltica. Se analiza el contexto del hallazgo, las características del gran bóvido y sus posibles interpretaciones y significado, priorizando la idea de marcadores de pastos de calidad por las élites vettonas. Se reflexiona también sobre la pequeña historia del traslado de las esculturas de su emplazamiento original a la plaza del pueblo cercano.

The VETTONIA project aims to disseminate the rich heritage from the Iron Age of the western Iberian Peninsula and the archaeological investigations carried out on this topic in recent years. The project utilizes new technologies such as virtual tours, 3D models, and impressions to create interactive and stimulating ways to access the results of the most recent archaeological research. Using these resources, lectures and seminars are being given in various forums with diverse types of audiences to present the virtual tours and the rest of the dissemination initiatives. In addition, the project presents its different initiatives during the annual archaeological interventions developed in the oppidum of Ulaca (Solosancho, Ávila, Spain), with good reception by the attending public. The VETTONIA project represents a pioneering dissemination experience that takes advantage of the educational opportunities offered by new technologies. In the future, tools such as virtual tours to archaeological sites may prove essential in classroom teaching at different levels and could promote sustainable tourism in fragile natural environments such as those that constitute the major settlements of the Late Iron Age (ca. 400–50 BC).