Enclosure 2

Structure preserved under the level of Roman period floor and corresponding to a basement. Excavated by G. Nieto, almost completely. Some of the exceptional graphites in this enclosure were located in the collapse of the cantiles produced after these excavations into the enclosure, in the EU 12030. The rest were located in its part N. excavated by E. Gil Zubillaga, specifically, in the UUES 12001 and 12031, identified on the northern closing wall of the enclosure and corresponding, at the level of scramble and a collapse of around the 3rd century AD, respectively.

Enclosure 3

Structure preserved under the ground level of Roman times and corresponding to a cistern of water. Excavated completely during the excavations of E. Gil Zubillaga. Exceptional graphites were located in the fill and tardor-Roman collapse levels of it, specifically in US 12046, 12073, 12075 and 12076-B, as well as at the deposit level already mentioned, EU 12077, slightly preceding chronologically.

Enclosure 4

Like the previous ones, structure preserved under the soil level of Roman times. It was only worked on in the excavations of E. Gil Zubillaga, on a small strip to the S. of it. We cannot therefore determine the functionality of this enclosure. The exceptional graphites were located in the EU 12001 scrambled layer and at an eu 12023 high-imperial Roman-era occupation level.

Enclosure 8

Structure preserved under the level of Roman period soil. It was only worked on in the excavations of E. Gil Zubillaga, in a small area at the N. of it. We cannot therefore determine the functionality of this enclosure. The exceptional graphites were located at an EU 12050 filler level and in another filling of an EU 12068 looting pit, both from tardorromana period.

Graphites and their contexts

A total of 122 graffiti appeared in this sector distributed in different UUES. Of these, we consider a total of 77: 2 of the 9 located in the EU 12001 to be exceptional, 3 of the 4 located in the EU 12023, 27 of the 39 located in the EU 12030, 29 of the 36 located in the EU 12031, the only one located in the EU 12046, the only one located in the EU 12050, 1 of the 3 located in the EU 12068 , 1 of the 2 graphites located in the EU 12075, the 2 graphites located in the EU 12076-B and 10 of the 13 graphites located in the EU 12077.

Con respecto a la cronología, hemos de tener en cuenta que las que aquí se ofrecen son las correspondientes al momento de formación de cada uno de los estratos. Eso nos proporcionaría la datación ante quem de los grafitos. Pero no hay que perder de vista que si éstos corresponden a rellenos, por ejemplo, el material arqueológico puede encontrarse en disposición secundaria, con lo que la cronología de los grafitos pudiera ser anterior, teniendo como terminus post quem, la propia datación del soporte. Sin embargo, en el caso concreto de la UE 12077 que es un depósito que, posiblemente tenga unas connotaciones rituales, es muy posible que los grafitos sean prácticamente coetáneos al momento de su formación, ya que la mayoría están grabados sobre material tardío cuya producción está próxima al momento en que se depositó dicho relleno.

Previous observation

It should be borne in mind that this sector had been excavated in part by G. Nieto, with enclosure 3 being the only one that we fully excavated. Therefore, in its day, we only present as exceptional finds those graffiti appeared inside this cistern. We now show here all the graphites that we consider exceptional located in this sector, although it should be noted that those located in THE UUES 12001 and 12030, although engraved on material from Roman times, do not have the guarantee of a stratigraphic dating since they were located in secondary arrangement. Which we explain in each specific case. This does not mean, at all, that they are not graphites from Roman times, but that their location in the stratigraphic sequence when they were located does not allow to be assured.

Enclosure 2

UE 12001

Agricultural removal stratum.
Stratigraphic relations: surface stratum, of which only remains on the EU 12031 (collapse) at the time of the 2005 excavation, since in the rest of the enclosure it had been eliminated in Nieto's time.
Timeline: The support of graphites located in this EU is clearly Roman, but stratigraphy does not provide chronological data as it is the surface stratum

UE 12030

Stratum of collapse of the cantiles left by the excavation of G. Nieto in enclosure 2. It did not extend throughout its surface, but - above all - for its part N. and E., which was where Nieto had not located the boundaries of the enclosure and, therefore, left earthily cantiles that erosion and the passage of time gradually collapsed, forming a new stratigraphic unit. Obviously this new unit involved the contribution of lands that had originally constituted the archaeological filling of enclosure 2; as well as stones from one of its walls.
Stratigraphic relations: at the time of his excavation in 2005, he was on the surface and, under it, the natural rock appeared.
Timeline: the formation of the stratum would be later than 1954, as it was configured by the partial collapse of the cantiles left after the excavation of G. Nieto. The material was mostly from Roman times but in secondary arrangement, having been relocated by the erosion of its original archaeological stratigraphy. In any case, stratigraphy cannot provide reliable data on graphites here.

