ThePaleolithic Age of Almería was characterized by small nomadic and hunter-gatherer groups. The oldest Paleolithic site is Zájara Cave I (Cueva de Zájara I) in the Caves of the Almanzora (Cuevas del Almanzora).
The first villages and spaces dedicated exclusively to burials appear by the Neolithic Age, and even before the Upper Paleolithic Age. The cave paintings of the Cave of the Signs (Cueva de los Letreros) and twenty other caves and shelters of Los Vélez are dated to this era, and were designated a World Heritage site by Unesco in 1989.
In one of the shelters of the first settlers of the peninsula, the Coat of the Beehives (Abrigo de las Colmenas), there remains a human figure with arms outstretched holding an arc above its head. According to legend, this picture represents a covenant made by prehistoric man with the gods to prevent future floods. It is the earliest depiction of the AlmeríanIndalo, which was named in memory ofSaint Indaletius, and meansIndal Eccius ("messenger of the gods") in the Iberian language.
Over the years, the Indalo has become the best known symbol of Almería. Some see this figure as a man holding a rainbow, but it might also be an archer pointing a bow towards the sky. The Indalo lent its name to the artistic and intellectual movement of the Indalianos led byJesús de Perceval andEugenio d'Ors which was a movement of nostalgic attraction by the people ofMojácar. The people of Mojácar painted Indalos with chalk on the walls of their houses to guard against storms and theEvil Eye.
It wasLuis Siret y Cels, an eminent Belgian archaeologist, who described the rich prehistoric wealth of Almería, particularly that of theMetal Age. Siret said that Almería was like "an open-air museum". Indeed, Almería is home to two of the most important cultures of the Metal Age in the peninsula:Los Millares andEl Argar.
The earliest known city, Los Millares, dates to theCopper Age and is strategically located on a spur of rock between the Andarax River and the Huéchar Ravine (rambla de Huéchar), in the southern part of the province. It was a town of more than a thousand inhabitants, protected by three lines of walls and towers, and had an economy based on copper metallurgy, agriculture, animal husbandry, and hunting on a moderate scale. Furthermore, they constructed a large necropolis and exported metal figures and pottery to a large part of the peninsula.
The equally influential culture of El Argar appeared later, during theBronze Age. They developed a characteristic form of pottery, thevaso campaniforme ("beaker") that spread throughout all of Northern Spain. Their cemeteries were more advanced with respect to the culture of Los Millares and they had diverse agricultural production and animal husbandry.
It became part of theMuslim Empire in 711. During thetaifa era, it was ruled by the Arab MuslimBanu al-Amiri tribe from 1012 to 1038, briefly annexed byValencia (1038–1041), then given byZaragoza to theBanu Sumadih dynasty until its conquest by theAlmoravids in 1091. Some centuries later, it became part of the kingdom ofGranada.
As of 2024, the foreign-born population is 185,454, equal to 24.4% of the total population. The 5 largest foreign nationalities areMoroccans (60,766),Romanians (18,783),Brits (15,509),Colombians (9,151) andSenegalese (7,894).[2]
Historically, Almería was an important exporter of minerals (especially iron, lead, and fine marble) and grapes.[9] The most important economic activity is nowgreenhouse farming. Millions of tons of vegetables are exported to other European countries and other parts of the world each year.[10]
The principal industrial activity is in theMacael (Comarca del Marmol)canterasmarble quarrying area in the Sierra de los Filabres region from Macael Viejo to Chercos, Lijar and Cobdar which produce in excess of 1.3 million tons. The Cantoria, Fines, Olula del Rio and Purchena area of theAlto Almanzora valley is fast becoming the regional megalopolis through high imports and exports and employment in local, national and international marble processing. All the tourist accommodations and construction throughout coastal Spain has driven high demand and brought huge modernisation. Smallpueblos of agriculturalists have given rise to computerised machining factories.[citation needed]
Air travel for the province is served byAlmería Airport which is the fourth largest airport in the Andalusia region. The airport provides air services to other parts of Spain and other European destinations.
An estimated 7,000-10,000 immigrant fruit pickers live in toxic conditions in shanty towns next to fruit farms in the region, and are exploited by employers who pay them less than minimum wage and offer noPPE as mandated by law.[12]
.jpg)
