Abrigos de la Fuente del Sabuco de Moratalla

FUENTE DEL SABUCO ROCK-SHELTERS

Google Maps:
38.185152, -2.186847

Type of site:
Rock-Shelters

Place of location: Moratalla town
Village/Town: Moratalla
Municipality: Moratalla ()
Region: Murcia
State: Spain
Telephone: 968 730 208
Website: https://turismodelsegura.com/actividades-escolares
E-mail: turismo@ayuntamientomoratalla.net

Natural Environment:

The Calasparra region is crossed by two nearly parallel lines of mountains, with the Segura Valley between them. There are a series of smaller hills to the south. The area is undulating in general, with many small hills with the Rivers Argos, Quipar and Benamor flowing around them. The sides of Sierra del Molino fall almost perpendicularly to the River Segura, where El Pozo Rock-Shelter is located. A series of caves of speleological and archaeological interest have formed in this limestone hill side.

Archaeological evidences in the site:

Schematic Art.

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Opening Times:

All days, except on Sundays and Mondays.

Booking and access:

Calasparra´s Archaeological museum.

Nearby cultural destinations:

Villa Vieja Islamic site (3km). Rice Museum in Calasparra. Emilio Pérez Piñero Foundation (Calasparra)

Nearby natural destinations:

Virgen de la Esperanza Shrine (5 km). Cuerva del Puerto (12 km). Descent of the River Segura (12 km).

Accommodations (Tourism Website):
https://www.turismoregiondemurcia.es/en/accommodation?buscar=si&localidad=moratalla&hoteles=si&hotel_apartamento=si&pensiones=si&campings=si&apartamentos=si&casas_rurales=si&hospederias_rurales=si&=si&alojamientos_vacacionales=si&albergues=si
Restaurants (Tourism Website):
https://www.turismoregiondemurcia.es/en/restaurants?buscar=si&localidad=moratalla

Age of the artistic representations:

Neolithic – Copper and Bronze Ages

General description of the destination:

All the schematic paintings in El Pozo group are in red, with the main themes of anthropomorphs and zoomorphic figures. They are distributed in three areas. Panel I is in a shallow rock-shelter, exposed to weathering, and few remains of paint can be seen. It is hard to distinguish them from the natural stains of iron oxide on the limestone wall. The large shelter contains Panels II to IV, about 9m apart from each other on a wall 30m long and 9m deep. The paintings are near floor level, due to the deposition of fluvial sediments which have affected some of the figures in Panel II. A small cave is next to the large shelter although access is difficult because of the proximity of the river to the rocks, where cliffs have formed. Four schematic figures can be seen a few centimetres above ground level on the black walls of the cave, which have been eroded. Calcite growth has partially covered the paintings, which are dark red.

History of the site:

They are renowned for their prehistoric rock art, which provides valuable insights into the lives and beliefs of ancient peoples.The rock shelters have evidence of human occupation dating back to prehistoric times, particularly during the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods.Prehistoric peoples utilized these natural shelters as living spaces, possibly for shelter, protection, and ritual activities.

Museographic resources description:

Didactic panels in the rock-shelter.