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Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Home Video footage showing an ambush of police in México state that left four officers dead has surfaced on social media Suspected gangsters who perpetrated the attack also appear in the footage which was presumably filmed by one of the assailants The ambush took place on October 28 in Almoloya de Alquisiras a municipality about 75 kilometers southwest of the state capital armed men are seen waiting in a forest above a dirt road between the communities of Los Pinos and Las Vigas we’re coming for you now,” the man filming says the video’s narrator says: “Here’s ‘El Grillo’ [The Cricket] Several other men appear in the video before the man filming declares: “We’re going to kill the state police here because they’re sticking their noses into our business.” he adds: “This is where it’s going to happen.” a volley of gunfire is heard as a state police vehicle comes into view The vehicle quickly overturns although not before one officer falls or jumps from its rear onto the dirt road He is then seen running off the road to take shelter before disappearing from view Heavy gunfire continues for the next 55 seconds Four police died at the scene of the ambush while a fifth officer survived The México state Secretariat of Security and Attorney General’s office said they are investigating the leaking of the videos which they obtained during their probe into the October 28 crime The authorities said the footage forms part of the evidence against the alleged perpetrators one of whom has already been arrested and is in custody Some media outlets have reported that the men belong to the Familia Michoacana cartel Almoloya de Alquisiras is part of the notoriously dangerous Tierra Caliente region Source: El Universal (sp)  ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC 4,000-year-old treasure suggestsThe lavish discoveries could undermine the idea that state power is almost exclusively a product of male-dominated societies A trove of ornate jewelry, including a silver diadem, suggest a woman buried nearly 4,000 years ago in what is modern-day Spain was a ruler of surrounding lands who may have commanded the might of a state, according to a study published today in the journal Antiquity The discoveries raise new questions about the role of women in early Bronze Age Europe and challenge the idea that state power is almost exclusively a product of male-dominated societies The remains of the woman, alongside those of a man who may have been her consort, were originally unearthed in 2014 at La Almoloya an archaeological site among forested hills about 35 miles northwest of Cartagena in southeastern Spain Radiocarbon dating suggests the burial happened about 1700 B.C. and its richness suggests to the researchers that she may have been at the top of the local chain of command “We have two ways of interpreting this,” says archaeologist Roberto Risch of the Autonomous University of Barcelona it's just the wife of the king; or you say she’s a political personality by herself.” Argarian grave goods show women were considered adults at much younger age than boys—girls as young as six were buried with knives and tools The graves of some El Argar women were re-opened generations later to inter other men and women an unusual practice that likely conferred a great honor And research published by Risch and his colleagues in 2020 showed that elite women in Argarian graves ate more meat than other women which suggested they had real political power “But this burial at La Amoloya questions the role of women in [Bronze Age] politics… it questions a lot of conventional wisdom.” Risch says the man in the grave was a probably a warrior: Wear on his bones suggests he spent a lot of time on horseback, and his skull shows he had deep scars from a severe facial injury, possibly an old wound sustained in combat. He tied back his long hair with silver bands, and wore gold plugs through his earlobes that indicate he was someone of distinction. the archaeologists estimate the grave goods of the La Almoloya woman were worth the equivalent today of many tens of thousands of dollars Other burials of high-status El Argar women also indicate great wealth but men were never buried with such riches “That suggests that when [women] were alive they played a very important role in the political management of the community,” Risch says The location of the burial also indicate the woman had a political role Many of the dead in El Argar communities were buried beneath the floors of buildings and her grave was found beneath a room set with benches for up to 50 people nicknamed the “parliament” by the researchers The room itself was part of an elaborate building that may be the earliest-known palace in continental western European Risch says—a place where rulers both lived and carried out their duties The idea that Argaric communities could have been ruled by women makes sense to archaeologist and historian Marina Lozano a professor at the University of Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona and a researcher at the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES) So it follows that women could have been rulers: “Women in El Argar were an active part of its economy… a ruler is only another example of the significance of women in