IPHES-CERCA and the Associació Amics de Sant Martí de Tous join forces to advance research and outreach on prehistoric heritage
The director of IPHES-CERCA, Marina Mosquera, and the president of the Associació Amics de Sant Martí de Tous, Ramon Creus Pardina, have signed a framework collaboration agreement to promote research, training, and knowledge dissemination activities in the field of prehistory and archaeology.
This agreement formalizes a collaboration that dates back to 2018 and has contributed to the development of archaeological projects in the municipality of Sant Martí de Tous, particularly at the Guinardera and Cal Sitjo sites, under the direction of Bruno Gómez de Soler.
A well-established collaboration serving knowledge and the local territory
Since 2018, IPHES-CERCA has carried out several archaeological interventions in the municipality, as well as initiatives aimed at sharing research results, within the framework of the four-year project Territoris prehistòrics a la conca de l’Anoia. In this context, the Associació Amics de Sant Martí de Tous has played an active role, supporting activities and contributing to their dissemination.
The association has also collaborated in outreach initiatives such as hosting scientific exhibitions, including Neanderlife. Moments de la vida neandertal, as well as other exhibitions related to palaeoenvironmental evolution and prehistoric settlement, alongside workshops and public lectures.
Boosting research, training, and outreach
The agreement establishes a general framework to continue developing joint actions, including:
- archaeological research projects
- training activities and scientific advisory services
- outreach and knowledge dissemination initiatives
These actions will be specified through specific agreements defining the conditions of each activity. In addition, a coordinating committee will be created, composed of representatives from both institutions, to oversee project development and define future lines of work.
The Cal Sitjo site, a key reference for recent prehistory
One of the main focuses of this collaboration is the Cal Sitjo site, located in the municipality of Sant Martí de Tous, which has become a key location for studying the transition between the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods in central Catalonia. With a stratigraphic sequence spanning between 10,200 and 5,700 years before present, the site allows for a highly detailed analysis of changes in the lifestyles of the earliest human communities in the region.
The excavation is part of the four-year project Territoris prehistòrics a la conca de l’Anoia (2022–2025), approved by the Departament de Cultura de la Generalitat de Catalunya, and is funded by the same department (CLT009/22/00044), AGAUR (017 SGR 836 – GAPS), and MICINN (PID2022-138590NB-C41 and PID2024-157622NB-I00), with additional support from the Ajuntament de Sant Martí de Tous and the collaboration of the landowner, Jordi Cañellas.