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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The palaeo-christian church of Cerro de la Virgen (Calasparra, Murcia). Coexistence and taxation in the Kūra of Tudmīr
Cerro de la Virgen is an archaeological site dating from the Late Antiquity and Early Medieval periods, located in Calasparra (Murcia). An initial archaeological survey was carried out in 2021, followed by two excavation campaigns in 2024 and 2025. These excavations led to the identification of the remains of a Palaeo-Christian church. This newly discovered church, dated to the first half of the 5th century, is situated at the highest point of the settlement, in the northern sector of the hill corresponding to the acropolis. The church is a relatively small, single-nave building with an overall rectangular plan. Its tripartite eastern end accommodated distinct liturgical spaces within a single rectilinear structure. The central apse is semicircular and slightly oriented towards the southeast, flanked by two straight-sided lateral chambers or sacristies. The church –associated with a Christian community– remained in use during the Emirate period, under the terms of the Pact of Theodemir (713 A.D.). The discovery of several Andalusi weights and a balance pan suggests that taxes were being collected within the church.
Copyright (c) 2026 Salduie https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Femma in digito: a new carnelian intaglio from the caesaraugustan district (Los bañales de Uncastillo, Zaragoza)
The article presents a newly discovered Roman carnelian intaglio from the Roman city of Los Bañales (Uncastillo, Zaragoza), within the Caesaraugustan district. Recovered from a well-dated archaeological context between the late 2nd and early IIIrd centuries AD, the peace preserves a partial depiction of an animal identified as a dog. The authors analyse its typology, material, manufacturing technique, and iconography, comparing it with parallels preserved in European museums and collections. The image of the dog is associated with Roman symbolic values such as loyalty, protection, vigilance, and hunting prowess. The use of carnelian and the globular engraving technique suggest a possible origin from Italic workshops, perhaps those of Aquileia. This discovery expands the known corpus of glyptic materials known from the Middle Ebro Valley and provides further evidence of the region’s commercial links with Italy, confirming the long circulation of this type of jewellery in Roman Hispania.
Report on a roman bronze artifact representing a leocampus from Tvriaso (Tarazona, Spain)
With this contribution, we present a unique bronze object known from a brief description published in 1989, for which we have now found a photograph. This piece comes from the Roman site of Filacampo (Tarazona, Spain), a rural villa associated with the production of wine or oil that was inhabited between the 1st and 5th centuries AD. The figure represents a leocampus, a hybrid creature combining a panther or lion with a seahorse, which is typically associated with the marine Thíasos (the retinue of Poseidon). Based on its characteristics, we propose that it may have formed part of the base of a candelabrum or a thymiaterion, although other attributions cannot be ruled out. Its iconography and craftsmanship suggest a foreign origin and an eastern stylistic influence.
A portrait of a julio-claudian princess from Uxama Argaela
In 1916, Ricardo Morenas de Tejada excavated, in the city of Uxama Argaela, a building that he interpreted as a Temple of Venus, but which should in fact be identified as the basilica forensis. During these excavations, a female portrait wearing a diadem was uncovered -currently of unknown whereabouts- which has remained unpublished, as no comprehensive study has ever been undertaken. The iconographic features and the presence of the diadem indicate that the woman depicted corresponds to a princess of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, dating to the Claudian–Neronian period, and that it may belong to a portrait of Agrippina the Younger of the Stuttgart type.
The Roman doll from Torreparedones (Baena, Córdoba): toy or magical object?
In this brief paper, we propose the possibility that the Roman doll from Torreparedones (Baena, Córdoba) may in fact be a magic doll, given the inconsistencies between some of its features and those of a toy, as well as the similarities to manipulations found in other Roman magic dolls of similar chronology. We analyse their formal characteristics, as well as the significance of the places where they were found, comparing these with other known magical figures and the manipulations they show, in search of performative actions, particularly in the case of those found in the western part of the Roman Empire, most of which date from the late period.
Roman road infrastructure and territorial organisation of Cabeza Ladrero (Sofuentes / Sos del Rey Católico, Zaragoza)
The aim of this paper is to reconstruct the road network of the territorium of the city of Cabeza Ladrero (Sofuentes/Sos del Rey Católico, Zaragoza) through the integration of archaeological and epigraphic evidence with GIS modelling. Taking the pre-existing Iron Age II settlement pattern as its starting point, the results make it possible to propose, as a working hypothesis, the configuration of a dendritic and hierarchical network organised into three levels of circulation: public roads, viae vicinales and itinera privata. Within this system, the imperial road Caesaraugusta in Summum Pyrenaeum, the most important in administrative terms, constituted a material expression of Augustus’ political and territorial reorganisation in the area, as it reflects a partial reshaping of the landscape and a shift in the centrality of part of the earlier settlement pattern. By contrast, the models indicate that everyday mobility depended less on this road than on a complementary network of secondary branches and local routes designed to ensure accessibility across the territory.
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.
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.
Obituario de M.ª Ángeles Mezquíriz Irujo
Obituario de M.ª Ángeles Mezquíriz Irujo, directora honoraria del Museo de Navarra y pionera de la arqueología española. Sus estudios sobre la cerámica romana son un referente y su nombre y figura siempre quedarán ligados a la sigillata hispanica.
Obituario de Sebastián Andrés Valero, medievalista, arqueólogo y profesor de Historia Medieval de la Universidad de Zaragoza.
RESEÑA a Angás Pajas, J. (2025). Digital Cultural Heritage Twins Connections. Bridging Documentation, Analysis and Education from Satellite to Ground. Servicio de Publicaciones. Universidad de Zaragoza. Zaragoza.
Recensión a la obra: Jorge Angás Pajas (ed.): Digital Cultural Heritage Twins Connections. Bridging Documentation, Analysis and Education from Satellite to Ground (Zaragoza, 2025). Seminario organizado por: UNITA GEIE, Universidad de Zaragoza, Universitatea Transilvania din Brașov, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Università di Torino, Universidad Pública de Navarra Seminar funding: UNITA GEIE, ARAID, IPH, SeGAP - UNIZAR.
Canes normannorum equitum. The last companions of medieval lords
The aim of this article is to explain the meaning of the dogs sculpted on Gothic tombs at the feet of medieval (lords, ladies, ecclesiastical and lay figures). The origins of this archetype of the lord accompanied by his dog in his final resting place may be traced to the Anglo-Norman world, specifically to Angevin England from around 1240. Several early English tombs featuring canines at the feet of effigies are analysed and interpreted in light of the sensibilities of the medieval patrons who commissioned these sarcophagi. In doing so, the article challenges commonly accepted medieval religious explanations, which are regarded here as reinterpretations intended to neutralise an essentially pre-Christian archetype. In order to interpret these funerary dogs, the study begins by examining certain burial rituals and practised by various peoples Germanic, from the Migration Period to their final manifestations in Viking burials. By approaching the funerary of the ancestors of the Normans, the article demonstrate the hypothesis that these Gothic sculptures constitute the last expression of an ancient archetype rooted in the blood of canids sacrificed in pagan rituals. Finally, we presents several medieval tombs from Aragon and Castile, highlighting their connection to the sepulchral dogs of northern Europe.
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.
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
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
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.