On July and August 2017 the first archaeological
campaign on the Cerro de la Virgen de la Muela (Driebes, Guadalajara, Central
Spain) will be held. This site has been identified as the former Roman civitas of Caraca. These works will be
afford by regional and local authorities (Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La
Mancha, the Driebes City Council with the support of the neighbours) plus some other
cultural associations (Asociación de Mujeres de Brea de Tajo and the Asociación
de Amigos del Museo de Guadalajara). In addition, the exquisite courtesy
performed by the landowners, permitting the development of this research, is highly
noticeable.
The
archaeological works will be developed by an interdisciplinary team directed by
the archaeologists Emilio Gamo Pazos and Javier Fernández Ortea, with the Prof.
María Luisa Cerdeño (Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Departamento de
Prehistoria y Etnología), Saúl Martín González and David Álvarez Jiménez. In
addition, the Centre C.I.L. II (Corpus
Inscriptionum Latinarum) of the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares (Madrid)
will oversee the Latin epigraphs eventually unearthed. This is one of the main
historical sources in the study of the Roman society. On the other hand, is
also noticeable the action of some scholars in the field of the management of
the historical heritage and the socialization and public display of the
Archaeology. Thus, Dr. Alicia Castillo (Research group “Gestión del Patrimonio
Cultural”-Universidad Complutense de Madrid) will perform a preliminar work
about the perception of the archaeological work by the local community. In
addition to it, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez and María Ángeles Perucha (researchers
of the IGME) will analyze the position of the collapsed materials and
structures in order to determine if any seismic phenomenon took place on the
site, in the line perhaps of the earthquake that heavily affected the non
distant Roman city of Complutum in
the 4th Century. Finally, Daniel Méndez (Revives) will visually document
the unearthed structures in order to build some virtual models from the site,
thus improving the final understanding of it.
Juan Manuel Abascal
(Catedrático de Historia Antigua in the Universidad de Alicante) said the
following words about this first archaeological campaign on the Cerro de la
Virgen de la Muela: “Excavations in the
probable site of Caraca are capital to unveil the Roman age in the current
Guadalajara province, and also to finally establish the picture of the main
Roman roads in this territory; undoubtedly this is the biggest archaeological
discovery in this region in many years”.
The aims for the current
intervention are focused to test the results provided by the 3D geo-radar of
the CAI of Archaeometry from the Universidad Complutense on the previous
project of Intensive and geotechnic archaeological
survey of the Cerro de la Virgen de la
Muela, Driebes (Guadalajara).
In this sense, the results
imply the existence of a perfectly sketched city around the main Roman streets
(cardus and decamanus), the forum, a supposed bath and a macellum (market). So, this research project requires to assess the
importance of this place with an archaeological excavation and so to improve
its understanding and to ease its protection as cultural heritage assets. Therefore,
this intervention aims to record the city stratigraphy and to identify the
diverse chronological phases which authorize to recognize the place's urban
development.
The existence of an empty
space surrounded southerly by a colonnade, a true portico, north-easterly by
some rooms oriented north-west to south-west, and towards the north by two big
rooms just placed at the border of the shrine, seems to point out such space as
the forum. That is, the public and administrative area of the city. Excavations
will be made on the suspected forum. Its confirmation would confirm that the
identified remains at the Cerro de la Virgen de la
Muela correspond with a municipality. This information would suppose a
first level scientific feat as it implies the identification of the first Roman
city in the present province of Guadalajara.
On the other hand, this excavation can serve to know the time the city
got its juridical Roman status. Such verification means the improvement of the
knowledge of the historical Romanization process in the province of
Guadalajara.
Finally, attention will be also paid to document a part of the decumanus
close to its connection with the cardus maximus. The GeoRadar showed the
existence of a sewage system (aqua caduca)
on this place under the stone pavement. Its factuality would serve to verify
the development of this settlement. In this sense, and in correlation with the
discovery of the aqueduct, we deem necessary to deep in the knowledge of the
public water infrastructure that supplied the city of Caraca.
In other ways, people who
want to go to the archaeological site of the Cerro de la Virgen de la Muela can
attend the official visiting day, scheduled for August 3rd. This day there will
be guided tours at 10 AM and 19 PM. Moreover, the Asociación de Amigos del
Museo de Guadalajara will organise August 10th a visit with a guided tour. Regarding this
last visit, more information can be provided by writing to this e-mail: amuseogu@hotmail.com
PREVIOUS BACKGROUND: Press release Archaeological GeoRadar survey (March, 4th 2017)
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario