Confluentia, known from a text by the author Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD, should have emerged as a de novo Roman foundation at the beginning of the 1st century BC. It was situated at the confluence of the Duratón and Serrano rivers and at a crossroads of ancient communication routes, including the piedemonte route of the Central system and the Complutum-Clunia route. Its location provided better security and enabled the development of a rational urban structure.
The urban center of this civitas was likely located at the archaeological site of Los Mercados in Duratón. This site is the only archaeological site in the western Arévaca area where an urban-type center is recognized. The city was established as a result of a political decision during the IV Celtiberian War, following the conquest of the nearby Celtic city of Sepúlveda. This move involved relocating inhabitants from a formidable high position to the plain of Los Mercados.
Archaeological campaigns have confirmed the presence of a city with urban characteristics similar to those of Tiermes, Uxama Argaela, or Segovia. Records of the city's status include a small bronze fragment related to a municipal law, a mention of a sexvir in the ciphon of the Museum of Segovia, and a mention of an 'ordo' in an inscription at the Bonus Eventus sanctuary in Puente Talcano.
Despite being a cultural heritage site since 1994, the site is undergoing irreversible processes of destruction and degradation. These are caused by illegal excavations and the continuous farming activities in the area where the archaeological site is located.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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