Castillo de El Collao, located in Escobedo, Camargo, Cantabria, stands on the hill of El Collao. Dated between the 8th and 12th centuries, it was the largest of approximately thirty similar types of castles in Cantabria and is one of the best preserved in Cantabria. Built with limestone masonry and rubble filler, the fortress features a wall and protects a total area of 512 square meters at its summit. While the castle dates back several centuries, it underwent rehabilitation between 2000 and 2001.
Today, the castle stands on public land and offers a viewpoint providing views of the Pas Valley and part of the Camargo Valley. Archaeological excavations have uncovered abundant ceramic pieces, including pots and jars, as well as iron arrowheads. Other significant finds include a clay figure representing a man in a tunic and a gold-covered bronze applique with a monster heads motif.
Scientific analysis of the site has yielded specific insights. Two carbon-14 tests have determined the age of the site to be between the years 760 and 1020, with a 110-year margin of uncertainty for each date. These dates are used to mark both the foundation and the abandonment of the castle.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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