Pintia
Encyclopedia
Pintia is the name of an ancient city of the Vaccaei, situated in the area around Padilla de Duero, in the modern province of Valladolid, central Spain
.
The Vaccaei or Vacceans were the first sedentary occupants of the valley between the Duero and Pisuerga
rivers, in an area that would include the modern province of Valladolid, a good part of the province of the Palencia
, and sections of the Zamora
, Segovia
, and Ávila
provinces.
The Vacceans were an early Celtic society in northern Europe
that arrived in this area during a period of growth. They founded various cities (Pallantia, Pintia) that had almost independent governments as city-states but maintained relations with their sister sisters in the surrounding area. Such was the sisterhood of these cities that the Vacceans helped the Arevaci
of Numancia
during the Roman
siege. Because of their assistance to the Arevaci, the Roman invaders conquered the Vaccean cities after they had been victorious at Numancia.
Pintia was besieged and destroyed by the Romans, which also buried forever the Vaccean culture, religion, and language.
Years ago, it was believed that Valladolid was the ancient Pintia, but neither the location nor the archaeology supported this belief. The archaeological excavations conducted in Padilla de Duero uncovered an important settlement that has been interpreted as its possible location.
The Archaeological Zone consists of three different parts: the city of Las Quintanas, the necropolis of Las Ruedas, and the potter's district of Carralaceña. In the city of Las Quintanas they have discovered that the city was destroyed by a fire, after which the Visigoths of the area placed their necropolis near the ancient Vacceo-Roman city. In the necropolis of Las Ruedas they have encountered rich burials of elderly soldiers. In the nearby town of Pesquera de Duero
they have found the artisan
district of Carralaceña, and since the kilns had such a large output, there could have been fires in the city during the period the kilns were used, so they constructed the kilns on the other side of the river and therefore established a contiguous district with the cemetery on that side of the river Duero. The kilns found here are unique in Europe, but they cannot be visited because the Executive of Castile and León do not think it would be profitable to set up the site for tourism.
The town was partially destroyed by the planting of vineyards because of the lack of support given to the excavation projects. The University of Valladolid
is currently in charge of the recovery and study of the town.
The necropolis at Pintia is currently being excavated by international field school students every summer under the supervision of the University of Valladolid and the Federico Wattenberg Center of Vaccean Studies, facilitated by ArchaeoSpain.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
The Vaccaei or Vacceans were the first sedentary occupants of the valley between the Duero and Pisuerga
Pisuerga River
The Pisuerga is a river in northern Spain, the Duero's second largest tributary. It rises in the Cantabrian Mountains in the province of Palencia, autonomous region of Castile and León....
rivers, in an area that would include the modern province of Valladolid, a good part of the province of the Palencia
Palencia (province)
Palencia is a province of northern Spain, in the northern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of León, Cantabria, Burgos, and Valladolid....
, and sections of the Zamora
Zamora (province)
Zamora is a Spanish province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León.The present-day province of Zamora province was one of three provinces formed from the former Kingdom of León in 1833, when Spain was re-organised into 49 provinces.It is bordered by...
, Segovia
Segovia (province)
Segovia is a province of central/northern Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the provinces of Burgos, Soria, Guadalajara, Madrid, Ávila, and Valladolid....
, and Ávila
Ávila (province)
Ávila is a province of central-western Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered on the south by the provinces of Toledo and Cáceres, on the west by Salamanca, on the north by Valladolid, and on the east by Segovia and Madrid. Ávila has a...
provinces.
The Vacceans were an early Celtic society in northern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
that arrived in this area during a period of growth. They founded various cities (Pallantia, Pintia) that had almost independent governments as city-states but maintained relations with their sister sisters in the surrounding area. Such was the sisterhood of these cities that the Vacceans helped the Arevaci
Arevaci
The Arevaci or ‘Aravaci’ , were a pre-Roman Celtic people who settled in the Meseta Central of northern Hispania and which dominated most of Celtiberia from the 4th to late 2nd centuries BC...
of Numancia
Numantia
Numantia is the name of an ancient Celtiberian settlement, whose remains are located 7 km north of the city of Soria, on a hill known as Cerro de la Muela in the municipality of Garray....
during the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
siege. Because of their assistance to the Arevaci, the Roman invaders conquered the Vaccean cities after they had been victorious at Numancia.
Pintia was besieged and destroyed by the Romans, which also buried forever the Vaccean culture, religion, and language.
Years ago, it was believed that Valladolid was the ancient Pintia, but neither the location nor the archaeology supported this belief. The archaeological excavations conducted in Padilla de Duero uncovered an important settlement that has been interpreted as its possible location.
The Archaeological Zone consists of three different parts: the city of Las Quintanas, the necropolis of Las Ruedas, and the potter's district of Carralaceña. In the city of Las Quintanas they have discovered that the city was destroyed by a fire, after which the Visigoths of the area placed their necropolis near the ancient Vacceo-Roman city. In the necropolis of Las Ruedas they have encountered rich burials of elderly soldiers. In the nearby town of Pesquera de Duero
Pesquera de Duero
Pesquera is a town in the Ribera del Duero region that is noted for its red wine, balanced and fruity. It had a population of 562 at the 2001 census....
they have found the artisan
Artisan
An artisan is a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewellery, household items, and tools...
district of Carralaceña, and since the kilns had such a large output, there could have been fires in the city during the period the kilns were used, so they constructed the kilns on the other side of the river and therefore established a contiguous district with the cemetery on that side of the river Duero. The kilns found here are unique in Europe, but they cannot be visited because the Executive of Castile and León do not think it would be profitable to set up the site for tourism.
The town was partially destroyed by the planting of vineyards because of the lack of support given to the excavation projects. The University of Valladolid
University of Valladolid
The University of Valladolid is a public university in the city of Valladolid, province of Valladolid, in the autonomous region of Castile-Leon, Spain...
is currently in charge of the recovery and study of the town.
The necropolis at Pintia is currently being excavated by international field school students every summer under the supervision of the University of Valladolid and the Federico Wattenberg Center of Vaccean Studies, facilitated by ArchaeoSpain.