SALDUIE is a scientific journal edited by the Areas of Prehistory and Archaeology of the Department of Antiquity Sciences (University of Zaragoza) and the Research Group P3A (First dwellers and archaeological heritage of the Ebro basin, recognised by the Government of Aragón. Its main focus is the publication of archaeological researches dealing from the Prehistory up to contemporary times, namely those carried out in the Ebro Basin. National and international publications are also welcomed. The journal is mainly devoted to researchers and experts on archaeological heritage. ISSN 1576-6454 ISSN.e 2794-0055 DOI 10.26754/ojs_salduie
Departamento de Ciencias de la Antigüedad
SALDUIE retains the copyright of the published articles, authorizing the use, dissemination, transmission and public display of their content, provided that the authorship, url and journal are cited, and that they are not used for commercial purposes. The right to reproduce the articles in hard copy, portable document format (.pdf) or HTML editions of JoS is also reserved. The authors agree with the license of use used by the journal, as well as with the conditions of self-archiving and its open access policy.
Recensión a: Picazo Millán, I.; Fanlo Loras, J. y Pérez-Lambán, F. (2025). Los Collados (Jaulín, Zaragoza). Un asentamiento del Bronce Antiguo en el valle del río Huerva. Monografías arqueológicas, Prehistoria, 58. Zaragoza.
Recensión a la obra: Picazo Millán, I.; Fanlo Loras, J. y Pérez-Lambán, F. (2025). Los Collados (Jaulín, Zaragoza). Un asentamiento del Bronce Antiguo en el valle del río Huerva. Monografías arqueológicas, Prehistoria, 58. Zaragoza.
Copyright (c) 2025 Salduie https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Animal husbandry in Aragón: Archaeozoological data on a 7,500-year history
This paper presents an updated synthesis of the development of animal husbandry in the region of Aragón from the Neolithic to the Medieval period, based on archaeozoological and biomolecular data. It analyses the main patterns in the exploitation of domestic species, with particular attention to changes in livestock management strategies over time and their relationship with environmental, cultural, and economic factors. The article also reviews the uneven development of archaeozoological research in the region, highlighting existing chronological and methodological gaps. Special attention is given to the potential of emerging techniques—such as stable isotope analysis, dental microwear, and organic residue studies—which are beginning to offer new perspectives on animal management in different historical contexts. Finally, the need to expand the archaeozoological record and diversify analytical approaches is emphasised, in order to build a more comprehensive narrative of the role of animal husbandry in the social and economic history of Aragón.
Early medieval sarcophagi with incised geometric decoration in the province of Burgos, La Rioja and Cantabria. An approach to the whole
In the north of the current province of Burgos, a set of sarcophagi with incised decoration using geometric motifs has been located. The shape of the boxes is tra-pezoidal, the lids have various designs and the entire set is made of white calcareous rock. Its ornament seems to be a combination of traditions of Roman origin with Germanic motifs brought by the Visigothic populations settled in the Iberian Peninsula. The pieces offer a wide chronological arc between the 6th and 10th centuries, this production reaching Cantabria in the north and La Rioja in the east. The purchase and sale of these luxury goods shows commercial traffic in the Ebro valley during the first centuries of the Middle Ages with maintenance of the use of the road network of classical origin. It is also the time when syncretisms were occurring between the old forms of the Roman le-gacy and the new currents of the beginning of the me-dieval period.
Monumental architecture and urban development in Roman times in the hill of Alvarfáñez (Huete, Cuenca). Geophysical prospection and archaeological interpretation.
The findings made in the second half of the 19th century in the hill of Alvarfáñez (Huete, Cuenca) led to the identification of Roman remains. The archaeological evidence (structures and materials) was subsequently documented during the excavations that took place in the years 1975-1977 and 1985-1987. The preliminary results of the latter campaigns have been published. On this basis, and with the data provided by the information obtained from unpublished documentation of the first excavations, the topographic drawing of the preserved remains and the application of non-destructive techniques in archaeology, a new interpretative approach to the urban development of the enclave in Roman times is proposed. It is concluded that this development was analogous to that observed in other indigenous settlements in the southern Celtiberian territory
The quinarii of Sesars. A new coin from Hostalot–Ildum (Vilanova d'Alcolea, Castelló)
This paper deals with a quinarius of Sesars discovered during the archaeological excavations at the site of the Hostalot-Ildum (Vilanova d’Alcolea, Castelló). The coin, struck with two dies not previously documented, represents an important find due to the uniqueness of the piece and the location where it was discovered, as it attests to activity in the area before the construction of the Roman road.
Publications from the areas of Prehistory and Archaeology of the Department of Ancient Sciences (University of Zaragoza) (2024)
Publications edited (books, book chapters, catalogs, conference proceedings, and journals) throughout 2024 by members of the Prehistory and Archaeology departments of the Department of Ancient Sciences.
Publicaciones de las áreas de Prehistoria y Arqueología
El deimatismo es un comportamiento que ha tenido especial relevancia en nuestra historia evolutiva. En el presente artículo analizamos el deimatismo ocular en relación a las grafías prehistóricas. Analizaremos las expresiones de miedo de las grafías de caras paleolíticas, las manchas ¿oceladas? del "Licorne" de Lascaux, los atributos peligrosos en las grafías de felinos, la mirada del "hechicero" de Trois-Frères y los "ídolos" oculados, bajo una nueva perspectiva biológica y neurológica. Discutiremos también el uso de la terminología con el objetivo de comprender mejor el repertorio gráfico legado por nuestros antepasados.
TOWARDS HERITAGE TRANSFER IN SOCOVOS (ALBACETE): FIRST ARCHAEOLOGICAL WORKS
This article presents the results of the first phase of ar-chaeological intervention in Socovos (Albacete), car-ried out within the framework of the Almenara Project. The work focused on three key sites: Solana del Molin-ico, Peña Bermeja, and the Castle of Socovos. Through documentation, conservation, and material analysis, a foundation has been laid for the preservation and enhancement of local heritage. The installation of a protective enclosure at the rock art site, the planimetric documentation of the early medieval settlement, and the creation of a heritage classroom reflect a clear orientation toward community participation and the social activation of heritage.
THE FAMILY AS A CONSTRUCTOR OF SPACE.A FIRST APPROACH TO THE APPLICATION OF SPATIAL SYNTAX IN THE ANALYSIS OF THE CONCEPT OF QUAHTA, MALPAÍS DE TACÁMBARO SITE (MICHOACÁN, MEXICO)
This research addresses the study of the housing units located in the archeological site Malpaís de Tacámbaro, La Garita sector, Michoacán, México. The first results of the spatial analysis carried out using DepthmapX software and the theory of Spatial Syntax are presented, taking up the concept of space and its relationship with society, arguing that the architectural organization of La Garita could be linked to the formation of quahtas (house), a Purépecha term on which political, social and territorial relations were based throughout the territory of Michoacán in antiquity.
TYPOLOGICAL AND ICONOGRAPHIC DEFINITION OF A TSHTM COVER WITH UNIQUE CÁSTULO DECORATION
In this work, the existence of Late Meridional Hispanic terra sigillata (TSHTM) form 17 has been confirmed by the analysis of a piece with a singular decoration. It should be described typologically as a lid. However, the decorative and iconographic study of this lid has been the subject of special attention, taking into account that it is the first truly figurative decoration made in TSHTM using the white slip painting technique. Both the syntactic composition and its different elements have been analyzed on the basis of the three socio-religious groups found in Cástulo in the 5th century AD, the date in which this piece has been contextualized. The comparative study of the iconographic collection used by those social groups allows us to firmly conclude that the iconography of this piece is of a Judeo-Christian character. Although one could venture a more Jewish than Christian profile.
Sobre la epigrafía romana de Numancia (Garray, Soria) ¿Una producción local?
An update of the information available on Numantine epigraphy has been presented in a previous publication. The recent discovery of a new inscription at the Numantia Site-Museum is now the starting point for an exhaustive review of the epigraphs linked to this settlement, both those recovered at the site itself and those found in surrounding areas. From this analysis, it has been possible to identify a series of patterns and morphological characteristics shared by these inscriptions, which seem to indicate the differentiation of at least two officinae specialised in the epigraphic production linked to this enclave, which have been named Numancia I and Numancia II.
