Al-Andalus (papers) by Rafael Clapés Salmoral
Madrider Mitteilungen nº 65 (págs. 286-324), 2024
El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo exponer el estado de la cuestión de los espacios relacion... more El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo exponer el estado de la cuestión de los espacios relacionados con la actividad comercial de Madīnat Qurṭuba bajo dominio omeya (711–1031) a través de los restos documentados en las excavaciones arqueológicas efectuadas en los arrabales de la antigua capital andalusí. Además de recopilar las estructuras de mercado publicadas en los últimos años, se presentan otras que los arqueólogos que las exhumaron han relacionado con esta función. Finalmente, se realiza un estudio comparativo para determinar las características de estos espacios, facilitando su identificación tanto en el registro arqueológico que conocemos hasta el momento como en el que se saque a la luz en futuras intervenciones.
The aim of this paper is to present a state of the art of the spaces related to trade activities of Madīnat Qurṭuba during the Umayyad rule (711–1031). This will be done through analyzing the remains documented in the archaeological excavations developed in the suburbs of the former
andalusi capital. This study compiles the market structures published in recent years, and also presents some others that have been related to this same commercial function by the archaeologists who exhumed them. Finally, a comparative study is carried out to determine the characteristics of these market spaces and structures, which will facilitate their identification both in the archaeological record known so far and in the forthcoming.
Beiträge zur Islamischen Kunst und Archäologie nº 8 (págs. 113-127), 2022
The aim of this contribution is to present an area of the western suburbs of the former Madīnat Q... more The aim of this contribution is to present an area of the western suburbs of the former Madīnat Qurṭuba (Cordoba), known today as “Plan Parcial O-7 (PP O-7)”, to the scientific community. This urban sector, of about 36 hectares, has been almost entirely excavated during the last 20 years. The archaeological information recovered reveals that, even though its densification occurred during the Andalusi Umayyad Caliphate (10th century), its first occupation dates back to the Emirate (8th and 9th
centuries). The extensive documentation of this urban continuity is leading to a better understanding of the genesis and transformation processes of the urban fabric through time. In addition, the high quality and density of the remains recovered here – among which baths, a mosque, storage places, commercial structures and a wide range of domestic sectors – contribute to a more accurate knowledge of the
Islamic city and its functioning. Despite its importance, the information related to these archaeological remains has been rarely incorporated into the most recent historical discourses and research about the Islamic city. This is frequently due to the lack of publications associated with the archaeological interventions carried out here. For this reason, we consider it essential to disseminate this information and make it more accessible.
Actas del VI Congreso de Arqueología Medieval (España-Portugal). Alicante, 2019 (págs. 71-76), 2021
Presentamos un sector de los arrabales occidentales de Madinat Qurtuba —denominado P. P. O-7 en e... more Presentamos un sector de los arrabales occidentales de Madinat Qurtuba —denominado P. P. O-7 en el PGOU de Córdoba—, de unas 36 ha de superficie y excavado prácticamente en su totalidad. La ocupación de esta zona fue muy intensa en época califal (principalmente en el siglo X), pero su ordenación urbanística comenzó ya en el Emirato (años 756-929). Esto permite analizar el proceso de génesis y formación del tejido urbano andalusí, así como su evolución diacrónica. La alta calidad y densidad de los restos recuperados en este sector —entre los que se han identificado baños, sectores agropecuarios, una mezquita, una necrópolis y gran cantidad de unidades domésticas, entre otros— lo convierten en esencial para un correcto análisis y entendimiento de la ciudad islámica y su funcionamiento. Pese a esta trascendencia, la información derivada del estudio de estos restos arqueológicos no siempre se incorpora a los discursos históricos e investigaciones más recientes sobre la ciudad islámica, por lo que consideramos fundamental difundir y hacer accesible esta información.
This contribution presents an area of the western suburbs of the former Madinat Qurtuba (Córdoba), known today as “Plan Parcial O-7 (PP O-7)”. This urban sector, of about 36 hectares, has been almost entirely excavated during the last years. The archaeological information recovered reveals that, even though its densification occurred during the Andalusi Umayyad Caliphate (10th century), its first occupations date back to the Emirate (8th and 9th centuries). The documentation in extension of this urban continuity is leading to a better understanding of the genesis and transformation processes of the urban fabric along time. In addition, the high quality and density of the remains recovered here -among which baths, a mosque, storage and commercial areas and a wide range domestic sectors, among others, have been located- contribute to a more accurate knowledge of the Islamic city and its functioning. Despite this importance, the information related to these archaeological remains is rarely incorporated to the most recent historical discourses and research about the Islamic city. For this reason, we consider it essential to disseminate and make this information more accessible.
