Dr. Oswaldo Arteaga, 1942-2026

SAD NEWS: Dr. Oswaldo Arteaga, a world reference for Phoenician archaeology in the Axarquía, dies. The archaeologist's relationship with the eastern Costa del Sol began in the 1970s when he became director of the Phoenician-Punic Project within the German Archaeological Institute (Eugenio Cabezas, Sur in English).

Dr. Oswaldo Arteaga Matute, archaeologist, researcher and professor considered a key figure in the knowledge of the Phoenician past of the Axarquía area of Malaga province has died aged 84.

Vélez-Málaga town hall has announced a day of official mourning on Friday 15 May as a sign of recognition and tribute to the man who was named 'adopted son' of the eastern Costa del Sol town in May 2022. ...

His main contributions include excavations at the Mainake-Maenoba sites, in the area of Los Toscanos and Cerro del Mar, as well as the geoarchaeological reconstruction of the ancient mouth of the River Vélez. His work demonstrated that a large part of the current aricultural area around the River Vélez was once a large maritime inlet used by Phoenician navigators more than 2,500 years ago.

Arteaga's pioneering application of geoarchaeological techniques in the Axarquía was one of the most valued contributions by the scientific community. This research model would later be exported to numerous European archaeological projects.

Requiescat in pace.

Cross-file under Phoenician Watch and Punic Watch.

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