Spanish medieval archaeology: an approach with a brief bibliography

META NR 4 2001 42 Spanish medie al a chaeology: an app oach wi h a b ie bibliog aphy Magdalena Valo s In oduc ion Medie al Spain is a e y peculia pe iod in ela ion o medie al Eu- ope. In Spain i encompasses a long pe iod ( om he 5 h o he 15 h cen u y) and a he same ime h ee di e en ci ilisa ions, namely Visi- go hic, Islamic and medie al Ch is- ian. Fi s o all, each one o hese ci ilisa ions has had i s own specialis s since he beginning, so we can speak abou : - Visigo hic A chaeology (5 h o 7 h cen u ies): This has adi ionally been s udied in Classical His o y De- pa men s, bu also in A chaeology Depa men s. The con ibu ion o he Deu sches A chäologisches Ins i u in Mad id has also been e y impo an , no only on accoun o exca a ions ca ied ou , bu also on accoun o publica ions. - Ch is ian kingdoms (8 h o 15 h cen u ies): A e he A ab conques o he Ibe ian Peninsula, he Ch is ian pa was educed o he a No h o he peninsula. The e o e, om he mid 8 h cen u y o he la e 15 h cen u y we wi ness he conques o he Muslim p o ince, i.e. he conques o al-Andalus. Se e al kingdoms like As u ias-León, Cas illa, and Na a a and A agón made i possible o ex- pansion owa ds he Sou h as a as he Due o i e (in he 2nd qua e o he 9 h cen u y). Appa en ly his was caused by he Muslims’ inabili y o sus ain he demog aphic occupa ion o he e i o y. The a chaeology o Spanish medie al kingdoms is no he mos de eloped. The bes known pe- iod is he Ea ly Middle Ages om he 8 h o he 10 h cen u y, bu is a he same ime he less known h ough he w i en sou ces. As u ias-León and Ca alonia a e he egions wi h he longes adi ion in hese kinds o s udies. - Al-Andalus a chaeology (8 h o 15 h cen u ies): The mos de eloped in Spain. This chap e o Spanish medie al his o y began o be s udied a e he Roman ic mo emen . Ce - ainly Spain has p ese ed a lo o Islamic monumen s, which we e es o- ed om he ea ly 20 h cen u y. C-Valo s 06-06-15, 15.5542 43 MAGDALENA V ALORS T adi ionally esea ch has been ocused on G anada (Alhamb a), Co - doba and Medina Azaha a. Nowadays he e a e many o he places o in e es like Se ille, Mu cia and Badajoz. Also, esea che s we e p e iously mo e in e es ed in he Omayyad pe iod. In ecen yea s, we ha e gained much mo e in o ma ion abou he Almohads and abou he Nas id dynas ies. Uni e si ies, Museums and he Casa de Velázquez (dependan on he Cen- e Na ional de la Reche ché Scien i- ique o F ance), a e he ins i u ions dealing wi h his discipline. The kind o opics a e e y simila o hose deal wi h by Eu opean Med- ie al A chaeology. In his espec we can disce n di e en pe iods: 1) The mid 20 h cen u y Ceme e ies, chu ches and me al- wo k we e he mos s udied opics in Visigo hic A chaeology. Ca es, cas os (p e-Roman o i ied se lemen s) and ci ies oge he wi h es o ed chu ches and cas les we e common opics o Ch is ian A chaeology. Palaces and mosques we e esea ched by a chi ec s and a his o ians, o de ec he buildings’ s uc u es. 2) The 60’s and he 70’s Du ing hese yea s an impo an change came abou . The esea ch was concen a ed no only on he s udy o excep ional a e ac s o a chi ec u al s uc u es, bu also on he a chaeo- logical con ex and on he analysis o con inui y, changes and e olu ion. Tha was a signi ican change ha can be egis e ed in he a ious aspec s and cul u es. Fo example, in he case o Ca alonia and As u ias-León he s udy o epopula ion has been e y de eloped, specially o he pe iod be ween he 8 h and he 10 h cen u y in di e en aspec s, like he e olu ion o se lemen s, socie y and economy, and he on ie wi h al-Andalus. The case o Al-Andalus a chaeology was he comple e opposi e. Resea ch was ela ed wi h es o a ion, he e o e wi h a chi ec s. The Alhamb a, he mosque o Co doba and Medina Azaha a we e managed by a chi ec s. The conseqence is ha we know a lo abou he a chi ec u al s uc u es bu no hing abou he a chaeological con ex . So, in his case monumen al a chaeology was he main aim. 3) The 80's The de ini i e change in Spanish Medie al a chaeology occu ed in he 80’s. The easons we e: Fi s