Arqueología y Territorio Medieval nº 27 (págs. 313-344), 2020
Las excavaciones arqueológicas realizadas en varios solares de la zona conocida como el Tablero a... more Las excavaciones arqueológicas realizadas en varios solares de la zona conocida como el Tablero alto, al norte de la ciudad de Córdoba, han exhumado una serie de edificios de gran envergadura que remiten a
la construcción de una almunia de época omeya en este sector. Pese a la parcialidad de los resultados obtenidos, su puesta en conjunto permite atisbar cómo se estructuró la ocupación islámica y cómo evolucionó a lo largo del tiempo que se mantuvo en uso. Además, a nivel macroespacial, su inserción dentro de un territorio más amplio dominado por la almunia de al-Ruṣāfa lleva a plantear la relación de estos edificios con los terrenos escogidos por ‘Abd al-Raḥmān I para instalar su finca a los pies de la sierra cordobesa.
The archaeological interventions developed in different sites of the area known as the Tablero Alto (north of the city of Córdoba) have allowed the exhumation of a series of large buildings that point towards the existence of a vast Umayyad almunia in this sector. Despite the partiality of the results obtained, the analysis of these buildings as a whole allows to glimpse how the Islamic occupation was structured, and how it evolved along the time it remained in use. Furthermore, on a macrospatial level, the insertion of these constructions within a larger territory dominated by the almunia of al-Ruṣāfa, leads us to suggest their relationship with the lands chosen by 'Abd al-Raḥmān I to install his complex at the foot of Córdoba's mountain range.
Omni nº 14 (págs. 199-255), 2020
Un hallazgo de monedas califales en una de las múltiples viviendas excavadas en la última década ... more Un hallazgo de monedas califales en una de las múltiples viviendas excavadas en la última década al oeste de la medina, parte del extenso arrabal que se genera desde época emiral y que eclosiona en época de 'Abd al-Raḥmān III en el año 929. Se emplaza a medio camino del lienzo occidental de la muralla de la capital y la ciudad palatina de madinat al-Zahra, en un paisaje suburbano densamente urbanizado. Está compuesto por 373 monedas con fechas del 321/933 al 400/1009, de las cecas de sikkat al-Andalus, al-Andalus, madinat al-Zahra, madinat Fas y Nakūr y un fragmento fatimí.
A find of caliphal coins in one of the multiple houses excavated in the last decade west of the medina of Cordova, part of the extensive suburbs that has been generated since the Emiral period and which hatches at the time of 'Abd al-Raḥmān III in 929. It is located in the middle western walls road of the city and the new palatine city of madinat al-Zahra, in a densely suburban landscape urbanized. It is made up of 373 coins with dates from 321/933 to the 400/100 from the mints of sikkat al-Andalus, al-Andalus, madinat al-Zahra, madinat Fas and Nakūr and a Fatimid coin fragment.
Al-Mulk nº 17 (págs. 157-197), 2019
Los baños son de gran importancia en las sociedades islámicas, sobre todo por su función purifica... more Los baños son de gran importancia en las sociedades islámicas, sobre todo por su función purificadora antes de la oración. En el caso de la Córdoba andalusí, las fuentes escritas hacen referencia a un número exa-gerado de este tipo de instalaciones que, como viene demostrando la Ar-queología, no se corresponde con la realidad. En los arrabales cordobeses son escasos los ejemplos documentados, tanto en el caso de los baños públicos como en el de los privados, recogiendo este artículo tres de los baños privados del ensanche occidental de la ciudad.
Baths are of extreme importance in Islamic societies, especially be-cause of their purifying function before praying. Focusing on the Andalu-sian Cordoba, written sources reffer to an exagerated number of these facili-ties wich, as Archeology has been demonstrating, has nothing to do with reality. There is a lack of certified examples at Cordoban suburbs, not only regarding public baths but also private ones. This article includes three of the private baths located at the occidental expansion district of the city.
Arqueología y Territorio Medieval nº 26 (págs. 31-54), 2019
En el presente trabajo abordamos el proceso de ocupación del perímetro suburbano de Madīnat Qurṭu... more En el presente trabajo abordamos el proceso de ocupación del perímetro suburbano de Madīnat Qurṭuba a través de un caso concreto, emplazado en el sector occidental de la ciudad. Se trata de un ejemplo que muestra cómo las primeras construcciones que tienen lugar durante época emiral, con una evidente labor islamizadora, influyeron en el urbanismo de los arrabales que se implantaron posteriormente durante el califato. Analizamos las edificaciones previas a la gran expansión del s. X y la evolución del urbanismo de este sector hasta su abandono definitivo como consecuencia de la fitna.
