The Aqueduct of Los Millares – Investigations of the Water Supply of a Large Chalcolithic Settlement in the South-East of the Iberian Pensinsula

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The archaeological site of Los Millares, ca. 15 kms north of port Almería in Andalusia, is one of the greatest known chalcolithic fortifications of the Iberian Peninsula. The settlement and the necropolis with more than 70 tumuli was discovered at the end of the 19th century by two mining engineers, Louis and Henri Siret.In the maps drawn by L. Siret, an aqueduct can be seen leading from its now vanished source within a distance of ca. 1 km from the settlement of Los Millares to a cistern inside the settlement. L. Siret also described this aqueduct in various publications. From 1978 to 1991 most parts of the settlement fortification were excavated by A. Arribas Palau and F. Molina González, University of Granada. Today we can see the following parts of the water supply facilities: a suspected passage through the first outer wall, strongly sintered stones between the first and the second wall and two suspected cisterns inside the third and fourth fortification wall. But there exists no clear archaeological evidence for Siret’s theorised water supply.The main goal of this research is to give empirical evidence that in the Copper Age there existed an ingenious system of water supply which included an aqueduct and one or more attached sources in Los Millares. If possible additional statements about the water quality and the climatic conditions will be made. Firstly, the geological and hydrogeological conditions for groundwater exploitation in the Copper Age in the catchment area of the Rio Andarax valley will be examined where Los Millares is located. Secondly, the archaeological and hydrogeological prospection of the source(s) and further parts of the aqueduct will be carried out. Thirdly, samples will be taken of the tufa, described by L. Siret as further indications for the aqueduct. These will be analysed by different scientific methods: - Investigations of 230Th/U reveal the exact age, as could be shown with a pilot sample, which is dated between 2,627 und 2,601 BC. Investigations from different parts of the aqueduct can reveal the period of time when the aqueduct was filled with water. Samples of possible sources in the surrounding area also will be analysed. - By comparing the trace elements of the carbonates with the hydrochemical parameters of modern groundwaters and thermal waters in the surroundings of Los Millares, it shall be shown, whether in the aqueduct there was flowing groundwater or thermal water. - If it is clear, that the water in the aqueduct was connected to the water cycle then, by the composition of the stable isotopes 13C/12C and 18O/16O, hopefully additional statements about the palaeo-climate in the Copper Age in SE-Spain can be made.