La Cella (Salou, Tarragona). Un puerto comercial en el litoral cessetano

Abstract

We present the results of the archaeological excavation carried out between 2010 and 2014 at the protohistoric site of La Cella (Salou, Tarragonès). The work involved the excavation and interpretation of the site using multidisciplinary techniques. Of particular note were the site’s architecture and urban planning, which are atypical in Iberian sites in this region, and the volume of imported pottery that was recovered. These elements and the timeline of settlement proposed for the site, which covers the start of the 4th century up to the middle of the 3rd century BC, clearly distinguish it from any Iberian settlement in the region or in neighboring areas. These characteristics have led us to propose that the settlement was a commercial port and possibly inhabited by a mixed ethnic community of Mediterranean origin.