ANTEQUERA (Anticaria)		Quality of Remains
		Ease of Access
		Atmosphere & Setting

History & Occupation:

Little is known of Antequera's Roman history. It seems to have consisted of several settlements that gradually joined to become an urban centre called Anticaria. Very little excavation has been carried out on Anticaria, as the town's tourist culture centres around its prehistoric dolmen and its Moorish past. Indeed it is only recently that any Roman structure has been located, though the town's museum has long been filled with locall-found Roman artefacts. It seems likely that Anticaria was a trading centre, as it is located at a junction. To the south, a pass leads through the mountains to Malaga (Roman Malaca). From Antequera, which stands at the head of the pass, roads lead north to Cordoba and west to Osuna, Carmona, Seville and Italica. As such it is no surprise to find a Roman town here. Perhaps in future Antequera will give a little more thought to its Roman heritage and expand on current knowledge.

Remains and Visit:

A recently excavated set of baths lie below the cathedral on its hill and from the plaza before the cathedral the visitor can get an excellent view of the site. At my last visit the baths were not open to visit, but could be viewed from outside. They are a large complex and quite impressive (though low) and hint at a rich Roman heritage that remains buried. Constructed in the 1st century AD, the baths were extensively altered in the 3rd century and remained in use until the 5th.

Images:

The baths