Sites & cities that bear the name of Contrebia Belaisca

Contrebia Belaisca

Today in : Spain
First trace of activity : ca. 5th century B.C.E
Last trace of activity : 49 B.C.E
Recorded names : Contebacom Bel

Description : Contrebia Belaisca was a Celtiberian oppidum , located in the Cabezo de las Minas de Botorrita , Zaragoza , also named Contebacom Bel . 1 The existence of the town is attested, by archeology, from the 5th century BC. C. in the middle of the 1st century BC. C. was surrounded, taken and all its inhabitants massacred in the first war celtíbera by the proconsul Tiberius Gracchus . It was totally destroyed after Julius Caesar's victory over the Pompeians in Ilerda ( Lleida ) in 49 BC. C. have been found stone balls catapult and counted for its defense with a moat and a double wall. The excavation campaigns have uncovered an important architectural complex in the upper part of the head, it is believed that with a political-religious function. 2 In this town, since the 70s a series of bronze plates with inscriptions in the Celtiberian language have been found , the Botorrita bronzes , which guarantee the name of Contrebia Belaisca or Balaisca. Francisco Villar and Carlos Jordán (2001) consider that these bronzes were an archive of the court of a kind of legal district, equivalent to Roman convents. In fact they point to the possibility that Contrebia Belaisca can be translated into Latin as Conuentus Bellorum or "meeting of the Belos or Bellos". Thus Contrebia would be the head of the judicial district of the Belos , a Celtic people.

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