Heritage
Sections
Highlight
Sections
Highlight
Cuevas del Becerro, around 20 kilometres from Ronda and bordering the Guadalteba area of Malaga province, will soon take an important step in the enhancement of its historical and cultural heritage. As explained by Carlos Lozano, the councillor in charge of tourism at the town council, which is governed by a two-party coalition (Más Pueblo la Cueva and Con Andalucía), the council plans to open the archaeological site in April for the public to visit. The site, known for being a Roman pottery kiln called 'Casa de las Viñas' (house of the vines), was discovered in 1983, but which until now, for various reasons, had not been restored. "What we have actually done is recover one of the most important sites that we currently know about. After more than 40 years it is being excavated and fully explained," said Lozano.
At this site the remains of four Roman kilns can be seen, which constituted a centre for pottery-making during that period, in which pieces were made for utilitarian purposes, but also producing fine pottery for decoration. "They are quite well preserved", said the councillor for tourism, who explained that one of these kilns has attracted the attention of the archaeologists who have worked in this area, as its construction shows signs of possibly an earlier occupation than the one it is currently dated to, somewhere between the 1st and 5th centuries AD. "All the kilns are cut from the stone, but this one has a much stonier composition, it could be older, the first one," said the councillor. He advised caution in this respect since it is still necessary to corroborate this hypothesis, among others, by studying other remains found at this archaeological site.
Excavated from the stone
"Basically, what you will be able to see are the remains of these kilns, excavated, as I said, from the stone. They are made from a hole in the ground with a central column, from which arches made of small bricks spread outwards. A slab was placed on top of these, on which the pottery was placed for firing and covered with a dome that was built and taken down after each use. From the stone slabs down, these kilns are very well preserved, it is a very striking site to see", said Lozano. "This site sets the scene very well for Cuevas del Becerro in Roman times and the surrounding areas of Ronda and Guadalteba", he said, reminding us of other important sites nearby that are also from this period like the remains of the Roman city of Acinipo, closer to Ronda.
The restoration work at the Alfar Romano Casa de las Viñas site has been financed thanks to a grant awarded to the town council and managed by the Guadalteba rural development group, a grant worth over 100,000 euros.
Cuevas del Becerro will therefore manage to fulfil a long-standing dream, as attempts have been made over the last 40 years to rescue these kilns and restore their historical value without success. The current building that protects them was erected in 2003 and an attempt was made to carry out an archaeological dig. The Covid-19 pandemic also delayed the deadlines initially set by the local council for this important project.
Before their discovery in 1983, there was a general awareness of the existence of these Roman kilns, but there are many young locals who do not know about this important part of their local heritage.
Publicidad
Publicidad
Publicidad
Publicidad
Esta funcionalidad es exclusiva para registrados.
Reporta un error en esta noticia
Comentar es una ventaja exclusiva para registrados
¿Ya eres registrado?
Inicia sesiónNecesitas ser suscriptor para poder votar.