Under the canopies protecting the excavations extends the testimony of a society that nearly two thousand years ago reached a degree of urban sophistication that has not been documented to date in any other neighbouring settlement.
It is known that the hill fort was already fortified in the 4th century BC. A group of huts, both circular and rectangular with rounded corners, a single room and thatch roof, spread out sheltered by the thick walls. Outside, a deep ditch made it impossible to access the enclosure on any side other than the southern flank, where the gate to the settlement was located.
Its inhabitants practised agriculture, prepared their food in pottery not turned on a wheel and manufactured iron and copper utensils, as revealed by the metallurgical remains found here. The incorporation of these territories into the Roman Empire was to bring about radical changes in the lifestyles of the inhabitants of Chao Samartín. Its privileged position with respect to the gold mines in the surrounding area made it a major centre for trade. Concern about cleaning up the streets and squares led to the construction of the drains and sewers. The life of this community was cut short towards the middle of the 2nd century, when a massive earthquake devastated the settlement, which would never again be inhabited.