this society,” she says Some other experts on Argarian culture are more cautious about the new interpretations. “The finds are spectacular… it’s first-rate archaeology,” says anthropologist Antonio Gilman an emeritus professor at California State University Northridge still worn on her head Photo: Arqueoecologia Social Mediterrània Research Group have discovered a grave filled with precious items and the remains of a woman who may have been a ruler or powerful member of society The woman was buried alongside a man in a large pot in around 1700 BC beneath the floor of what may be western Europe’s earliest palace Scholars argue that this was a symbol of power in El Argar society which existed in south-eastern Spain from around 2200 to 1550 BC Among the woman’s other grave goods were a set of silver earlobe tunnel-plugs; silver spirals that were perhaps part of her headdress; two silver bracelets; a necklace; and a silver ring on one of her fingers A selection of the grave goods found at the site in La Almoloya courtesy of the Arqueoecologia Social Mediterrània Research Group Aerial view of La Almoloya in 2015 Photo: courtesy of the Arqueoecologia Social Mediterrània Research Group, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Archaeological discoveries about Argaric society “unveil how rudimentary our visions and understanding of prehistoric societies really are,” Risch says. “Until a few years ago, when our project started, no one imagined the scale of the El Argar architecture nor of the wealth stored in these truly urban settlements.” This society had been ignored for a long time, he says, and “probably represents the last ‘lost civilisation’ in Europe”. the city of Cobá is revealing its secrets to archaeologists news4 October 2020Remains of 'tall and robust' Anglo Saxon warrior found by amateur detectorist in UK The 'Marlow Warlord' was buried with his weapons and luxuries for 1,400 years UNIVERSITAT AUTONOMA DE BARCELONA—Women of the ruling class may have played an important role in the governance of El Argar a society which flourished in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula between 2200 and 1550 BCE and which in the last two centuries of its existence developed into the first state organization of the western Mediterranean These are the conclusions reached by researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) who led a study analyzing the contents of a princely tomb (Grave 38) containing two individuals and a large amount of valuable items The tomb was discovered in 2014 at the archaeological site of La Almoloya in Pliego beneath what was later identified to be the governing hall of a palatial building “La Almoloya and the princely grave 38 belong to these exceptional archaeological finds which from time to time provide a glimpse into the ruling subjects and the emblematic objects of the first state societies emerging in Europe during the Bronze Age” this research has given archaeologists an insight into the political and economic power of the ruling class in El Argar featured two individuals: a man aged 35 to 40 Next to them was a range of some 30 valuable and prestigious objects many of which were made or embellished with silver and almost all belonging to the female There was a very complete repertoire of jewels and personal objects: bracelets spirals and containers with animal offerings The most outstanding item was a silver diadem found on the head of the female A detailed study* of the diadem found in La Almoloya and its comparison to four others found in the 19th century in the tombs of rich women at the site of El Argar which gives name to the Argaric society and culture They were created in a silversmith workshop such as the one recently discovered in Tira del Lienzo another Argaric site excavated by the same UAB team a few years ago “The singularity of these diadems is extraordinary They were symbolic objects made for these women thus transforming them into emblematic subjects of the dominant ruling class” comparable to funerary objects pertaining to the ruling class of other regions or in the eastern Mediterranean of the 17th century BCE the opulence of the funerary goods found in the tombs of the elite women of El Argar in which the diadems are of particular importance is an indication of the distinguished role played by these women in the governance of some of these settlements birthplace of the Argar society and center of the most relevant political and economic power within the region or were the emblems of power worn by them merely of symbolic value This is the question the research team is interested in And their answer is that most probably they were the rulers: “In the Argaric society women of the dominant classes were buried with diadems while the men were buried with a sword and dagger The funerary goods buried with these men were of lesser quantity and quality As swords represent the most effective instrument for reinforcing political decisions El Argar dominant men might have played an executive role even though the ideological legitimation as well as had lain in some women’s hands” According to the genetic analyses conducted at the Max Planck Institute the individuals buried in Grave 38 were contemporaneous and died simultaneously or close together in the mid-17th century BCE The woman had several congenital abnormalities along with markings