This work addresses the occupation proccess of the suburban perimeter of Madīnat Qurṭuba through a specific case, located in the western sector of the city. Within this area, the earliest constructions built during emiral times, which had an evident Islamizing intention, influenced the suburban urbanism developed during the caliphate. Our paper also aims to analyze the structures previous to the great caliphal expansion of the 10th c., and the urban evolution of this sector until its definitive abandonment as a consequence of the fitna.
International Journal of Paleopathology nº26 (págs. 75-83), 2019
Objective: To investigate the types of intestinal parasites that infected people living in Islami... more Objective: To investigate the types of intestinal parasites that infected people living in Islamic period southern Iberia (al-Andalus), and compare with other regions of Europe.
Materials: Four cesspits from 10th–11th century CE Córdoba (Spain), and two from 12th–13th century Mértola (Portugal).
Methods: Sediment from each cesspit was analyzed using digital light microscopy and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results: Analysis revealed eggs of roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides) in every cesspit analyzed, but no evidence of other species of helminth or protozoal parasites.
Conclusion: Differences were noted between parasite species found in Mediterranean Europe and northern Europe, where a range of zoonotic parasites were endemic alongside sanitation-related parasites. We suggest that the scarcity of zoonotic parasites in southern Europe in the medieval period may reflect contrasts in climate between northern and southern Europe.
Significance: The repeated identification of roundworm eggs suggests that al-Andalus was less hygienic than historically depicted. We did not note a difference between parasites found in Muslim and Christian regions of Iberia, and the predominance of parasites spread by fecal contamination of food is consistent with past research.
Limitations: The eggs of some species of parasite are fragile, so may theoretically have been present in the population but did not survive for us to identify them.
Suggestions for further research: To further investigate the role of climate upon the parasites that affected past human populations.
Anales de Arqueología Cordobesa nº 25-26 (págs. 225-254), 2014-2015
El presente artículo tiene por objeto dar a conocer un edificio insertado en el tejido urbano del... more El presente artículo tiene por objeto dar a conocer un edificio insertado en el tejido urbano del arrabal occidental de la Córdoba omeya, que por sus características estaría asociado con las labores comerciales del barrio. El estudio del parcelario ha permitido la restitución hipotética de su planta, reflexionar sobre las funciones que se desarrollarían en su interior y establecer su relación con el caserío que lo circunda.
This article aims to disclose an building inserted into the urban network of the western suburb of the Umayyad Cordoba, which by its nature would be associated with the commercial activities in the suburb. The study of the plot has allowed the hypothetical return of its ground plan, reflecting on the functions to be developed within and establishing its relationship with the small village that surrounds it.
Arqueología y Territorio Medieval nº 20 (págs. 97-128), 2013
La presencia de baños de carácter privado en viviendas de arrabal es un hecho poco frecuente, com... more La presencia de baños de carácter privado en viviendas de arrabal es un hecho poco frecuente, como demuestran las publicaciones existentes al respecto y los resultados de las excavaciones realizadas hasta el momento en el parcelario andalusí. A continuación analizaremos un valioso ejemplo documentado en el arrabal occidental de Qurtuba, que ha permitido ampliar el conocimiento de estas instalaciones islámicas y entender cómo se adaptan los modelos de baños públicos al ámbito doméstico.
The presence of private baths in suburb houses is not a frequent fact, as it is demonstrated by the related existing publications and the results of excavations done up to now in the Andalusi hamlet. We will analyze a valuable example documented in the occidental suburbs of Qurtuba, which has allowed spreading the knowledge of these islamic spa facilities and understand how the models of public baths are adapted to the domestic field.
