The remains are well preserved and date from the 11th and 12th centuries
An Almoravid site from the late 11th and early 12th centuries has been discovered in Uclés (Cuenca) thanks to archaeological excavations conducted by the University of Castilla-La Mancha and the Fernando Núñez Foundation. The project, called “Uclés, from Islamic Medina to Head of the Order of Santiago”, has revealed a city “of extraordinary importance and almost unique at the national level”, according to the professors who led it.
The settlement is located in the Cerro de la Defensa, also known as Cerro de la Virgen, and extends over nine hectares on the western side of the current population. What strikes the researchers most is that it has not been altered by the presence of later cultures. In addition, a fortress crowning the elevation, formed by an internal enclosure, a perimeter wall and three flanking towers, has been documented, and several Christian tombs have been found in the highest part of the fortress that will now be studied.
A rectangular building of the same chronology has also been found in the northern part of the fortress which, due to its orientation, could correspond to a mosque, something that will clarify future excavations. Similarly, fragments of tableware parts have been recovered, including some ataiphores that stand out. On the other hand, metal elements related to the military world have been found, such as a dagger or its point, nails from tents and some remains of arrowheads.
According to the archaeological team that worked on this project, this town in Almoravid is of immense importance, as it is one of the few sites with this chronology that has remained intact in Spain. The town, which will be excavated again in December, seems to be linked to a fortified military camp that could later give way to a district of its own where the Almoravids separated from the Andalusian population of Uclés when the infante Sancho conquered the place in 1108 after the famous battle in which the son of Alfonso VI died. Along with this city, more than twenty military sites related to this period have been documented in the area of Uclés in the past.
Source: La Verdad
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