The Andalucían government has announced plans to decelop a science centre at Ronda’s Finca La Algaba Prehistoric Centre to further research into lifestyles and technologies of prehistoric peoples who inhabited the Serranía and Andalucía.

Currently La Algaba best known activity is the ‘El Poblado’ village, a reproduction paleolithic and neolithic village used as part of an archeological experiment to discover how prehistoric prople lived, worshipped, cooked, made pottery, hunted, etc. The layout of the village is based on those found at Acinipo and the Silla del Moro neolithic villages.

In recent years La Algaba has become the benchmark from which all other European university archeological experiments are based, in part due to seminars developed in Ronda that go beyond simply interpreting archeological data to recreating the prehistoric implements and other archeological items, and then conducting experiments to determine how they were used.

The science park, the first in Andalucía, will complement existing programs at La Algaba such as the protection of traditional seed stock, and breeding of native cattle breeds known to have been important to prehistoric people. Neolithic wheat varieties are also being grown organically to learn more about food preparation in prehistoric times.

Maria Elena Sanchez, the director of Finca La Algaba, told Ronda Today she is excited that the hard work and effort expended in Ronda has been recognized in this way, and that the science park represents a qualitative leap forward for archeological experimentation in Europe.

For more information, see Finca La Algaba’s prehistoric village website.