Al-Andalus (book chapter) by Rafael Clapés Salmoral
Arqueología de Madinat Qurtuba. Reflexiones, novedades, historias (págs. 423-428), 2022
Arqueología de Madinat Qurtuba. Reflexiones, novedades, historias (págs. 251-253), 2022
La Mezquita de Córdoba. Historia y arquitectura de una joya eterna (págs. 47-55), 2022
Catálogo de la exposición "Los baños en al-Andalus" (Diciembre 2019-Marzo 2020). Fundación Pública Andaluza El Legado Andalusí
Al-Andalus (divulgative journal) by Rafael Clapés Salmoral
Muy Historia (ed. coleccionista) nº 5 (págs. 28-37), "Córdoba: Mezquita-Catedral", septiembre, 2020
Roman age (papers) by Rafael Clapés Salmoral
Onoba nº 8 (págs. 43-56), 2020
En este trabajo presentamos el hallazgo de un alfar en el área suburbana de la Córdoba romana, qu... more En este trabajo presentamos el hallazgo de un alfar en el área suburbana de la Córdoba romana, que se encontraba alejado del barrio alfarero septentrional y localizado en las inmediaciones de una vía que conducía hasta las explotaciones mineras de la sierra. Analizaremos el contexto arqueológico donde se insertaba para tratar de determinar el motivo de su emplazamiento, y nos detendremos en el horno mejor conservado del complejo, que poseía unas características singulares para este tipo de estructuras productivas.
In this work we are presenting the discovery of a pottery area in the suburban sector of the Roman Córdoba. It was located far from the northern pottery neighborhood, near a road that led to the mining zone in the mountain range. We will analyze the archaeological context where it was inserted to try to determine the reason for its location, and we will pay particular attention to the best preserved kiln in the complex, which had unique characteristics compared to other productive structures of its kind.
Anales de Arqueología Cordobesa nº 30 (págs. 187-208), 2019
La excavación arqueológica que se llevó a cabo en un solar emplazado en los terrenos de la Arruza... more La excavación arqueológica que se llevó a cabo en un solar emplazado en los terrenos de la Arruzafa, al norte de Córdoba, permitió documentar una secuencia estratigráfica muy dilatada en el tiempo. De las diversas fases de ocupación, nos detendremos en las estructuras adscritas a época romana, que se han interpretado como un asentamiento compuesto por varias dependencias destinadas a la producción de aceite. Este complejo oleícola estuvo en funcionamiento entre la primera mitad del s.I d.C. y finales del s.II d.C.
The archeological excavation performed in a plot located in the surrounding area of Arruzafa, in the north of Córdoba, supplied documentary evidence of an extensive stratigraphic sequence. From all the diverse occupation stages, we will focus on the structures assigned to the Roman period, being this considered as a settlement composed of several rooms allocated to the production of olive oil. This architectural olive-oil complex operates between the first half of 1st century BC and late 2nd century AC.
Romvla nº15 (págs. 255-282), 2016
Los trabajos arqueológicos llevados a cabo en los Jardines de la Agricultura han permitido docume... more Los trabajos arqueológicos llevados a cabo en los Jardines de la Agricultura han permitido documentar un nuevo sector de enterramientos de la necrópolis romana septentrional. En una de las sepulturas exhumadas se halló un sarcófago de plomo, que se añade a otros encontrados en la ciudad e incide en la propuesta planteada de la existencia de un taller de estos contenedores funerarios en Corduba.
The archaeological excavation carried out in " Jardines de la Agricultura " has documented a new sector of the northern roman necropolis. A lead coffin was located in one of the graves, which adds to others found in the city and supports the proposal of the existence of a funeral containers workshop in Corduba.
Prehistory (papers) by Rafael Clapés Salmoral
Antiqvitas nº 32 (págs. 23-35), 2020
Durante los trabajos arqueológicos desarrollados en 2014 en el solar de la calle Marino Alcalá Ga... more Durante los trabajos arqueológicos desarrollados en 2014 en el solar de la calle Marino Alcalá Galiano nº 3, emplazado en el casco urbano de la ciudad de Córdoba y en el entorno conocido como Tablero Alto o la Arruzafa, fueron documentadas hasta siete estructuras excavadas en el sustrato geológico, la mayoría de ellas de planta circular y muy afectadas por fases históricas posteriores. Todas ellas parecen responder a una misma fase ocupacional propia del último tercio del IV y tránsito al III milenio AC, dentro de un complejo cultural reconocible en todo el cuadrante suroccidental de Iberia. Ello representa un inestimable testimonio del poblamiento del entorno urbano de Córdoba desde un momento temprano, en un período en el que la ocupación humana en la región parece haber sido muy intensa.
During archaeological works carried out in the place known as Tablero Alto or Arruzafa, in inner city area of Córdoba (Spain), are documented a number of seven pit- structures, carved in the sandy subsoil, mostly of circular shape and affected by further historical phases. All of them, seems to belong of a same archaeological culture dated to last third of 4th and the beginnings of 3rd millennium BC in south-western Iberia. This is a priceless testimony to the settlement of the current urban territory of Cordoba from an early date, in a period in which the human population in this region appear remarkably intense.
