The Roman villa of Portmán (Cartagena-La Unión). Proposals for a future archaeological park

Abstract

The excavations at the Roman villa of Portmán (Cartagena-La Unión, Murcia) have made it possible to recover a large number of material remains and new domestic as well as production and storage spaces with which to better understand the complexity and diversity of its uses. These interventions have made the villa one of the most important in the region in terms of its chronology, morphology and structures, as for its ornamental programme. However, the administrative peculiarities of the site, state-owned but with conferences transferred to the Autonomous Community and in a municipal district that does not correspond to the physical/geographical site, have made it difficult to carry out an orderly and planned action over time, which has only been possible since 2015 with the work carried out by the University of Murcia. The aim of this work is to propose a strategy for the enhancement of the site in accordance with its characteristics and needs, based on the current museographic, conservation and dissemination strategies that are also being applied in other archaeological parks and museums in the region.