Lack of rainfall leaves ancient ruins arising from the depths

THE ongoing lack of rainfall in Malaga Province has exerted a detrimental effect on water resources in the region, with several major dams now containing dangerously little water. This shortfall has produced a particularly stark image at the Guadalteba reservoir, in the Guadalhorce dam complex, where the remains of Peñarrubia have reappeared from their submerged exile.

The hamlet was one of those flooded when the dam was constructed in the 1960’s, and in addition to the ruined houses and other buildings, one of the valley’s archaeological jewels can also be seen.

Considered to be among the oldest tombs in the area, the Las Eras de Peñarrubia necropolis has been dated to the late Roman and Visigoth period between the second and eighth centuries AD, also known as the Late Antiquity Epoch. The University of Malaga performed a full archaeological dig prior to the valley being flooded, although some of the graves and tombstones still remain.