UE 12031

Collapse stratum. Although it would have originally covered the entire enclosure 2 and its walls, its extension, when it was excavated in 2005, was limited to the area not excavated by G. Nieto. In the part excavated by E. Gil, the stratum was intact.
Stratigraphic relations: under the EU 12001 (level of agricultural removal). It covered the EU walls 12019 and 12032 (which delimit enclosure 2 by the N.), as well as strata not yet excavated from inside enclosure 2 by E.
Timeline: Around the 3rd century AD.

Enclosure 3

UE 12046

Top tank filling (enclosure 3), townhouse to more perimeter filling (EU 12050)
Stratigraphic relations: under the EU 12001 (level of agricultural removal). It covered several units, namely USM 12051, 12059, 12060 (corresponding to underlying fills of the tank itself), structures of the tank itself (many of them, covering them only partially), as would be the EU 12057 (concrete S. wall), USU 12053, 12079, 12081, 12087, 12089 (some of the hydrolicic coatings of it, which appeared just below this stratum) , the EU 12092 (cover shoe S. and finally also covered the EU 12054 (tank hollow interface).
Timeline: Tardor-Roman era (V century AD)

UE 12075

Collapse stratum inside the cistern.
Stratigraphic relations: under EU 12073 (collapse stratum) and covering EU 12076 (collapse stratum).
Timeline: Tardor-Roman era (V century AD)

UE 12076B

Collapse stratum inside the cistern. Second of the sizes practiced for the purposes of excavation of this unit, given its great power.
Stratigraphic relations: under EU 12075 (collapse stratum) and covering EU 12077 (deposit stratum).
Timeline: Tardor-Roman era, 5th century AD.

UE 12077

Tank filling on the bottom of the tank (enclosure 3)
Stratigraphic relations: under EU 12076 (collapse stratum) and covering the EU 12054 (tank hollow interface), located above the EU 12078 (tank concrete floor).
Timeline: Tardor-Roman era (V century AD), although the deposit was made prior to the collapse of the tank cover.
Date C14 Ref. GrN-31584: 1630+/-40 BP (320 A.D. +/-40) (Cal. WinCal25, 2sigma, 95%: 339-539 A.D. OxCal4.0, 95.4%: 267-540 A.D.). Bone sample of one of the buried individuals, in secondary arrangement in the cistern and most likely from an burial of the 4th century.

Enclosure 4

UE 12001

Agricultural removal stratum.
Stratigraphic relations: a surface stratum covering, in enclosure 4, the EU 12024 (collapse).

UE 12023

Occupation stratum. Only identified in a small area, to the S. of the enclosure, since the rest is un excavated.
Stratigraphic relations: under the EU 12024 (collapse) and over the EU 12026 (floor interface).
Timeline: Upper-Imperial Roman era.

Enclosure 8

UE 12050

Top depreciation filling, located perimeterd to the cistern (enclosure 3) and which also covered the enclosure located to the S. of it (enclosure 8), at least in the excavated part.
Stratigraphic relations (in the area of enclosure 8): under EU 12001 (removal stratum). It covered several US: a possible stratum of occupation of enclosure 8 (EU 12063), the looting pits of two of its walls (UUEE 12064 and 12069) and their corresponding fillings (UUEE 12068 and 12091).
Timeline: Tardor-Roman era (V century AD)

UE 12068

Filling of the EU pit 12069. Tardor-Roman period pit for the looting of the EU 12070 wall, which delimited enclosure 8 by E.
Stratigraphic relations: under EU 12050 (depreciation fill) and filling the EU 12069 looting pit.
Timeline: Tardor-Roman era (V century AD) [/tp]