Largest phallus relief found in Córdoba

 

A bas relief of a huge flat phallus that is greater than an inch and a half in length was discovered on the walls of a Roman-era construction located in the archeological area in El Higueron in Nueva Carteya, a town located 30 miles to the southeast from Cordoba, Spain. The symbol, which the Romans believed to ward away evil eyes was carved into the front of a huge limestone cornerstone that was placed at the foot of an imposing tower-like structure. The impressive value of the phalluse is one of the biggest phalluses in the Roman world, and surely the biggest one that has been which was documented and measured which says quite a bit considering there was a time that the Roman the world filled with phalluses.

Excavating was first conducted on El Higueron between 1966 and 1968, and revealed the remains of a walled Iberian town dating back to in the fifth century B.C. This Iberian town was destroyed by Romans who defeated Carthage and took over the region following the end in the Second Punic War in 206 B.C. They constructed a tower-like structure over the ruinage.

The most recent excavation started this month. The aim of the team is to clear the perimeter wall that is the oldest surviving part that remains of Iberian city. They also plan also to dig up the tower's massive structure.

The archaeologists' team refers to the structure located at El Higueron as a "monumental Roman structure" with walls around the perimeter 6 feet in thickness (1.8 meters) composed of large limestone blocks. Underground storage rooms for agricultural goods were discovered, along with a variety of construction materials, including pieces of stucco Roman cement (opus caementicium) in white and black blocks, tiles, and storage containers that have lids. This year, archaeologists are focusing on digging an access point that connects one of the facades leading to the tower, as well as cleaning the perimeter wall "which is among the most massive aspects of the site" according to the Director of the Historical Museum of Nueva Carteya Andresthe Director of the Historical Museum of Nueva Carteya and Roldan.

The structure was demolished by the Romans during the 1st century Flavian Dynasty. Later, it was revamped during the reign of the Moors during their Iberian rule. The Moors took away portions of the structure weren't needed like the storerooms underground, and strengthened weak spots like the entrance door. When the Christians removed from the Moors at the end of 13th-century, the structure was left to rot and was lost until it was discovered in the 1960s.

In just a few months of digging, archaeologists cleared the wall of the past thoroughly enough to get to the foundations of the Iberian-era. They also found a limestone floor within the tower, as well as a cobblestone floor that was found just outside of the tower, and evidence of numerous modifications to the entrance point of the structure from the initial Roman entrance to the later medieval door which is still in use to this day.

The location has been a popular tourist destination for a while since its discovery, however the walls scattered among the hills covered with olive trees didn't at all draw attention, either positively or negatively. Now, with a huge phallus the curious, inconsiderate and greedy have begun calling. Police along with the Guarda Civil have had to protect the site, particularly at night to keep the remains of the ancient site secure.

Nueva Carteya, the municipality that owns Nueva Carteya has acquired the property to ensure the long-term preservation of the structure as well as its surroundings. The goal is to establish an open-air archaeological park that is accompanied by a museum on site to exhibit the archeological finds found in the park.