LA VID Y EL VINO EN EL VALLE MEDIO DEL EBRO DURANTE LA ETAPA PRERROMANA

Abstract

Wine imports reach the mouth of the Ebro River (as far into the interior as the Matarraña basin) during the 7th c. BCE, transported in Phoenician amphorae. In the 5th c. BCE, wine production spreads to the Huerva River (present-day Saragossa). Wine cellars dating to the 3rd c. BCE have been found in San Antonio de Calaceite and Los Castellares de Herrera de los Navarros. These structures were built on mud brick benches attached to a wall. Wine was fermented in them and then stored in large pots. This wine making technique, known as the ‘plaster basin’ system, was used in several Iberian settlements. A good example of this can be found in Cabezo de Alcalá de Azaila, in a section of the city known as ‘the wine cellars’. A wine press has been found in the Celtiberian city of Segeda. This structure has been used as a model for an experimental archaeology project. A reproduction wine cellar and wine press have been built next to the site, in an area known as Segeda Nova. These structures are currently being used to produce wine. The aim of the project is to create a visitor centre for Segeda, which will contribute to the social and economic development of the rural environment in which the site is located.