- Caravia
Infobox Asturian municipality
coat of arms = Escudo de Caravia.gif
capital = Prado (Prau inAsturian )
coordinates = Coord|43|26|59.9|N|5|10|59.9|W|type:adm2nd(591)_elevation:400_dim:5000_region:ES-AS-AS-CV|display=inline,title
judicial district =Villaviciosa
parishes= 2
year= 2007
population= 591
population rank= 71
population percentage = 0.05
density= 44,50
area= 13
area rank= 76
area percentage = 0.12
highest point= El Fito 631
postcode= 33343 and 33346
mayor= Pablo García Pando
party= PSOE
website= http://www.caravia.orgLocation map|Spain|label= Caravia|lat_deg=43|lat_min=27|lon_deg=-5|lon_min=-11|position=right|width=230
float=right|background=#FFFFDD|caption=Caravia in SpainCaravia is a municipality in the
Autonomous Community of thePrincipality of Asturias ,Spain . It is bordered on the north by theBay of Biscay (known in Spain as "Mar Cantábrico" or Cantabrian Sea), on the south byParres , on the east byRibadesella and on the west byColunga .Geography
Caravia is the third smallest municipality of Asturias. The population is centered mainly in Prado (Prau in
Asturian ), the municipal capital, Duesos and Duyos. It is 68 km fromOviedo , the capital of the principality.There are mountain summits in the southern parts of Caravia, with Fito (631 m) being the highest. In the north there are three main beaches: Beciella, Arenal de Morís and Espasa. The beaches are separated by great cliffs along the coast. The rest of the municipality has little variation in
orography . Its main watercourse is the Romeros river.Together with the municipalities of
Colunga ,Piloña ,Parres andRibadesella , Caravia is part of the geographic area known as Sierra del Sueve.Parishes
* High Caravia (Spanish: Caravia Alta, Asturian: Caravia l'Alta)
* Low Caravia (Spanish: Caravia Baja, Asturian: Caravia Baxa)History
Paleolithic
The first humans in Caravia were during the
Paleolithic period, during the time when humans began to use stone tools. From this time period, there are ruins known as "Les Vaques" and "La Pongueta", located near Duyos, where Paleolithic humans lived near a small river and rocky escarpment.Recent Prehistory
There is a large
dolmen -liketumulus (or burial mound) near Beciella beach, by the mouth of the Romeros river. Nearby, there is also the Necrópolis de la Tuerba, formed by three tumuluses located in the coastal plain.Iron Age
The first excavations made in the Picu el Castru, were carried out
August 22 ,1917 , byAurelio de Llano . He found a prehistoric fortification in his first dig, located two kilometers from the sea at an altitude of 380 m. This fortification had a perimeter of 225 m.From this castro-style fortification, both the sea and the mountains can be seen, making it an ideal location to oversee Caravia and Colunga. It is accessed by a meandering ramp which leads to the interior containing the foundations of rectangular huts, 4 by 3 m, separated one from another by 90 cm.
According to Aurelio de Llano in his book "The Book of Caravia", the fortification contained tools, domestic utensils, and feminine jewelry. There were fibulae made of
bronze andiron , pendants and necklaces. One notable bronze fibula was decorated with an embossed pony. Aurelio de Llano determined that the fortification dates back to theBronze Age (2500 BC to900 BC ). All the pieces coming from the excavation are currently in theArchaeological Museum of Asturias .Roman Era
One important
stele exists from theRoman era , known as the Stele of Duesos (La Estela de Duesos). It was discovered on the exterior of the Church of Duesos, carved in aquartzite block. The existence of these steles, frequently embedded in Christian churches during their construction, is due to the conversion toChristianity of places wherepagan religions were formerly practiced.The stele is a fragment without epigraph and it is decorated on all four sides. The decoration is divided in registers, and the head is undecorated. A recurring theme of the carving is curved radii similar to a
swastika . It is similar to Roman steles, but maintains traditional indigenous features. Among the materials taken from the fortification, there are examples of decorations similar to the stele.Demography
Politic
PSOE PP IU-BA Andere Total 2003 4 3 0 0 7 2007 4 3 0 0 7
External links
* [http://www.facc.info/CONCEJOS/Caravia.htm Federación Asturiana de Concejos] (Spanish)
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