▁some ▁time ▁around ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁century ▁B CE . ▁ ▁Who ▁inhab ited ▁the ▁opp id um ▁is ▁unclear . ▁It ▁could ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁central ▁settlement ▁of ▁an ▁unknown ▁tribe , ▁possibly ▁a ▁sub - tri be ▁of ▁the ▁V ind el ici ▁centered ▁in ▁the ▁nearby ▁( and ▁equally ▁size able ) ▁O pp id um ▁of ▁Man ch ing . ▁ ▁Econom y ▁Econom ically , ▁the ▁Alc imo ennis ▁th riv ed ▁on ▁iron . ▁The ▁surrounding ▁soil ▁contains ▁large ▁concentr ations ▁of ▁iron , ▁and ▁the ▁thick ▁for ests ▁on ▁all ▁sides ▁delivered ▁ade qu ate ▁fuel ▁for ▁the ▁sm el ting ▁process . ▁The ▁landscape ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁settlement ▁literally , ▁is ▁covered ▁in ▁po ck ▁marks ▁left ▁by ▁shall ow ▁mine ▁sh aft s ▁and ▁p its . ▁The ▁valle ys ▁around ▁the ▁city ▁contained ▁vast ▁fields ▁for ▁far ming ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁liv est ock , ▁most ▁not ably ▁sw ine . ▁Fish ing ▁probably ▁played ▁an ▁important ▁role ▁in ▁every day ▁life . ▁ ▁There ▁was ▁not ▁much ▁room ▁on ▁the ▁plate au ▁for ▁dwell ings . ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁area ▁protected ▁by ▁the ▁outer ▁r amp art ▁was ▁given ▁over ▁to ▁prospect ing ▁and ▁sm el ting ▁activities , ▁pre cluding ▁its ▁use ▁as ▁living ▁areas . ▁By ▁contrast ▁to ▁Man ch ing , ▁only ▁a ▁fraction ▁of ▁the ▁w alled ▁area ▁likely ▁was ▁occupied ▁by ▁buildings . ▁The ▁opp id um ' s ▁location ▁at ▁the ▁two