an ancient Iberian fortified settlement on the Duero (Duoro) River in Spain. Numantia arose on the site of the more ancient settlement of the Celtic Arevaci tribe. During the Numantian War of 143–133 B.C., it was the center of the local tribes’ heroic struggle against the Romans. Excavations conducted at the site of Numantia in the second half of the 19th century and from 1905 to 1923 revealed traces of life from the time of the early Bronze Age. During the sixth and fifth centuries B.C., the Celtiberian settlement was surrounded by a large stone wall. Numantia of the Roman period, built during the reign of Emperor Augustus, was no larger than the settlement that had preceded it. Excavations yielded the remains of Roman siege machinery and equipment and of Roman camps. A wealth of everyday objects has been collected; the local decorated pottery is especially interesting.