Meranges, the ICAC and the Llívia Museum join forces in a joint proposal: guided tour of the Molleres site.

The City Council of Meranges, the Catalan Institute of Classical Archeology (ICAC-CERCA), and the Llívia Museum have joined forces in a cultural and heritage project –perhaps, later, tourism– that aims to promote and disseminate the relevance of the Coll de Molleres, in Meranges, at 2,500 meters above sea level, beyond the Malniu refuge.

Thus, a guided tour of the site has been organized this coming Saturday, July 13, leaving at 10 in the morning from the Malniu refuge.

This proposal is part of a more ambitious program related to the archeology of the landscape, settlement, and territory, which ICAC-CERCA leads through the GIAP research group and which has been developing in mountain areas such as Ripollès and Cerdanya, for many years. years. In fact, as a result of this work in the Núria Valley, the results and studies carried out are exhibited and provided to society through educational and museographic resources, among other formats.

This is not the case with Meranges, yet. The site of Coll de Molleres I  documents a settlement with a long occupation, with a first large construction phase of polygonal typology that we would place between the Ibero-Ceretan period and the Roman phase (3rd centuries BC – 1st AD), and a second large phase already fully medieval (with an abandonment that would occur around the 12th-13th centuries). However, the dating of the 9th century BC. suggests a Ceretan origin for the complex, in the Late Bronze – Iron I.

The overall results obtained in the latest archaeological campaigns in the area provide some exciting first data on the highland occupation in the Meranges area. The surveys have made it possible to demonstrate the high density of preservation of archaeological structures in this area.

You can expand this information, about this and other excavations in the area, such as the Duran I site, at this link.

The ICAC-CERCA, in summary, determines that these highland spaces (Duran and the Coll de Molleres, in Meranges) confirm its interest in knowing the origin of the great transhumance in this sector of the Pyrenees and the territorial implementation of Iulia Libica (Llívia, Cerdanya) about the control and exploitation of highland areas.

From this link arises the desire to offer a joint vision and the possibility for the three institutions to work together in providing a guided tour, coordinated by the Llívia Museum.

Additional information – Recommendations

This is an activity that takes place in high mountains. The starting point is at 2,100 meters, with the arrival point at 2,500 meters, in a route of about two and a half kilometers. It is estimated that the journey takes approximately one hour. It is an easy route for people used to walking in the mountains, but moderate for those who are not. It is recommended to bring water, sunscreen, a piece of fruit or nuts. It is necessary to wear good footwear.

Do you need more info? Contact the Llívia City Council.

Do you know the Coll de Molleres cultural landscape?

The archaeological campaign led by the GIAP research group last summer in Coll de Molleres has left us with spectacular images! Come and discover this cultural mountain landscape, it will not let you down!

About the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC-CERCA)

The Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC-CERCA) is a CERCA center established as a consortium in 2003 by the Government of Catalonia and the Rovira i Virgili University. It is a Catalan institution with an international scope, at the forefront of research and conservation of archaeological heritage. Its headquarters are in Tarragona, a city recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Its researchers work to understand the past through the study of archaeological remains and promote the preservation of the historical legacy. We are CERCA!

For more information, visit www.icac.cat.