The Site of Pintia
Pintia has been occupied over a span of about 2,500 years. The site extends over 170 acres, including a residential settlement, a necropolis (cemetery), a body cremation site and a separate artisan neighborhood. This neighborhood also features its own living quarters, pottery workshops and its own necropolis.
Locals discovered the site around 1870 and communicated the news of artifacts and bones to government authorities. Modern research under the auspices of the University of Valladolid began in 1979 and continues today.
The main urban settlement is called Las Quintanas, which occupies about a third of the total site. Excavation and aerial photography have revealed a well-developed layout with a system of primary and secondary streets. Moats and wooden/adobe defensive walls protected the settlement.
Investigators
have identified distinct periods of occupation between the 4th century BC
and the 7th century, with the pre-Roman epochs being the richest archaeologically.
Several of these periods ended violently, as invaders or disaster forced
inhabitants to abandon their belongings in homes that soon collapsed. Recent
excavations have uncovered homes with their contents intact. Almost frozen
in time, these discoveries have provided archaeologists with a true snapshot
into the daily lives of these people.
After the Roman conquest, the city of Pintia enjoyed a
peaceful existence. Consequently, the archaeological data from this time
period is not as spectacular as the violent times prior. 
Nevertheless, archaeologists can revel in the decline of Pintia, which occurred between the 4th and 7th centuries. During this time part of the city was used as a Visigothic cemetery and archaeologists have excavated about 100 tombs, which have yielded exceptional artifacts as well as evidence of different funerary practices.
Artisan Neighborhood
The excavations of the city’s artisan neighborhood have uncovered several pottery ovens – with one of them being exceptionally large and well-preserved. There are also remains of the structure of a laboratory.