on the ribs that could indicate she had a pulmonary infection at the time of death the male also had wear and tear on his bones indicative of extensive physical activity The metal objects of Grave 38 also stand out in quantitative terms The total weight of the silver is approximately 230 gr a currency used during the time of Hammurabi in the first half of the 18th century BCE (contemporaneous with El Argar) and adapted by other Near Eastern and Aegean economies the silver found in La Almoloya would be enough to pay around 938 daily wages or buy 3350 kg of barley the mean weight of the three medium-sized silver spirals worn by both individuals is 8.44 g which matches the weight of the Mesopotamian shekel (8.33 g) the weights of other silver spirals found in Grave 38 are practically fractions or multiplications of that figure “This may be a random distribution or it may indicate a standardized system of weights and measures mirroring contemporaneous Eastern examples Further research is required to determine this but the possibility of detecting a metric system behind the silver spirals is a further indication of the extent of the economic control exercised by the dominant class in El Argar” where there is no knowledge of the space in which they were placed the funerary goods in Grave 38 and the diadem did offer the possibility of interpreting their location within an architectural setting “The presence of emblematic objects buried in such an important place as is the “parliament” of La Almoloya could represent political unity among the Argaric regions during the last period of this society The building was destroyed in a fire shortly after the burials took place” The El Argar society and the importance of La Almoloya The El Argar society flourished from 2200 to 1550 BCE in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula (Murcia and Almería) and represents an early Bronze Age society with urban centers and monumental constructions intramural burials with marked asymmetries in funerary expenditure between individuals political boundaries and institutionalized violence in the context of a class-based state society The most important settlements are El Argar excavated in 2014 by researchers from the ASOME (Arqueoecologia Social Mediterrània) research group affiliated to the UAB Department of Prehistory pointed out the unique archaeological wealth of the site—a privileged strategic location which helped this society thrive for over six centuries including a building with political functions and Grave 38 confirmed its importance as a center of political and economic relevance within the political territory of El Argar The diadem found in La Almoloya is the only one to be preserved in Spain the two main cities and the location of strategic tin mines Typical jar burial of the El Argar culture Article Source: UNIVERSITAT AUTONOMA DE BARCELONA news release *https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/emblems-and-spaces-of-power-during-the-argaric-bronze-age-at-la-almoloya-murcia/B27A3C7AD23625DD39C6D4F2C3981C2F Subscribe to Popular Archaeology Premium Still the industry's best value at only $9.00 annually Subscribe to Popular Archaeology Premium Still the industry’s best value at only $9.00 annually better known as El Chapo, escaped from what is widely considered to be the most secure prison facility in a country of 120 million people had made a mockery of Mexico's justice system Guzman broke out of a different Mexican prison by hiding in a laundry cart and with likely cooperation from prison staff The probability that Mexico's most notorious criminal bribed his way out of Altiplano makes Guzman's escape "Mexico's worst nightmare" — especially since escape from Altiplano should have been inconceivable According to The New Yorker airspace around the prison was designated a no-fly zone to prevent aerial escapes airwaves in the region were reportedly restricted so that prisoners would not be able to communicate via smuggled cell phones.  Guzman climbed down a 32-foot tall ladder into a recently constructed tunnel that was over a mile long Aside from the damage of having the head of Mexico's largest drug cartel again at large the escape calls into question the state of the country's entire criminal justice system Even the supposedly most intensely guarded prison in the country isn't safe from the corruption and clientalism that has long characterized the Mexican state's relationship with drug traffickers Mexico — Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman the most wanted of Mexico's drug lords would have breezed along the mile-long tunnel dug just for him on a specially modified motorcycle or one of the two carts it pushed on two steel rails A visit on Tuesday by journalists to the tunnel's exit in an unfinished barn near the prison that held Guzman provided a look at the last few yards that the leader of the Sinaloa cartel traversed to make his second escape from a Mexican maximum-security lockup Tracks guiding the modified motorcycle end two or three steps from the base of a wooden ladder with 17 rungs that he would have scrambled up The air in the tunnel is warm and humid and fine dust coats everything a step leads into a small basement dominated by a blue generator as big as a compact car One more step and Guzman stood on the dusty floor of the barn where the digging crew had