A SUNDIAL FROM THE ROMAN VILLA OF THE "POMPEU/POMPEII" OR CAN RING (BESALÚ, GIRONA)
This paper aims to present a gnomon or sundial discovered in 2020 at the Roman villa of the "Pompeu/Pompeii" or Can Ring, located in the municipality of Besalú (Girona, Catalonia). The focus of the work is not only to describe and characterise the piece, but also to explore, to the extent possible, aspects such as its manufacture, the material used (local travertine), its typology, the possible makers, its location within the villa, its possible functions, and its significance. Part of the interest lies in the scarcity of sundials in Hispania, with less than forty known and published examples to date.
FROM THE SEA TO THE MUSEUM. Study of a Set of Punic Amphorae Found in Underwater Contexts off the Coast of Cádiz
La Caleta (Cádiz) and its surroundings have been the focus of researchers' attention for decades as a key part of the port network of the ancient city of Gadir/Gades. The study of a heterogeneous set of items found in underwater surveys and from museum collections has provided valuable data on the commercial exchange of products and the cult activities carried out along this coastal area. The role of La Caleta and its surroundings was remarkable, from the archaic Phoenician period to at least the late Roman period, according to the written sources and the diversity of recorded archaeological indicators. Therefore, the study of the finds that evidence these maritime activities is of particular relevance, not only to explain the dynamism of the use of these seashore areas, but also to learn new data about the features of the maritime trade of the ancient city. Our research focuses on the review of previous findings and on the study of a small collection of Punic amphorae found in the underwater environment of La Caleta from the 1970s onwards, contributing further information on the commercial activities of the Gadir/Gades between the 5th and 2nd centuries BC.
THE PROBABLE VISIGOTH MONASTERY OF "EL TOLMO DE MINATEDA" (HELLÍN, ALBACETE)
The Discovery of metal pieces with very particular characteristics, which allow them to be safely identified as parto of an artificial lighting instrument, when it occurs in an archaeological site that shows its belonging to the late Antique or early medieval phase, in addition to being able to be linked to a Christian cult building, it can become an archaeological and historical investigation, which can focus on two objectives, recognizing the meaning and fuction of the aforementioned luminous instrument, but also make a proposal as to what cultural and religious environment it should be associated with and therefore be part of that Christian enclave. These objectives, methodology and proposed conclusión are what constitute this brief work, so that the discovery of several bronze pieces, undoubtedly from a great late lamp, in the Tolmo de Minateda (Hellín), recovered among the remains of architectural structures of a church of important dimensions, from the Visigothic period, they offer us the possibility of assessing that, compared to traditional opinión, from being an episcopal see, to beign a reality before the church and annexes o fan important monastic complex of territorial evangelization.
THE CISTOPHORI, DIONYSUS, AND THE VOODOO CULT OF DAMBALLAH
The knowledge of common iconography, rituals and religious concepts, very similar, between the Greco-Roman cult of Dionysus-Bacchus and that of Damballah, the voodoo spirit that manifests itself as a snake in both Haiti and Louisiana, has led us to highlight these circumstances in this work. The main objective is to point out the parallels, despite the difficulty that the Dionysian cults are of a mysterious nature and those referring to Damballah and his wife Aida, in the early times, those that provide the most information, were secret. Even so, we have highlighted what has been possible for us and that they share, to a greater or lesser degree, both religions. To the similarities between the mystical basket from which a snake emerges, represented in the cistophori, and the snake that is found in a box and taken out for the ritual, in Haiti, are added the very similar iconography of the snakes represented in the reverses of the cistophori with those of Damballah and Aida in voodoo. The staging of carnal union with the serpent, and the development of orgies with sex and alcohol, are also common elements between the Dionysian-Bacchic and the cult of Damballah.
Review of: Aguilera Aragón, I., Beltrán Lloris, M. and Rodanés Vicente, J. M.ª (2024). The Cabezo de Monleón. Excavations by Antonio Beltrán Martínez (1952-1964)
Recensión a la publicación realizada a partir de los diarios de excavación del profesor Antonio Beltrán Martínez escritos entre los año 50 y 60 en el yacimiento de Cabezo de Monleón (Caspe, Zaragoza).
