The Roman Fish-Salting Factory and Archaeological Museum

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During the period of late antiquity, the port of Mazarrón was a major economic centre on the Murcia coast, linked to fishing activity. Durin the 4th and 5th centuries, a large fish-salting factory occupied a wide extension on the right bank of the bay, close to the port installations. The presently existing museum preserves part of the structures of this important Roman industrial complex, used for salting fish and relish-making. Both the Roman remains and the whole extension of the factory have been declared a Site of Cultural Interest, not only for their archaeological interest but also for their contribution to the region's economy during the Roman imperial period and particularly during the Lower Roman Empire.

This fish-salting factory is a fine example of how a fish industry worked in Roman times, when the products from this type of enterprise were essential ingredients in the Empire's cooking. A characteristic feature of all the factories wew their salting basins or tanks, where the fish was macerated in salt to obtain different products, such as "garum", the most famous of all the fish relishes, a delicacy reaching high prices on the Roman market.

Apart from the Roman remains and the exhibits from the fish-salting factory period, the museum also displays a panorama of the rich archaeological heritage of Mazarrón and its port.