left 4-inch by 4-inch wooden beams 10-foot lengths of PVC pipe and an electric disc saw Seven strides and the man who Mexico's government said would not repeat his 2001 prison escape stepped through a sliding steel door into the chilly night on the high plain west of the capital For the first time since his latest capture The ingenuity and audacity of the caper was breathtaking Buy a piece of land a mile from Mexico's most secure prison concrete block structure that doesn't look out of place Experts have said the tunnel would have been more than a year in planning and building The entrance was in a place beyond the view of security cameras at Mexico's toughest prison They also said it was clear the escape by Mexico's most powerful drug lord must have involved inside help on a grand scale Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong conceded as much Monday night He announced that three prison officials had been fired director of the Altiplano prison 55 miles (90 kilometers) west of Mexico City "They had something or a lot to do with what happened and that's why we made that decision," Osorio Chong said he did not say who exactly is suspected of aiding the escape Nor did he talk about rooting out the kind of corruption that led to the escape Osorio Chong said the tunnel was 19 meters (about 62 feet) below the surface and he called it a "high-tech" breach of the prison's extensive security measures which include 750 cameras and 26 security filters A tunnel of such sophistication — with lights and the customized motorcycle rigged up on a rail line — would normally take 18 months to two years to complete former head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations you probably put that on high speed," he said If anyone was capable of pulling off such a feat who is believed to have at least a quarter-century of experience in building large sophisticated tunnels to smuggle drugs under the U.S.-Mexico border and to escape from hideouts as authorities closed in His cartel also has been most successful in coopting officials an organized crime expert at Columbia University "By far they are the most infiltrated in Mexico's government institutions," he said Experts express skepticism that such an engineering project could go on undetected who retired this year as interim special agent in charge of U.S Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego has extensive experience in tunnel investigations He said the tunnel at Altiplano was longer than any passage ever found on the U.S.-Mexico border rescuers likely had intelligence on the prison even before Guzman was arrested Designers and workers would have needed access to sensitive information such as prison floor plans and alarm and camera systems And just the noise alone as they bored the final 30-foot (10-meter) vertical shaft directly under the prison to reach Guzman's cell would have generated some attention "It's not just like someone took a couple tools This is a very sophisticated operation," said Alonzo Pena "How could they be there and not hear that construction was going on underneath Associated Press writers Elliot Spagat in San Diego California; Mark Stevenson and Maria Verza in Mexico City Caldwell in Washington contributed to this report ShareSaveListsMexico's HR Commission Investigates Alleged "Inhumane" Treatment Of Jailed Drug Lord El Chapo GuzmanByDolia Estevez Until his arrest in February of 2014 in Mexico El Chapo Guzmán was the head of the Sinaloa Cartel an international criminal organization with billions of dollars in revenues and Miguel Ángel "The Godfather" Félix Gallardo (convicted for the murder of a DEA agent in the 1980.) Letter sent to Human Rights Commission (Photo credit: Nayaritenlinea.com) The list of alleged violations at the prison include overcrowding impediment to make phone calls and mistreatment of family visitors who "It is not possible to be locked up 23 of the 24 hours in the day The rest of the activities (which we should have) are just an utopia…," the inmates wrote Serranía said that the Commission takes seriously all allegations regardless of who makes them or perhaps even foreigners living in Mexico and they have the same Constitutional rights than anyone They deserve to have their complaint investigated." Drug lords' signatures (Photo credit: Nayaritenlinea.com) opened a case file and a "team of investigators" have already visited Almoloya several times including the prisoners and the head of the prison who was accused by the inmates of "corruption and repression." Asked if Guzmán who is under 24-hour surveillance due to fears that he might escape as he did in 2001 Serranía said: "I can't tell you for sure but certainly we will try to talk to as many as possible." While complaints of inhumane treatment in Mexico's prisons are not uncommon this is the first time that he recalls that Mexico's most notorious and dangerous drug criminals many of whom were archenemies in the underground world have joined together to demand that their rights be respected Serranía declined to say when the investigation would conclude and anticipated that the Commission will most likely issue recommendations But even before the investigation is done, Mexico's National Security Commissioner, Monte Alejandro Rubido, rejected the inmates allegations arguing that the prison complies with internal protocols "The