Guatacondo 1, ubicado en el Desierto de Atacama (Tarapacá, norte de Chile), destaca por ser uno de los sitios más relevantes de arquitectura en barro asociada al Período Formativo Andino (ca.900 a. C. – 900 d. C.), situando el uso de la aldea entre el 340 a. C. y el 70 d. C. El sitio presenta estructuras circulares, espacios comunales, áreas de almacenamiento y vías de circulación. Un rasgo particular es la presencia de un espacio central de gran tamaño, a modo de plaza, que imprime un sello distintivo y aglutinante a todo el conjunto aldeano, a una escala no registrada previamente. El sitio refleja una diversidad de técnicas constructivas y un patrón arquitectónico particular de la región, lo que inaugura una nueva tradición constructiva basada en el conocimiento de las propiedades del barro. Si bien la arquitectura en barro está ampliamente documentada en el norte de Chile, los distintos procesos tecnológicos asociados a su producción aún permanecen escasamente estudiados. Este estudio arqueométrico analiza bloques y sedimentos procedentes de distintas estructuras del sitio Guatacondo 1, integrando la evaluación arquitectónica con análisis sedimentológicos y petrográficos. Los resultados indican el uso de materias primas locales mínimamente modificadas, junto con una variabilidad de elementos y formas de construir, lo que refleja un manejo y conocimiento del paisaje local y de sus recursos. Estos hallazgos contribuyen a caracterizar las tecnologías arquitectónicas del Formativo en Tarapacá y su relación con los procesos de cambio social que se estarían desarrollando durante este período.
Con ocasión de una obra de reforma parcial en la iglesia de Santa María la Mayor de Ronda para la adecuación de la vivienda del párroco, se pudo desarrollar una mínima investigación arqueológica sobre un edificio singular adosado a la torre de la citada iglesia. La construcción de la iglesia sobre la mezquita aljama de la medina andalusí tras su conquista castellana, y la conservación de algunos elementos de esta, como el mihrab en el templo cristiano, hizo que se propusiera un origen similar al pequeño edificio identificándolo como una qubba. Lo que presentamos en este trabajo es el análisis arqueológico realizado sobre sus paramentos internos, a partir del cual realizamos una propuesta del origen y de la evolución de este elemento.
Systemic networks, as a set of dispersed, isolated, or independent architectures that are thematically interconnected, gain greater significance when considered as a whole. Therefore, by using the systemic network of the Spanish optical telegraph, composed of isolated towers scattered across the territory, this article presents a methodological example of how to approach the analysis of both the individual units and the collective to develop common intervention strategies and enhance their value. Additionally, the aim of this article is to update the available information on the telegraph towers of the Madrid-Valencia line with a new comprehensive perspective. By considering first the related bibliography, new research has been later conducted on historical graphic documentation, and recent data has been corroborated in situ. As a result, a descriptive analysis of the towers in their current state, studies on the systemic network, and a methodological example for future research are presented.
This study documents a cluster of six quarries situated close to the church of San Rom & aacute;n de Tobillas, which served as the source of stone for its construction. The extraction method employed was an ascending benching system, exploiting artificial notches within the rock strata. The analysis of quarry intersection relationships indicates the lower the level, the more modern the quarrying activities. The morphological analysis of the quarries suggests that five correspond to the Pre-Romanesque II construction phase (c. 939), while one dates to the Romanesque period (12th century). The Paleocene dolomitic megabed, within which the quarries are located, provides a unique stratigraphic marker for tracing the evolution of stone use in medieval construction systems. The megabed was initially exploited in Late Antiquity for the creation of hermitages. Later on, during the Pre-Romanesque period, stone was extracted for the production of ashlar masonry. Finally, in the Romanesque period, the resource was utilized for both ashlar and decorative carving.
Within the field of protohistoric architecture studies, roofing systems represent one of the most challenging elements to be defined. Over the past 30 years, an interpretative model has been consolidated for the architectures of protohistoric communities in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula, based on the assumption that flat roofs with an earthen covering constituted the predominant construction system. In this study, it is critically reassed this established model by examining its origins and theoretical and methodological foundations. Based on this review, a new interpretative framework is proposed, includings a critical analysis of the arguments put forward to date, along with the comparison with ethnographic and archaeological references. To conclude, it is argued that these roofs would have had a substantially different configuration, characterised by a medium or steep pitch, a construction with plant-based materials, and laking an earthen covering.
