A team of archaeologists from the University of Granada has uncovered the Roman forum of Ocuri in the town of Ubrique (Cádiz). The excavations were carried out under an agreement between the UGR and the town council of Ubrique and involved researchers, students and volunteers.

The main objective of the excavation was to confirm the hypothesis put forward by the local scholar Juan Vegazo at the end of the 18th century that the central terrace of the hill known as the “Cerro de la Mora” was the site of the forum of the Roman city. When the UGR expedition arrived, all that could be seen was the possible enclosure wall of the central square, approximately one metre high and about 16 metres long.

The archaeological work they have carried out has allowed them to confirm Vegazo’s hypothesis, and to reveal a series of architectural elements that are indicative of large and clearly public buildings of the High Roman Empire. In the absence of a more detailed study of the elements that were uncovered, the researchers have confirmed the presence of a monumental altar accompanied by decorative architectural remains. These include the bases and shafts of columns, as well as other evidence of statue pedestals and column remains scattered throughout the city. The researchers have also re-examined several buildings that have appeared on the site, allowing them to outline an area symbolic of Roman syncretic religious practices, especially those related to water.

One of the other major contributions of the excavation was the confirmation that the site was continuously inhabited until the end of the 4th century. This was substantiated by the coins found in the area, one of which bore a Christogram, the first example of Christian iconography from the site. In addition, ceramics from North Africa allowed the researchers to extend the period of occupation of the site, previously thought to have lasted until the late third century AD, and helped them to understand trade routes closely linked to the Campo de Gibraltar region.

The foundations of a possible medieval defensive structure have also been found. This building would have provided visual contact between this site and other fortifications in the surrounding area that would have been used to oversee this mountainous region of Cádiz.

The excavations outline a space that is crucial for understanding the arrival and consolidation of the Romans in the southern Iberian Peninsula, as well as their hybridisation with the communities that had already settled in the area.