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology nº 30.2 (págs. 245-255), 2020
This study presents the isotopic ratios, radiocarbon datings, and anthropological analyses of fiv... more This study presents the isotopic ratios, radiocarbon datings, and anthropological analyses of five (N = 5) Early Copper Age individuals from two archaeological sites (Arruzafa and Iglesia Antigua de Alcolea) of the Middle Guadalquivir Valley near the city of Córdoba (Spain). Four had been buried in the same grave, possibly in a single event or in a very short time lapse. The collagen residue analyses of the individuals offer δ13C values ranging between −20.08 and −18.4 and δ15N values between 8.57 and 11.15. The findings indicate that the infant and the elderly had, respectively, the richest and poorest animal protein diets, the first likely as a result of nursing. The combined study of these five individuals offers an interesting approach to a small segment of population of the farming communities occupying this territory at the beginning of the Copper Age (3200–3000 cal BC).
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Al-Andalus (papers) by Rafael Clapés Salmoral
The aim of this paper is to present a state of the art of the spaces related to trade activities of Madīnat Qurṭuba during the Umayyad rule (711–1031). This will be done through analyzing the remains documented in the archaeological excavations developed in the suburbs of the former
andalusi capital. This study compiles the market structures published in recent years, and also presents some others that have been related to this same commercial function by the archaeologists who exhumed them. Finally, a comparative study is carried out to determine the characteristics of these market spaces and structures, which will facilitate their identification both in the archaeological record known so far and in the forthcoming.
centuries). The extensive documentation of this urban continuity is leading to a better understanding of the genesis and transformation processes of the urban fabric through time. In addition, the high quality and density of the remains recovered here – among which baths, a mosque, storage places, commercial structures and a wide range of domestic sectors – contribute to a more accurate knowledge of the
Islamic city and its functioning. Despite its importance, the information related to these archaeological remains has been rarely incorporated into the most recent historical discourses and research about the Islamic city. This is frequently due to the lack of publications associated with the archaeological interventions carried out here. For this reason, we consider it essential to disseminate this information and make it more accessible.
This contribution presents an area of the western suburbs of the former Madinat Qurtuba (Córdoba), known today as “Plan Parcial O-7 (PP O-7)”. This urban sector, of about 36 hectares, has been almost entirely excavated during the last years. The archaeological information recovered reveals that, even though its densification occurred during the Andalusi Umayyad Caliphate (10th century), its first occupations date back to the Emirate (8th and 9th centuries). The documentation in extension of this urban continuity is leading to a better understanding of the genesis and transformation processes of the urban fabric along time. In addition, the high quality and density of the remains recovered here -among which baths, a mosque, storage and commercial areas and a wide range domestic sectors, among others, have been located- contribute to a more accurate knowledge of the Islamic city and its functioning. Despite this importance, the information related to these archaeological remains is rarely incorporated to the most recent historical discourses and research about the Islamic city. For this reason, we consider it essential to disseminate and make this information more accessible.
la construcción de una almunia de época omeya en este sector. Pese a la parcialidad de los resultados obtenidos, su puesta en conjunto permite atisbar cómo se estructuró la ocupación islámica y cómo evolucionó a lo largo del tiempo que se mantuvo en uso. Además, a nivel macroespacial, su inserción dentro de un territorio más amplio dominado por la almunia de al-Ruṣāfa lleva a plantear la relación de estos edificios con los terrenos escogidos por ‘Abd al-Raḥmān I para instalar su finca a los pies de la sierra cordobesa.
The archaeological interventions developed in different sites of the area known as the Tablero Alto (north of the city of Córdoba) have allowed the exhumation of a series of large buildings that point towards the existence of a vast Umayyad almunia in this sector. Despite the partiality of the results obtained, the analysis of these buildings as a whole allows to glimpse how the Islamic occupation was structured, and how it evolved along the time it remained in use. Furthermore, on a macrospatial level, the insertion of these constructions within a larger territory dominated by the almunia of al-Ruṣāfa, leads us to suggest their relationship with the lands chosen by 'Abd al-Raḥmān I to install his complex at the foot of Córdoba's mountain range.
A find of caliphal coins in one of the multiple houses excavated in the last decade west of the medina of Cordova, part of the extensive suburbs that has been generated since the Emiral period and which hatches at the time of 'Abd al-Raḥmān III in 929. It is located in the middle western walls road of the city and the new palatine city of madinat al-Zahra, in a densely suburban landscape urbanized. It is made up of 373 coins with dates from 321/933 to the 400/100 from the mints of sikkat al-Andalus, al-Andalus, madinat al-Zahra, madinat Fas and Nakūr and a Fatimid coin fragment.
