Archaeological remains have been found in the works of the TAV that are being carried out in the area of La Gariposa in Tafalla. Near the center, east, there are the remains of a Roman villa framed in the Archaeological Inventory of Navarra. It is believed that the parts intervened this week are older, coming from the Second Iron Age.

As the Government of Navarre reported this Tuesday, the finding has taken place in the prospecting and drainage of the train. The data are based on surface pickling and not on stratigraphic studies, so “the information obtained is partial, since the total length of the finding, the structure size and the chronology have not been verified”.

The finding occupies an area of about 5,000 square meters, although after a preliminary assessment it has been determined that there could be a second enclosure or more tracks, as explained by the organizers. The Directorate-General for Culture will study “with precision and without a doubt” the full extent and characteristics and quality of the remains. Collaborate with the technical staff of the Registration, Movable Property and Archaeology Section.

Provisional measures

Until the investigation begins, the Government of Navarra will agree to fence the area and prohibit access to the area to prevent expolies and other damage to the parts. However, the studies will not "significantly" affect the deadlines for the works of the TAV: on the one hand, the archaeological works will be executed in the short term; on the other hand, ADIF notes that they do not plan to execute the works of the train in this area.

Delay in the work of the TAV

Despite the fact that the findings made this week will not lead to delays, the train’s works have been underway for 15 years and 58% of the investment still needs to be executed. In Navarre, the situation is more serious: The AHT Gelditu platform has denounced that ten years later, 96% of the total investment is missing in order to be able to start the railway in Euskal Herria. In addition, the platform has also denounced that the Government of Navarra is going to allocate public funds to this financing, the aid it receives from Europe to cope with the situation after the pandemic.