Research (2004-2005)

The excavation campaigns undertaken in 2004 and 2005 unearthed the remains of a Roman construction consisting of four rooms, although none of those rooms was completely excavated. One of the rooms had two apse-shaped sides, with walls and floor made of lime mortar. It was equipped with hydraulic half round mouldings, which characterize wet rooms. In spite of the limited space excavated, it is possible to identify the building as a villa. This room would have been part of its thermal area. The foundation levels did not provide material that would help establish its chronology, but both its structural characteristics and the presence of residual material at abandonment levels date it to the Early Roman Empire.

Chamber 1 showed an architectural modification that reduced its size, even though it kept its functionality and its two apse-shaped sides. In room 4, adjacent to the east, a late occupation level appeared, with a simple hearth on the dirt floor. Its excavation produced datable material. The most significant findings were two fragments of the same mould-made late Hispanic terra sigillata container (Drag. 37t), dating to the late 4th century or early 5th century. Everything suggests a late occupation when the villa lost its character of aristocratic residence. The process of decay of the building is well documented: first, the stucco on the walls and the vault in room 1 collapsed. This resulted in a level that produced a low amount of pottery remains. Then the ceiling and the walls collapsed, and the site was used as a garbage dump. This thick level provided abundant ceramic ware, including a considerable number of dolia fragments with blackish remains. Their analysis presented evidence of abietic acid, a component of pine resin, which suggests its use in the process of wine production. The discovery of three large granite counterweights in the adjoining plot confirms the activities of wine production but it is impossible to determine when they took place.

(translation by Laura González Fernández)