Baths are of extreme importance in Islamic societies, especially be-cause of their purifying function before praying. Focusing on the Andalu-sian Cordoba, written sources reffer to an exagerated number of these facili-ties wich, as Archeology has been demonstrating, has nothing to do with reality. There is a lack of certified examples at Cordoban suburbs, not only regarding public baths but also private ones. This article includes three of the private baths located at the occidental expansion district of the city.
This work addresses the occupation proccess of the suburban perimeter of Madīnat Qurṭuba through a specific case, located in the western sector of the city. Within this area, the earliest constructions built during emiral times, which had an evident Islamizing intention, influenced the suburban urbanism developed during the caliphate. Our paper also aims to analyze the structures previous to the great caliphal expansion of the 10th c., and the urban evolution of this sector until its definitive abandonment as a consequence of the fitna.
Materials: Four cesspits from 10th–11th century CE Córdoba (Spain), and two from 12th–13th century Mértola (Portugal).
Methods: Sediment from each cesspit was analyzed using digital light microscopy and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results: Analysis revealed eggs of roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides) in every cesspit analyzed, but no evidence of other species of helminth or protozoal parasites.
Conclusion: Differences were noted between parasite species found in Mediterranean Europe and northern Europe, where a range of zoonotic parasites were endemic alongside sanitation-related parasites. We suggest that the scarcity of zoonotic parasites in southern Europe in the medieval period may reflect contrasts in climate between northern and southern Europe.
Significance: The repeated identification of roundworm eggs suggests that al-Andalus was less hygienic than historically depicted. We did not note a difference between parasites found in Muslim and Christian regions of Iberia, and the predominance of parasites spread by fecal contamination of food is consistent with past research.
Limitations: The eggs of some species of parasite are fragile, so may theoretically have been present in the population but did not survive for us to identify them.
Suggestions for further research: To further investigate the role of climate upon the parasites that affected past human populations.
This article aims to disclose an building inserted into the urban network of the western suburb of the Umayyad Cordoba, which by its nature would be associated with the commercial activities in the suburb. The study of the plot has allowed the hypothetical return of its ground plan, reflecting on the functions to be developed within and establishing its relationship with the small village that surrounds it.
The presence of private baths in suburb houses is not a frequent fact, as it is demonstrated by the related existing publications and the results of excavations done up to now in the Andalusi hamlet. We will analyze a valuable example documented in the occidental suburbs of Qurtuba, which has allowed spreading the knowledge of these islamic spa facilities and understand how the models of public baths are adapted to the domestic field.
Al-Andalus (book chapter) by Rafael Clapés Salmoral
Al-Andalus (divulgative journal) by Rafael Clapés Salmoral
Roman age (papers) by Rafael Clapés Salmoral
In this work we are presenting the discovery of a pottery area in the suburban sector of the Roman Córdoba. It was located far from the northern pottery neighborhood, near a road that led to the mining zone in the mountain range. We will analyze the archaeological context where it was inserted to try to determine the reason for its location, and we will pay particular attention to the best preserved kiln in the complex, which had unique characteristics compared to other productive structures of its kind.
The archeological excavation performed in a plot located in the surrounding area of Arruzafa, in the north of Córdoba, supplied documentary evidence of an extensive stratigraphic sequence. From all the diverse occupation stages, we will focus on the structures assigned to the Roman period, being this considered as a settlement composed of several rooms allocated to the production of olive oil. This architectural olive-oil complex operates between the first half of 1st century BC and late 2nd century AC.
The archaeological excavation carried out in " Jardines de la Agricultura " has documented a new sector of the northern roman necropolis. A lead coffin was located in one of the graves, which adds to others found in the city and supports the proposal of the existence of a funeral containers workshop in Corduba.
Prehistory (papers) by Rafael Clapés Salmoral
During archaeological works carried out in the place known as Tablero Alto or Arruzafa, in inner city area of Córdoba (Spain), are documented a number of seven pit- structures, carved in the sandy subsoil, mostly of circular shape and affected by further historical phases. All of them, seems to belong of a same archaeological culture dated to last third of 4th and the beginnings of 3rd millennium BC in south-western Iberia. This is a priceless testimony to the settlement of the current urban territory of Cordoba from an early date, in a period in which the human population in this region appear remarkably intense.
