As many of you have read, I absolutely love the archaeological museum in Alicante (called the MARQ)! It fills my inner nerd with joy!
When I heard that from December to February there was going to be a special exhibit, I knew that I had to check it out.
The exhibit--entitled La Vila Joiosa--brought together a collection of artifacts from Villajoyosa owned by the MARQ and the museum in Villajoyosa.
Villajoyosa (or Vila Joiosa in Valencian) is a town of around 30,000 people located northeast of Alicante. It is thought that the town was first settled at the end of the Bronze Age.
Historically, it has been a center for trade along the eastern coast of Spain. First the Phoenicians and later the Greeks came here to trade goods. For this reason, there are a number of artifacts in this collection that wouldn't otherwise be there--a new year canteen from Egypt, a black, decorated pot from Greece, an Etruscan strainer, etc.
Why would the Phoenicians and Greeks come to Spain? They came because Spain had an abundance of metals--such as gold, silver, and copper. Though Spain had these metals, the Phoenicians and Greeks taught them how to use them. For example, the Phoenicians showed them how to work with iron, and the Greeks taught them different pottery designs.
Later, the Romans settled in Vila Joiosa--though it was likely called Allon in this moment. The Roman villas in Vila Joiosa had some amazing mosaics. The Romans spared no expense in the construction of their villas.
This part of the exhibit had some interesting pieces. The first of which was a grave stone. According to our tour guide, Romans buried their dead along the side of streets. In the place where they were buried, a stone would be placed--typically, with the person's name and age. It was believed that if their name was not on that stone they would be stuck in a sort of limbo.
Today, Villajoyosa is best know for its celebration of Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians) the 24th-31st of June. Apparently, it celebrates the Christian victory over pirates attacking Villajoyosa. Each year, people come from all over to reenact the pirates storming the beaches and their defeat by the villagers.
Picture of the Day:
Artifacts from the province of Alicante. Photos taken in the Archaeology Museum in Murcia.
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