ly, in 1981 he Spanish Asso- cia ion o medie al a chaeology was ounded. Academics and expe s om uni e si ies, museums and he s a e adminis a ion o med an associa ion o demand a place in Spanish a chaeo- logy, and o es ablish means o con ac . Secondly, In 1985 he i s Spanish Cong ess o Medie al A chaeology ook place in Huesca. This is a e y impo an da e, no only because i was he i s gene al mee ing, bu also because o he Ac s ( i e olumes de o ed o: Me hodology (I), Visi- go hic (II), Andalusi (III and IV), and Ch is ian (IV and V) a chaeology. C-Valo s 06-06-15, 15.5543 META NR 4 2001 44 Many o he cong esses ha e aken place in ecen yea s: The 2nd in Mad id in 1987 The 3 d in O iedo in 1989 The 4 h in Alican e in 1993 The 5 h in Valladolid in 1999 Thi dly, in 1986 issue 0 o he Bole ín de A queología Medie al was published. This s a ed li e as a book wi h modes p e ensions, bu began o ecei e many mo e con ibu ions a e 1989. Topics and aspec s o al-Anda- lus a chaeology Since he A ab conques (711–716) o he inal de ea o he Nas id’s eign (1492), we ha e eigh hund ed yea s o A ab ci ilisa ion in he Ibe ian Peninsula. We should ha e in mind h ee di e en pe iods, which a e: 1) Co doba´s Emi a and Calipha (713–1031). Especially impo an in his pe iod was he Umayyad dynas y coming om Sy ia a e 756. Two and a hal cen u ies, du ing which occu ed he islamisa ion o Visigo hic Hispania. In hese yea s began he ans o ma- ion om ci ies, he pe manen exis ence o a on ie wi h Ch is ian eigns, he new e i o ial o ganiza ion and e iden ly he beginning o a new cul u e in Wes Eu ope. 2) Pe y kings and Almo a ids (1031–1147). The pe y kings signi ied he b eakdown o he Calipha and he bi h o a la ge quan i y o small poli ies eigned by small dynas ies. A his ime ook place impo an changes in he o ganisa ion o he e i o y, especially a e y in ensi e p ocesses o o i ica ion. The Almo a ids was a No h A i- can dynas y, which en e ed he Ibe - ian peninsula helping he pe y kings agains he Ch is ian kings, and inally conque ed each o hem, con e ing al-Andalus in o ano he p o ince o hei No h A ican empi e. This cen u y signi ied a con inui y o he Umayyad pe iod. The a chi ec- u e con inued o be in he same way, bu no mally mo e deco a ed. 3) Almohad calipha (1147–1212 o 1248). This is a e y unknown pe iod a he momen , bu i seems o ha e been a e y impo an cen u y. Al-Andalus was much smalle , and o esis he Ch is- ian conques hey had o eo ganise he on ie and he e i o y, speci ically he o i ica ions. A he same ime came a de ini i e aes he ic change. A new a chi ec u e cha ac e ised by huge buildings, a p ocess ypical o he pe- iod a e 1172 and exis ing h oughou he Middle Ages. The inal de elopmen o his e- no a ion was G anada’s Nas id eign (1232-1492), wi h a simila de elop- men like he Umayyad calipha and he pe y kings. Tha means, he same aes he ic wi h mo e complica ed dec- o a ion. C-Valo s 06-06-15, 15.5544 45 MAGDALENA V ALORS In he esea ch o al-Andalus a chaeology, he esea che s we e a he beginning dealing wi h a and a chi ec u e and e y li le wi h a chaeology. Basic s udies we e pub- lished in he 50’s by Manuel Gómez Mo eno and Leopoldo To es Balbás; he mos s udied si es we e he Co doba mosque, Medina Azaha a and he Alhamb a palace in G anada. Since 1985 we a e expe iencing a eal explosion o publica ions, his ime wi h scien i ic a chaeological app oaches, bu p obably wi h a lack o ambi ious p ojec s. Ci ies, owns 1) The u ban s uc u e (Fig . 1 and 2) The Ibe ian Peninsula was an in ensi ely u banised a ea e en be o e he A ab conques . The e was a con inui y in places wi h p e-Roman o Roman o igins. This was he same si ua ion as in Sy ia; ch is ian ci ies wi h an o ganised housing scheme, and some imes o i ied. The isla- misa ion o hese p e-Islamic ci ies consis ed in: - The ans o ma ions o chu ches in o mosques. A he beginning he same building was used o bo h cul s, a e wa ds he chu ch was des oyed and in he same place a mosque cons uc ed. We know a ew examples, like Co doba’s F iday mosque, and he i s F iday mosque in Se ille, named Ibn Adabbas. - The