The aim of this paper is to present a state of the art of the spaces related to trade activities of Madīnat Qurṭuba during the Umayyad rule (711–1031). This will be done through analyzing the remains documented in the archaeological excavations developed in the suburbs of the former
andalusi capital. This study compiles the market structures published in recent years, and also presents some others that have been related to this same commercial function by the archaeologists who exhumed them. Finally, a comparative study is carried out to determine the characteristics of these market spaces and structures, which will facilitate their identification both in the archaeological record known so far and in the forthcoming.
centuries). The extensive documentation of this urban continuity is leading to a better understanding of the genesis and transformation processes of the urban fabric through time. In addition, the high quality and density of the remains recovered here – among which baths, a mosque, storage places, commercial structures and a wide range of domestic sectors – contribute to a more accurate knowledge of the
Islamic city and its functioning. Despite its importance, the information related to these archaeological remains has been rarely incorporated into the most recent historical discourses and research about the Islamic city. This is frequently due to the lack of publications associated with the archaeological interventions carried out here. For this reason, we consider it essential to disseminate this information and make it more accessible.
This contribution presents an area of the western suburbs of the former Madinat Qurtuba (Córdoba), known today as “Plan Parcial O-7 (PP O-7)”. This urban sector, of about 36 hectares, has been almost entirely excavated during the last years. The archaeological information recovered reveals that, even though its densification occurred during the Andalusi Umayyad Caliphate (10th century), its first occupations date back to the Emirate (8th and 9th centuries). The documentation in extension of this urban continuity is leading to a better understanding of the genesis and transformation processes of the urban fabric along time. In addition, the high quality and density of the remains recovered here -among which baths, a mosque, storage and commercial areas and a wide range domestic sectors, among others, have been located- contribute to a more accurate knowledge of the Islamic city and its functioning. Despite this importance, the information related to these archaeological remains is rarely incorporated to the most recent historical discourses and research about the Islamic city. For this reason, we consider it essential to disseminate and make this information more accessible.
la construcción de una almunia de época omeya en este sector. Pese a la parcialidad de los resultados obtenidos, su puesta en conjunto permite atisbar cómo se estructuró la ocupación islámica y cómo evolucionó a lo largo del tiempo que se mantuvo en uso. Además, a nivel macroespacial, su inserción dentro de un territorio más amplio dominado por la almunia de al-Ruṣāfa lleva a plantear la relación de estos edificios con los terrenos escogidos por ‘Abd al-Raḥmān I para instalar su finca a los pies de la sierra cordobesa.
The archaeological interventions developed in different sites of the area known as the Tablero Alto (north of the city of Córdoba) have allowed the exhumation of a series of large buildings that point towards the existence of a vast Umayyad almunia in this sector. Despite the partiality of the results obtained, the analysis of these buildings as a whole allows to glimpse how the Islamic occupation was structured, and how it evolved along the time it remained in use. Furthermore, on a macrospatial level, the insertion of these constructions within a larger territory dominated by the almunia of al-Ruṣāfa, leads us to suggest their relationship with the lands chosen by 'Abd al-Raḥmān I to install his complex at the foot of Córdoba's mountain range.
A find of caliphal coins in one of the multiple houses excavated in the last decade west of the medina of Cordova, part of the extensive suburbs that has been generated since the Emiral period and which hatches at the time of 'Abd al-Raḥmān III in 929. It is located in the middle western walls road of the city and the new palatine city of madinat al-Zahra, in a densely suburban landscape urbanized. It is made up of 373 coins with dates from 321/933 to the 400/100 from the mints of sikkat al-Andalus, al-Andalus, madinat al-Zahra, madinat Fas and Nakūr and a Fatimid coin fragment.
Baths are of extreme importance in Islamic societies, especially be-cause of their purifying function before praying. Focusing on the Andalu-sian Cordoba, written sources reffer to an exagerated number of these facili-ties wich, as Archeology has been demonstrating, has nothing to do with reality. There is a lack of certified examples at Cordoban suburbs, not only regarding public baths but also private ones. This article includes three of the private baths located at the occidental expansion district of the city.
This work addresses the occupation proccess of the suburban perimeter of Madīnat Qurṭuba through a specific case, located in the western sector of the city. Within this area, the earliest constructions built during emiral times, which had an evident Islamizing intention, influenced the suburban urbanism developed during the caliphate. Our paper also aims to analyze the structures previous to the great caliphal expansion of the 10th c., and the urban evolution of this sector until its definitive abandonment as a consequence of the fitna.
