April 1961. A shepherd noticed a strange glow in the rocks of the sierra. As he approached, he discovered one of the most important milestones in the history of Spain. Three 24 carat solid gold torques inside a bronze vessel, also of incalculable archaeological value. The biggest one almost a kilo, another one a little less and of the third one little is known.
The third torque went to a silversmith, the rest was recovered by Mr. Carlos Callejo after the Civil Guard had been notified and deposited in the court of Navezuelas, where the discoverers lived.
The State compensated them and the objects went to the Museum of Cáceres before they were taken to the National Museum of Madrid where they are today.
They are from the Late Bronze Age with parallels in Italy and Central Europe. According to Almagro, these types originate from the Mediterranean. Its peninsular parallel are the golden torques of Cintra, Évora, Penella and Guimaraes, all in Portugal.
The first torque weighs three quarters of a kilo. It forms a ring of 395 mm in length by 140 mm in diameter, in the center it reaches a section of 15 mm descending at the ends to 8.4 mm, between ends there is an opening of 54 mm.
It is chisel engraved with geometric motifs. It appears three times in the center of the ring a chiseled herringbone with a central horizontal stripe and other inclined lateral ones that start from it. Five triangles or wolf’s teeth are filled with crisscrossing lines on the sides, a motif that is repeated throughout the piece.
The second torque weighs 950 grams forming a 388 mm ring, its diameter is 150 mm, its maximum section 18.8 mm and the minimum at its ends 7.7 mm, its opening is 68 mm***.
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