authorities always say that everything is OK but the Commission has to investigate," said Serranía Researchers in Murcia find exquisite objects at women’s graves later used as sites for elite warrior burials A burial site found in Spain – described by archaeologists as one of the most lavish bronze age graves discovered to date in Europe – has sparked speculation that women may have been among the rulers of a highly stratified society that flourished on the Iberian peninsula until 1550BC a team of more than a dozen researchers have been investigating the site of La Almoloya in the southern Spanish region of Murcia a society that was among the first to utilise bronze build complex urban centres and develop into a state organisation the site is part of a vast territory that at its peak stretched across 35,000 sq km Research published on Thursday in the journal Antiquity has documented one of the site’s most tantalising finds: a man and a woman buried in a large ceramic jar both of whom died close together in the mid-17th century BC The remains of a man and a woman in a large ceramic jar have been found at La Almoloya Photograph: Cambridge University PressBuried with them were 29 valuable objects nearly all of them belonging to the female believed to be between 25 and 30 years of age “It’s like everything she touched had silver on it,” said Cristina Rihuete of the Autonomous University of Barcelona Among the exquisitely crafted items were bracelets In total 230 grams of silver were found at the burial site – an amount that at the time would have been worth the equivalent of 938 daily wages The prominent role women may have played in the society is echoed in other finds at El Argar; similar diadems were found at four other female burial sites while gravesites of women were later used for the burials of elite warriors suggesting these sites were viewed as places of high status Men were probably the warriors of society, as suggested by the swords found at several male burial sites, said Roberto Risch of Autonomous University of Barcelona. “Clearly they control the means of violence and they are probably behind the expansion of El Argar.” Read moreThe society, which thrived from 2200BC onwards, was highly organised with a wealthy elite that was probably sustained by some sort of tax system. “In western Europe there was nothing of the like,” said Risch, pointing to the rest of Spain where people at the time were living in self-sufficient communities of 50 to 100 people. By the 16th century BC, all of El Argar’s settlements were abandoned, believed to have been racked by internal uprisings. “Shortly after the woman dies, the whole settlement is burned down,” said Risch. “And not until the Greeks and Phoenicians arrive on the Iberian peninsula did we see anything similar, either in architecture or in political dimension.” Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article (()=>{const e=document.getElementById("yt-img-bYEMPTBrin0");e&&e.addEventListener("load",(t=>{t.target.naturalWidth<=120&&(e.parentNode.children[0].srcset=e.parentNode.children[1].srcset=e.src)}),{once:!0})})() Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán has complained about “psychological torture” inflicted on him in prison according to his lawyers and a psychiatrist who recently visited him Guzman, the head of the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel, who famously escaped two high-security Mexican prisons before being recaptured this year, complained to the doctor about “psychological torture” inflicted on him by guards, according to a report made public Wednesday Guzman described a prison cell where the lights are kept on 24 hours a day and his only human contact is with masked guards He complained of being awoken every four hours to appear on camera for an inmate roll call “They do not let me sleep,” said Guzman, who is fighting extradition to the United States There is probably no more closely watched inmate in Mexico than Guzman a notorious escape artist whose two daring flights from prison have made him something of a folk hero here Since he was moved from a high-security prison in Mexico City to a different facility in Juarez earlier this year “everything has become hell,” Guzman told the doctor “He doesn’t know when is day and when is night,” said his attorney who has filed numerous appeals to stop Guzman’s extradition to the U.S. which Mexican officials hope to carry out as soon as January Who is ‘El Chapo’ and how did he become a dark legend in Mexico? » Refugio said he received “a desperate message” from Guzman on Friday saying he was suffering hallucinations and “felt he was going to die.” to file a complaint Monday with the National Human Rights Commission Coronel complained that Guzman’s conditions which include complete isolation from other prisoners and limited outside visitors are inflicting “irreparable” psychological damage She said conditions could kill him or make him “go crazy” in a matter of months She also complained that her conjugal visits with her husband had been reduced to two hours a week Mexican officials deny Guzman’s rights are being violated and have suggested the reports of his bad treatment are part of a strategy to slow his extradition View of a latex mask depicting Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman in Ciudad Juarez (AFP/Getty Images ) National Security