Techno-economy and management of lithic resources in the Final Palaeolithic industry from Barranco Salao (Loporzano, Huesca)
This study presents the results of the research on the lithic materials collected over the years in the Barranco Salao area (Loporzano, Huesca). Despite not having found the exact location of the prehistoric site, the study of the raw materials and the lithic techno-typology allows to establish a clear pattern of supply and transformation of the siliceous varieties, related to the economic practices of the societies of the end of the Palaeolithic, with occasional presence of flint elements from more recent chronologies.
Final Paleolithic, Raw Materials, Technology, Typology, GIS Analysis.
Copyright (c) 2023 Salduie https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Recensión a : Presas romanas y altomedievales de la cuenca media del río Tajo: análisis constructivo y funcional.
Copyright (c) 2024 Salduie https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Archaeological projects developed by the Department of Antiquity Sciences 2024
Brief reports on the various archaeological projects (national and international) developed by the areas of Prehistory and Archaeology of the Department of Ancient Sciences of the University of Zaragoza.
Proyectos arqueológicos del Departamento de Ciencias de la Antigüedad
New Provincial Countermarks AVC/AVG and TA on Coins of Colonia Victrix Iulia Celsa (Hispania Citerior)
In this work we present two countermarks (AVC/AVG and TA) that we find widely attested in multiple finds made from the limes, but that are unknown within the coins minted in Hispania. These countermarks are present in the Gallic workshops, passing through both lower and upper Germania, continuing through Pannonia, Thrace, Moesia and of course on coins minted in the mint of Rome. Their appearance has been recorded on aces, duponds and sesterces, as well as on coins of practically all the emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, these countermarks have undergone countless transformations in their design and production. In the case of the coins presented here, they appear placed on coins from the Colonia Victrix Iulia Celsa mint, one of the most important mints in the Ebro Valley that supplied cash to the legions stationed during the cantabrian wars.
A landscape of war: new archaeological evidence of the civil war on the Aragon war front
The stabilization of the Aragon Front (1936-1938) over several hundred kilometres left behind many archaeological remains that attest the intensity of the conflict. The aim of these pages is to offer a small contribution to the study of the traces of the Civil War from a multidisciplinary perspective by documenting and contextualising several unpublished positions between the villages of Fombuena and Badules (Zaragoza). It is a study of these fortified locations of different types, visible to each other, their insertion in the territory and their use as a control system between two strategic areas related to the Aragon War Front, and which were maintained as a first line of combat for as long as the front was active.
The iberization and romological site of La Vispesa (Tamarite de Litera, Huesca). A preliminary study.anization processes in the region of la litera through the archae
The processes of Iberization and Romanization in the north-eastern region of the Iberian Peninsula are difficult to understand fully since we lack systematic analysis in some territories. To address this issue, we establish here a set of criteria to examine the development of these processes in La Litera (Huesca). The remains of deposits that are under continuous investigation, such as those of La Vispesa, reveal the factors that determined the transition from one stage to another. They permit us to identify the moment of change in the conception and internal organization of the region, as well as the consequences of the more complex territorial organization that took place between the end of the 4th century and the beginning of the 3rd century BC, a process that accelerated during the next two centuries due to Romanization. Further elements suggest that the final phase of La Vispesa during the imperial Roman period coincided with the period of change experienced under the Flavian dynasty.
Analysis of middle Pleistocene canid remains from the torca de la dehesa (Ondategi, Álava-Araba)
This paper presents the study carried out on the remains of a canid discovered by chance in Torca de la Dehesa (Ondategi, Álava-Araba). During this study, a set of 61 cranial and postcranial remains belonging to a single individual have been dated and studied. The dating obtained places the remains in OIS 6, the biometric and morphological analysis has allowed to classify this set as belonging to a young specimen of Canis lupus Linnaeus. The biogeographic study has allowed us to contextualize this finding at a regional level.