bi h o a poli ical cen e, named alcáza , nex o he F iday mosque. Palace a eas we e cons uc ed a one ex eme o he ci y walls, wi h possible con ac wi h he ou ski o ci ies. This was named Da al-Ima a. - The de elopmen o he ma ke a ea a ound he F iday mosque. The di e en a s and c a s we e o gani- sed in ca ego ies, and depending on his hey we e nea o a om he emple. We don’ know exac ly he ch o- nology o he ci ies’ islamisa ion, because he e a e ew se ious p ojec s o u ban a chaeology. Fo example, in he case o Se ille we can say h ough he w i en and a chaeological sou ces ha un il he middle o he 12 h cen u y he Roman Hispalis was espec ed. The e we e e iden ly im- po an changes because hey buil a F iday mosque in 829 and a he same ime he e exis ed a go e no ’s palace (Da al-Ima a) and a p incely palace on he ou ski s o he ci y. In he case o Co doba, he i s phase o he mosque was no buil un il 788, ha means 77 yea s a e he A ab conques . A e he A ab conques p e-Islamic ci ies s ill exis ed, con inui y and islamisa ion was he common si ua- ion, bu he e we e also ci ies ounded by he muslims, he mos in e es ing example wi hou doub is Medina Azaha a. This ci y was ounded by he i s caliph o Co doba, Abd al- Rahman III in 937 and exis ed un il C-Valo s 06-06-15, 15.5545 META NR 4 2001 46 1010. Cons uc ed pa ly in Sie a Mo ena moun ains, i was o ganised in o h ee e asses. The highes was he palace a ea, in he middle he ga den a ea, and in he lowe pa he ci y. The F iday mosque was buil be ween he second e ace and he ci y. This a chaeological si e was one o he e y i s places exca a ed in Spain. We know many aspec s o his place no only h ough he w i en sou ces, bu also h ough he con empo a y ch onicles. This monumen is e y impo an o he whole al-Andalus a and a chi ec u e de elopmen . Fig. 1. Co dobas ci y plan. A Roman shape whe e he F iday mosque and Alcza a e a he pe iphe y , nex o he b idge and he i e Guadalqui i . A ound he mosque he ma ke a ea was de eloped, he baza s. C-Valo s 06-06-15, 15.5546 47 MAGDALENA V ALORS E e y al-Andalus king o caliph in he nex cen u ies ied o know Medina Azaha a and o euse some a chi- ec u al elemen s, and also o be inspi ed by he deco a ion. 2) The ci y walls Mos o he ci ies ha he con- que o s ound had Roman walls. Some o hem, in places nex o he on ie wi h he Ch is ians we e p ese ed; bu commonly hey we e abandoned, and p obably he s ones we e eused in new buildings. So he Za agoza’s ci y walls s ill exis ed a e he conques , while Se ille’s ci y walls we e abandoned and ha is he eason why he Vikings did no ha e p oblems o en e he ci y in 844. C ea ed ci ies, like Medina Azaha a, Badajoz o Mu cia we e o i ied. Bu we should speak no only abou he cons uc ion, bu also abou he de- s uc ion o some o hem, especially in he case o ebellion agains Fig. 2. Se illes ci y plan wi h he wo u baniza ion phases, which a e: 1) The plan un il he middle o he 12 h cen u y, whe e we can see he F iday mosque and he alcza a he ci y bo de . A he ou ski s was also buil a p ince palace. 2) The Almohad expansion was eally signi ican . No only because he walled su ace was much la ge , also because hey eno a ed he cul u al and poli ical cen e o he ci y. The poli ical cen e (alcza ) wen h ough a de ini i e change, om a g oup o palaces in o a ci y wi hin he ci y, o med by many enclosu es wi h di e en unc ions. They we e dedica ed o ga dens, o cha ds, ceme e ies, wo kshop a eas o palaces. C-Valo s 06-06-15, 15.5547 META NR 4 2001 48 Co doba. This is he case o Me ida o Écija, bo h e y impo an owns in Roman imes, bu in decadence a e he 9 h cen u y. Mili a isa ion was a cons an h ough he al-Andalus his o y om he beginning o he end. The walls no only de ined he ci y, hey p o ec ed i , and he leade s also de ended hemsel es agains he ci izens. Umayyad walls we e no mally buil in s one (Silla es), and we ha e many examples in Me ida, Balague o Se ille (Fig. 3). Bu he mos equen buil- ding ma e ial was abiya ( ig. 4). This is a mix u e o soil, wa e and lime pu in a wooden mould. The ha dness could be like s one, i depends on he