Commissioner Renato Sales Heredia told a radio journalist Tuesday that Guzman has had 35 visits from family members and 33 visits from his lawyers since being transfered to the Juarez prison “The truth is he has not been subjected to torture or any degrading or inhuman treatment,” said Sales who said Guzman’s isolation from other prisoners is typical of the country’s most highly guarded inmates Keeping Guzman behind bars has been a priority for the government of President Enrique Peña Nieto who suffered a major embarrassment in July 2015 when Guzman broke out of Altiplano prison near Mexico City via a milelong tunnel but not after he conducted a secret interview with actors Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo 1/17 A newspaper shows a picture of drug lord Joaquin Guzman aka “El Chapo,” shaking hands with actor Sean Penn as seen at a newsstand in Mexico City on Sunday 2/17 Drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is escorted to a helicopter at Mexico City’s airport on Friday following his recapture during an intense military operation in Los Mochis 3/17 Marines stand guard outside the house where five gang suspects were killed in the military operation which resulted in the recapture of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman in the city of Los Mochis on Friday.  (- / AFP/Getty Images) 4/17 Forensic experts document the scene where one man was killed by security forces during the firefight that ensued to capture Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman in a house under construction in Los Mochis 5/17 Federal police patrol on the perimeters of the Altiplano maximum security prison in Almoloya is being held after his recapture on Friday Guzman was sent back to the maximum-security prison from where he escaped last July 11 through an elaborate tunnel 6/17 Mexican marines inspect a manhole where high-powered weapons were found to be abandoned in the neighborhood where special forces had located the world’s most-wanted drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman 7/17 An abandoned weapon is propped against a storm drain wall in the neighborhood where special forces had located the world’s most-wanted drug lord looks at the end of a tunnel through which Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is believed to have escaped at a house in Almoloya de Juarez 9/17 Handout picture released by the Attorney General of Mexico (PGR) showing the alleged end of the tunnel through which Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman could have escaped from the Altiplano prison 10/17 Mexican officials believe a tunnel that has an opening in this home could have been used by Mexican drug lord El Chapo Guzman to escape from an Altiplano prison 11/17 Federal policemen inspect a pipeline under construction by the Altiplano prison in Almoloya de Juarez after Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman escaped 12/17 Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is escorted to a helicopter in Mexico City after his February 2014 capture in Mazatlan 13/17 A policeman searches outside the Altiplano prison in Almoloya de Juarez 14/17 Police inspect a vehicle as they search for escaped drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman around the Almoloya de Juarez prison in Toluca 15/17 The Altiplano prison in Almoloya de Juarez 16/17 Mexican soldiers search for drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman along the highway between Mexico City and Toluca 17/17 Federal police stand outside the Altiplano prison in Almoloya de Juarez after Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman escaped he escaped from another high-security Mexican prison hidden in a load of laundry probably with help from bribed prison staff he helped build the Sinaloa cartel into one of the world’s most powerful drug trafficking organizations Earlier this year, a Mexican judge granted approval to extradition petitions from federal prosecutors in San Diego and southern Texas Guzman faces charges of conspiracy to import and possess cocaine for the purpose of distribution Guzman faces various charges including criminal conspiracy Appeals by his lawyers have so far been denied Guzman—whose cartel is responsible for countless deaths and other brutality--said the psychological conditions were worse than any physical violence A Mexican police chief is finally arrested in the disappearance of 43 students. But will he talk? What it was like to watch Trump talk about ‘bad hombres’ in a Mexican BBQ joint Why Mexico is giving out half a million rape whistles to female subway riders Kate Linthicum is a foreign correspondent for the Los Angeles Times based in Mexico City. World & Nation Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map The fugitive was apprehended after a shootout with Mexican marines in the city of Los Mochis, in his home state of Sinaloa, according to The Associated Press He initially broke free from prison on July 11 Slipping through a perfectly placed hole in the blind spot of a lone security camera the world's most notorious drug lord escaped from the high-security prison Reuters photographer Edgard Garrido takes us into Guzmán's escape route The La Almoloya archaeological site in Pliego close to Mula in the north-west of the region is by no means the best-known in Spain – in fact many people even in