The cycle Novetats Arqueològiques (Archaeological News) at the Museu de Badalona kicked off on Tuesday, November 10th, with a presentation of the latest research on the city's past. The inaugural session, titled El fòrum de Baetulo, monumentalitat i poder al centre de la ciutat (The Forum of Baetulo, Monumentality and Power in the City Center), was led by archaeologist Emiliano Hinojo García (Arqueòlegs.Cat S.L.) and Clara Forn, a technician from the Museu's Archaeology Department.
The conference presented the findings from the archaeological intervention carried out between 2023 and 2024 at the site located at Carrer del Temple, 43. This excavation has led to the first-time identification of the forum of Baetulo, a significant discovery for understanding the Roman city. The unearthed remains, dated between the turn of the era and the 2nd century AD, highlight the monumental nature of this central public space in Roman life, including a large two-story building and a monumental fountain connected to the public water supply system.
The study of the site has also allowed for the reconstruction of this urban sector's evolution over the centuries. From the 3rd century AD onwards, a gradual transformation is observed, with the abandonment or repurposing of structures for productive activities, such as a wine press. This process continued until the 5th and 6th centuries AD, when a partial reoccupation of the former forum building is documented.
The research has also provided new information about early medieval Badalona. Between the 9th and 10th centuries, the area became a necropolis linked to the sagrera (sacred land) of the church of Santa Maria, featuring anthropomorphic tombs covered with stone slabs.
The session offered insights into some of the main public buildings of Roman Baetulo, contextualized the known remains to date, and proposed an initial chronological evolution of the forum, the political, administrative, and social heart of the ancient city.