lime quan i y added. B icks we e e y common in al-Andalus since he 9 h cen u y. I was used o pa emen s, aul s and a ches. A he end o he 12 h cen u y i began o be used o comple e buildings. The majo i y o he ci y walls ha we can see oday we e buil a e he 12 h cen u y, and only pa ly we can ind agmen s o ea lie phases. The mo e equen cases come om he Almohads and he Nas id e a. 3) The palaces A e y in ensi e, u banised ci ilisa- ion had o ha e lo s o palaces. Today e y ew s ill exis and many o hem a e mu ila ed. We can ind palaces Fig. 3. Reused Roman s ones in Se illes alcaza enclosu e. C-Valo s 06-06-15, 15.5548 49 MAGDALENA V ALORS om he 10 h o he 15 h cen u y. I is impo an o s a e ha he layou o hese palaces has a epe i i e s uc u e du ing his long pe iod. We can see buildings in a ec angula o m o ganised wi h a cen al pa io and ooms a ound. The p incipal ooms used o be in he sho e wings, some imes exclusi ely so. The pa io is a ga den and i is used as a house space. While he s uc u e o hese palaces was epea ed, we can see an e olu ion in deco a ion. The Omayyad models su i e un il he second hal o he 12 h cen u y, wi h some de elop-men , bu he s onges aes he ic change ook place wi h Almohads. (Fig 5 and 6) The high empe a u es in summe made i necessa y o cons uc sum- me palaces. In he case o ho wea he hey used o make unde g ound o semi-unde g ound palaces. In he Alhamb a, nex o he Sie a Ne ada moun ains, i was no necessa y, bu hey buil in he highes a ea o his place pa ilions su ounded by ga d- ens. Vege a ion and wa e was essen- ial o his kind o a is oc a ic houses. A he same ime, emi s, kings o caliphs used o cons uc an almunia a he ou ski s o he ci ies in places wi h a nice iew and good com- munica ions wi h he alcáza . (Fig. 7) Fig. 4. Tabiya. C-Valo s 06-06-15, 15.5549 META NR 4 2001 50 4) The mosques Mosques comp ice h ee elemen s: - The Pa io, bigge han he p aye hall, is he place o make ablu ions, o ha e a es , o adminis e jus ice and he place o he Ko anic school. I is also he space used as a p aye hall on F idays. - The owe o mina e , use o ad ise he ci izens abou he p aye ime. In al-Andalus mina e s a e equen ly si ua ed nex o he main ga e o he pa io, in he no h side. - The p aye hall, e iden ly he mos impo an elemen . Al-Andalus mosques we e o ien a ed o he Sou h, he sou h wall is much wide han he o he s. In he cen e is a niche named mih ab, which indica ed he di ec ion o he p aye . We mus no e ha he e a e di e- en kinds o mosques: he mos impo an is he F iday mosque (compa able o a ca hed al wi h he Ch is ians), u he he e a e dis ic ’s mosques named masyid (like pa ish chu ches) and also o a o ies. Only he F iday mosques ha e he h ee ele- men s (pa io, mina e and p aye hall), Fig. 5. Palace o Se illes alcaza . I is a e y common ype, a c oss- ga den, o ganised in wo passages and ou ga den spaces. Vege a ion in Islamic ga dens was e y ich, hey used o mix a lo o plan s, local and impo ed, ege ables and o na- men al. C-Valo s 06-06-15, 15.5550 57 MAGDALENA V ALORS in Có doba, a ious mosques in To- ledo, and also esea ching in Mo occo, speci ically on Almohad mosques. Bu he e a e also some Hispanis s who a e no connec ed o hese kinds o ins i u ions. Some o hem ha e published wo k in ecen yea s like: Ch is ine Mazzoli-Guin a d . Villes d’al-Andalus. L’Espagne e le Po ugal à l’époque musulmane (VIIIe-XVe siècles). Rennes. 1996. Thomas F. Glick. F om Muslim o ess o Ch is ian cas le. T owb idge. 1995. The bes way o ind some publi- ca ions om Spanish a chaeologis s a e in he ac s o Medie al Eu ope, 1992 and 1997, he i s in e na ional mee ings o Eu opean Medie al A chaeology. Each one o he ac s, which a e di ided in o se en di e en a eas, ha e some a icles. In some cases hey we e w i en by Spanish a chaeologis s, and, in o he s by Hispanis s. The e a e some signi ican gaps, and no hing abou impo an esea ch p ojec s like L’Esque dá a Ca alonia de eloped by Inma Ollich. Magdalena Valo s  p o esso id Depa amen o de His o ia Medie al y Ciencias y Tcnicas His o iog  icas Uni e sidad de Se illa C-Valo s 06-06-15, 15.5557