the Region of Murcia have never heard of it – but recent discoveries indicate that it may be far more important than has been thought until now This week the results of the summer excavation campaign carried out in August by archaeologists from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona’s (UAB) Department of Prehistory highlighting the importance of the Argaric culture in the Region of Murcia La Almoloya is located on a high plateau surrounded by steep slopes dominating an extensive area and was occupied for around six hundred years between 2200 and 1550 BC The site covers an area of 3,800 square metres and includes some substantial residential complexes of around 300 square metres each with eight to twelve rooms in each residence Although the site was originally first discovered in 1944 its significance is only just starting to come to light and these latest excavations indicate that it may contain some of the earliest buildings created specifically for political purposes in continental Europe The culture is named after the first major settlement found at El Argar which is located a hundred kilometres to the south-west in Almeria and was clearly an established culture with an administrative structure each population centre controlling an area and the farming activity within it The excavations indicate that La Almoloya functioned as a primary centre of politics and wealth within the political territory dozens of burials and a substantial urban area The buildings' walls were constructed with stones and argamasa Some parts contain stucco decorated with geometric and naturalistic motifs a novelty which indicates the discovery of an Argan artistic style the most exciting discoveries this summer are what are being called “palatial constructions” which were clearly occupied by the elite of the Argaric culture and an unusually bountiful collection of grave goods in around fifty tombs located in a privileged position next to the main hall of the main palace construction is the burial of a man and woman flexed up together ( double burials are very rare in the Argaric culture) and accompanied by around thirty objects fashioned from semi-precious stones and noble metals One of the highlights is a silver diadem which was placed on the woman’s head and this is particularly significant since the only four similar findings belonging to the Argaric culture were all found at the site of El Argar itself over 130 years ago None of the El Argar crowns still remains in Spain which are unusual objects for the Bronze Age were also discovered; two are made up of solid gold and two of silver The volume of silver found at the site is also particularly important as archaeologists also discovered nine other objects made of silver They also discovered that the nails used to hold the handle of an elaborate bronze dagger were made of silver Another item of note is a small ceramic cup with the rim and outer part covered in fine layers of silver a very rare object as most Argaric pottery was standardized and without ornamentation. All of these objects indicate trade and outside influence although at the moment archaeologists have tantalizingly little evidence of where this culture originated and where the influences for their structure and customs originated the buildings discovered could be even more significant The solidity and size of the construction is said by archaeologists to be unique in continental European pre-history One of the buildings found contains a 70-square-metre hall with room for 64 people to sit on the stone benches around the walls and contains a ceremonial fireplace and a podium of symbolic character Archaeologists confirm that this is the first time a building which appears to have been specifically dedicated as a meeting space of this nature from this era has been found in Western Europe and believe that this space may have been used as a courtroom or for administrative meetings: if this is the case then it could prove to be the earliest such administrative space yet discovered in western Europe The hall and adjoining rooms make up a large building which the archaeologists have classified as a palace They highlight the fact that only the most important Oriental civilisations had similar constructions during the Bronze Age La Almoloya offers a vast amount of promise for future excavations, as does the other major Argaric site in the Murcia Region at La Bastida in Totana financing is always critical to whether work can continue or not The team leading the archaeological dig at La Almoloya is led by Vicente Lull professors at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona the same team who have carried out the work at La Bastida and thank you for choosing CamposolToday.com to publicise your organisation’s info or event Camposol Today is a website set up by Murcia Today specifically for residents of the urbanisation in Southwest Murcia providing news and information on what’s happening in the local area which is the largest English-speaking expat area in the Region of Murcia When submitting text to be included on Camposol Today please abide by the following guidelines so we can upload your article as swiftly as possible: Send an email to editor@camposoltoday.com or contact@murciatoday.com Attach the information in a Word Document or Google Doc Also attach a photo to illustrate your article