El paisaje visual y sonoro de las figuras femeninas en el arte rupestre levantino del Bajo Aragón, Maestrazgo y Bajo Ebro
Levantine rock art is a pictorial tradition characterized by the representation of male, asexual and, to a smaller degree, female figures. This article explores female representations of the Lower Aragón, Maestrazgo, and Lower Ebro regions. It focuses on analyzing the relationship between the sites with female motifs and their visual and sound characteristics, using a methodology based on Geographic Information Systems. The results reveal that female figures are present at sites with a diversity of attributes, including those with high visual and excellent sound propagation properties. This suggests a possible link with the social and ritual life associated with the creation of the paintings and, in the sites with the greatest number of figures, with places of aggregation. These data reinforce the hypothesis that, although women are represented in smaller numbers, their presence in sites of symbolic relevance underlines their fundamental role in Levantine prehistoric communities.
Architectural language in the prehispanic Calima housing, Colombia
In the southwestern of Colombia, where the current department of Valle del Cauca is located, the pre-Hispanic peoples of the Calima cultures were present between 700 BC and 1550 AD. There are no physical remains of these societies that allow us to elucidate how their settlements and architectural forms were, except for a wealth of artistic pottery and gold work that describe to some extent their way of life. The methodological process is carried out taking into account two instruments of analysis: the first is based on ethnohistory from the study of historical and sociocultural background and archaeological sources, which complement the exercise of my profession referred to architecture and urbanism, as well as the accounts of the Spanish chroniclers of the sixteenth century; the second is the observation of the archaeological material taken to an iconographic reading and analysis. The purpose of this study is to establish the aspects related to the architecture of the Calima culture from the movable material remains, defining building patterns of formal and spatial character, as well as different types of housing in the same cultural region.
Textile production, costume and ornamentation in Calatayud in the Visigothic period through material and written sources
The material and written evidence on textile production, clothing and ornamentation in Calatayud during the Visigothic period is quite scarce, but through our study we have been able to establish an analysis of the clothing of this period in the Bilbilis region. The evaluation of the archaeological remains and their comparison with written sources, and other archaeological evidence in peninsular sites, show us that this region had a society inherited from the Roman one that used Visigothic clothing as a symbol of power, just as we can raise the hypothesis of textile production, although we do not have material certainties.
Recensión a: Ruiz-Redondo, A. and Davies, W. (Eds.) (2023). The Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherers of South-Eastern Europe. Proceedings of the British Academy, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Recensión realizada por Joan Emili Aura Tortosa a la publicación: The Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherers of South-Eastern Europe de la que son editores Aitor Ruiz-Redondo, A. y Wilian Davies.
Cinema has played a fundamental role in society for more than a century, and currently this role has increased through the use of new technologies, television and video games. History has always been an object of interest for film buffs and producers, who see it as a different way of telling the past but through their own ideals of the moment, with the aim of entertaining. For some historians, the scientific and historical accuracy offered by these films is little or non-existent, but what is important in them is the role of history and its transmission through film. If it had not been for these films from the middle of the last century, what concept or history of antiquity would most people of those generations have learned? This paper briefly analyses the films and series that are best known to society, have the greatest impact, and, above all, whose transmission and repercussions help to keep classical antiquity alive in the minds of past, present and future generations.
La necrópolis romana bajoimperial del yacimiento de La Magdalena (Alcalá de Henares, Madrid))
The Late Roman Empire phase of La Magdalena archaeological site (Alcalá de Henares) is defined by a necropolis that started around the second third of the III century and would end towards the first half of the V century. The site is located near the Camino de los Afligidos, marking the position of what could be the ancient roman road that would connect Emerite Augusta with Caesar Augusta, with Complutum existing halfway between those cities, serving as a crossroads with other roads, like the one passing through Segobriga and reaching Carthago Nova. This necropolis has 156 graves in which 164 individuals were buried, a complex system of hydraulic structures that encircle the sacred space, as well as numerous minor structures linked to various offerings and ritualistic behaviour.
An honorary inscription in Calagurris Iulia (Calahorra, La Rioja). A reading proposal
At the beginning of the 80s, two fragments of an honorary inscription were found in Calahorra that are currently exhibited in the Museum of Romanization in this same city. There have been two readings on it since then, the most complete of which dated it to the 3rd century. At first glance it seems like a tribute to two emperors executed in capital letters on a plaque prepared for this purpose. The starting point is an analysis of the piece to propose a new transcription, develop a proposal about which ruler(s) were the ones to whom the epigraph was dedicated, and observe its most immediate context.