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
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Artificial intelligence in rock art research: limits, possibilities, and challenges of an uncertain evolution
The recent development of artificial intelligence (AI) has opened new possibilities for the documentation and analysis of rock art. This article critically examines the potential and the limits of using open machine learning (ML) models for the automatic detection of pictorial motifs. After reviewing the state of the art and outlining the principles of ML as applied to archaeology, we empirically evaluate an open model (Roboflow 3.0 Object Detection) on four rock art panels from the Iberian Peninsula. The results show acceptable performance only in well-preserved contexts, while accuracy decreases notably in the presence of faded pigments or irregular rock surfaces. We conclude that ML can support archaeological research but cannot replace expert interpretation, and that progress in this field depends on standardized public repositories and coherent expert annotations.
Copyright (c) 2025 Salduie https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
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.
The roman salting factories of La Azohía (Cartagena, Spain). New archaeological perspectives
Despite producing garum of exceptional quality ac-cording to classical sources, salting factories are scarce in the territory of Carthago Nova (Cartagena). It has been suggested that some ensembles located in coves near the city functioned as industrial districts, such as the bay of Mazarrón. Here, alongside the well-known cetariae of Puerto de Mazarrón, a production complex underestimated by research to date stands out: La Azohía. Within the framework of Project TRAPHIC, this paper compiles and reinterprets the archaeological evidence recorded in this small town from Roman times to the present day, with special at-tention to the modern era. It offers new data on the chronology and functionality of various unpublished fishing and canning facilities in order to reassess their role in the Carthaginensis’ economic system.
Arqueología de la pesca y las salazones en época romana
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.
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.
Tecno-functional study of a set of Mousterian pebbles from Roca San Miguel (Huesca, Spain).
The purpose of this work is to explore the possible functions of the cobbles found in the different Mouste-rian levels of the Roca San Miguel site through their technological and traceological analysis. The results ob-tained have allowed us to discriminate which of them showed use-wear and which did not. Likewise, based on their functionality and their relationship with the techno-logical studies of the lithic industry in progress, it has been possible to formulate a hypothesis about the use of the lithic resources and the knapping activities carried out at the site.
Congresos y proyectos arqueológicos desarrollados por el Dpto. de Ciencias de la Antigüedad 2025
Información sobre los congresos y las exposiciones organizadas por las áreas de Prehistoria y Arqueología del Dpto. de Ciencias de la Antigüedad de la Universidad de Zaragoza a lo largo del 2025.
Proyectos arqueológicos del Departamento de Ciencias de la Antigüedad
The tartessian building of Cancho Roano (Zalamea de la Serena, Badajoz): the spanish-french excavations (1989–1993) in the entrance courtyard
This article presents the results of excavations conducted by the authors in the entrance courtyard of Cancho Roano, a protohistoric monumental complex occupied between the seventh and fourth centuries BC. The courtyard functioned as the only access to the central building and structured an E-W processional axis leading to Room H-7, the site’s ritual core. Stratigraphic analysis identified three architectural phases: Phase C, characterized by early wall structures and the well; Phase B, marked by two altar-like platforms flanking the ceremonial axis; and Phase A, defined by perimeter benches, a slate-slab pavement, and the ritual closure of the building. The associated material assemblage -including Attic black glazed cups, painted ceramics, spindle whorls, loom weights, querns, metal tools, an ivory fragment, and a potter’s wheel base- refines the chronology and provides direct evidence of local ceramic production. These results support the interpretation of the courtyard as a controlled ceremonial space regulating access to the sacred areas of the complex.
Copyright (c) 2026 Salduie https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The protobyzantine castellum of Elo and its monastic church (El Monastil, Elda, Alicante))
En el yacimiento de El Monastil (Elda), solar del oppidum o centro habitado romano citado en las fuentes latinas como Elo, hemos podido identificar un importante y excepcional castellum protobizantino con un enclave monástico, creado por los conquistadores del Imperio Romano de Oriente, asentados en la cercana ciudad de Ilici (la Alcudia, Elche); con la posterior conquista visigoda, aparece una efímera sede episcopal goda, que tras su cierre, será nuevamente monasterio, que ocupado y expoliado por los árabes, terminó muy pronto siendo un al-munastir. El material arquitectónico y mobiliario permite defender la existencia de este enclave y su evolución cultural. Este lugar habría sido un centro habitado del tipo vicus, con estrecha relación con la colonia romana de Ilici Augusta, a cuyo territorio pertenecería. En fase bizantina su evolución histórica fue la misma, la cultura material litúrgica parece indicar que son los romanos del Imperio de Oriente, que ocupan esa ciudad, los que do-tan de mobiliario y elementos arquitectónicos a los del ahora vicus castellum que funcionará gestionado desde ella, hasta que lleguen los visigodos y lo conquisten.
Ceramic, glass and metal from the peripheral zone of the Roman Camp at León (Spain): La Torre 9 Sector
This study examines the materials recovered from the sector at 9 Calle La Torre, situated in the western pericampal area of the Roman military camp at León. The assemblage comprises ceramic, glass, and metal artefacts from two well-defined Roman levels, dated from the late first century BC to the second half of the first century AD, corresponding to the initial phases of military occupation and the subsequent installation of Legio VII Gemina. Ceramics predominate, encompassing Italic, South Gaulish, and Hispanic samian ware alongside fine wares and common pottery, which together form a diverse repertoire indicative of a progressive evolution whereby regional productions increasingly supplanted import. The glass and metal finds corroborate a late Augustan-Flavian chronology. Collectively, the materials at test to deliberate dumping from the camp, intended to stabilise a low-lying, waterlogged area adjacent to the military camp.
REVIEW of LOMBO MONTAÑÉS, A. (2025). Play and Laughter. Origin, Evolution, and History, University of Zaragoza Press. Zaragoza
Reseña del libro publicado por Alberto Lombo El juego y la risa. Origen, evolución e historia, editado por las Prensas de la Universidad de Zaragoza. ISBN: 978-84-1340-937-5 / ISBN: 978-84-13-40938-2 (e.book) https://www.unebook.es/es/ebook/el-juego-y-la-risa-origen-evolucion-e-historia_E1000027438
Review of Utrilla P., Bea M. and Angás J. (2025): The Paleolithic Paintings of the Cave of Fuente del Trucho (Asque-Colungo, Huesca). Archaeological Monographs, Prehistory No. 59. Zaragoza.
Recensión a la publicación de Pilar Utrilla, Manuel Bea y Jorge Angás sobre las pinturas paleolíticas de la cueva de la Fuente del Trucho (Asque-Colungo, Huesca) editado por las prensas de la Universidad de Zaragoza dentro de su serie de monografías de arqueología y prehistoria. ISBN: 979-13-7014-040-3 https://puz.unizar.es/3237-las-pinturas-paleoliticas-de-la-cueva-de-la-fuente-del-trucho-asque-colungo-huesca.html
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.