Students of the Department of Archeology at the University of Barcelona discovered accidentally traces of Hannibal’s army. The discovery was made by accident, during a field exercise, when the remains of a moat appeared on the radar screen.
Hannibal Barkas crossed the Pyrenees and Alps in 218 BCE and invaded Italy. He left 11,000 troops on the Iberian Peninsula to protect the rear of his army and provide supplies. These troops, however, were attacked and destroyed by the legions commanded by Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio. During the battle, the Romans captured the Carthaginian camp and the town in which it was located. It is the moat that defends this town that the students discovered in today’s Valls in Tarragona. The size of the moat surprised the specialists. Its width was estimated at 40 meters, depth at 5, and length at 500 meters.
During the Second Punic War (218-202 BCE), there were many clashes between Romans and Carthaginians in the Iberian Peninsula, but now there is almost no trace of these events, so the last discovery is extremely valuable. The very beginning of the archaeological work has brought promising results. Carthaginian coins and lead balls.
From historical sources, it is known that in this region, near the Iberian town of El Vilar, one of the greatest battles of this period took place. The moat that was found is one of the largest Iberian moats. Archaeologists hope that the walls will also be found.