Materials: Four cesspits from 10th–11th century CE Córdoba (Spain), and two from 12th–13th century Mértola (Portugal).
Methods: Sediment from each cesspit was analyzed using digital light microscopy and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results: Analysis revealed eggs of roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides) in every cesspit analyzed, but no evidence of other species of helminth or protozoal parasites.
Conclusion: Differences were noted between parasite species found in Mediterranean Europe and northern Europe, where a range of zoonotic parasites were endemic alongside sanitation-related parasites. We suggest that the scarcity of zoonotic parasites in southern Europe in the medieval period may reflect contrasts in climate between northern and southern Europe.
Significance: The repeated identification of roundworm eggs suggests that al-Andalus was less hygienic than historically depicted. We did not note a difference between parasites found in Muslim and Christian regions of Iberia, and the predominance of parasites spread by fecal contamination of food is consistent with past research.
Limitations: The eggs of some species of parasite are fragile, so may theoretically have been present in the population but did not survive for us to identify them.
Suggestions for further research: To further investigate the role of climate upon the parasites that affected past human populations.
This article aims to disclose an building inserted into the urban network of the western suburb of the Umayyad Cordoba, which by its nature would be associated with the commercial activities in the suburb. The study of the plot has allowed the hypothetical return of its ground plan, reflecting on the functions to be developed within and establishing its relationship with the small village that surrounds it.
The presence of private baths in suburb houses is not a frequent fact, as it is demonstrated by the related existing publications and the results of excavations done up to now in the Andalusi hamlet. We will analyze a valuable example documented in the occidental suburbs of Qurtuba, which has allowed spreading the knowledge of these islamic spa facilities and understand how the models of public baths are adapted to the domestic field.
In this work we are presenting the discovery of a pottery area in the suburban sector of the Roman Córdoba. It was located far from the northern pottery neighborhood, near a road that led to the mining zone in the mountain range. We will analyze the archaeological context where it was inserted to try to determine the reason for its location, and we will pay particular attention to the best preserved kiln in the complex, which had unique characteristics compared to other productive structures of its kind.
The archeological excavation performed in a plot located in the surrounding area of Arruzafa, in the north of Córdoba, supplied documentary evidence of an extensive stratigraphic sequence. From all the diverse occupation stages, we will focus on the structures assigned to the Roman period, being this considered as a settlement composed of several rooms allocated to the production of olive oil. This architectural olive-oil complex operates between the first half of 1st century BC and late 2nd century AC.
The archaeological excavation carried out in " Jardines de la Agricultura " has documented a new sector of the northern roman necropolis. A lead coffin was located in one of the graves, which adds to others found in the city and supports the proposal of the existence of a funeral containers workshop in Corduba.
During archaeological works carried out in the place known as Tablero Alto or Arruzafa, in inner city area of Córdoba (Spain), are documented a number of seven pit- structures, carved in the sandy subsoil, mostly of circular shape and affected by further historical phases. All of them, seems to belong of a same archaeological culture dated to last third of 4th and the beginnings of 3rd millennium BC in south-western Iberia. This is a priceless testimony to the settlement of the current urban territory of Cordoba from an early date, in a period in which the human population in this region appear remarkably intense.
Le présent travail a pour objectif faire connaitre les différents travaux menés dans le quartier de Alcolea (Cordoue), qui ont mis en lumière une série de structures négatives (des fonds) associées à un établissement humain appartenant au « Horizon des Tasses Carénées ». La nature des récipients céramiques, comme l´observation d´outres évidences formelles, permet la mise en relation de cet établissement avec outres gisements du bassin du Guadalquivir. Ce nouveau site, représente toute une nouveauté dans l´étude de la dynamique historique de la rivière moyenne du fleuve, territoire encore mal connu en ce qui concerne a ses patrons d´occupation développées entre la fin du Néolithique et le début du Chalcolithique.
Nous voulons présenter les premiers résultats d´une Activité Archéologique Préventive (AAP) menée sur le village de Alcolea (Cordoue). Ces travails ont dévoilé une série de structures préhistoriques, d´abord interprétées comme de caractère domestique. L´étude des différents matériaux extraits, ainsi que la propre disposition de ces restes, mène à leur classification en trois genres différenciés, l’un d’entre eux étant probablement funéraire. La nature de cette trouvaille permet de redéfinir une période, dite « Historique », pratiquement inconnue dans notre territoire, fondée sur les premières découvertes de A. Carbonell, au début du XXe siècle.