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The mayor José Ballesta and the rector José Luján sign the agreement for the opening of the site to Murcia, who will be able to see the excavation works in situ.
Phase Zero will allow "to establish a dialogue between the Murcians of the Medieval era and those of the 21st century, adapting a route for the visit and contemplation of the archaeological investigation of this unique network in Europe", highlighted José Ballesta.
The mayor of Murcia, José Ballesta, and the rector of the University of Murcia, José Luján, signed this morning the agreement between the two institutions that will mean the opening of the San Esteban field to Murcia after the summer, who will be able to contemplate situ the work of excavation and restoration of the archaeological remains of the twelfth and thirteenth century, for which the City Council will have a specialized team of the University of Murcia.
"Phase 0 supposes the opening and social recovery of San Esteban in 2018. The Arrabal de la Arrixaca Nueva thus opens up to Murcia, who will have the opportunity to make guided visits while the field works are carried out and to go through this unique network in Europe, which is an important source of knowledge of the history of Murcia and a valuable heritage of Murcia, which is part of our collective memory, "said José Ballesta.
This Zero Phase, which will begin after the summer, will allow "to establish a dialogue between the Murcians of the Medieval era and those of the 21st century, adapting a route for the visit and contemplation of the research work that will be carried out by the archeologists of the UMU, a reference institution in scientific research and knowledge transfer, which will provide the archaeological methodology for the development of the work, "said the mayor.
A hostel for travelers, the oratory and the cemetery
The archaeologists will develop an integral investigation of three particularly important sites of the site: Enclosure I (a large building interpreted as an Islamic funduq, a hostel for travelers and merchants, from the XII-XIII centuries), the oratory (a building interpreted like a Mudejar mosque) and the cemetery (Islamic, from the XII-XIII centuries, of which only a few graves are known).
The works will focus, mainly, on the research and documentation of new findings, although they will also include the consolidation and restoration of the preserved architectural structures.
The remains currently preserved in San Esteban, declared a Site of Cultural Interest, are unique in Europe, due to their large size.
It is a very dense urban plot of Andalusia, composed of streets, gardens, residences and buildings of various kinds.
The suburb (neighborhood that grew outside the walls of the city) was crossed by two streams of water (the ditches Aljufía and Caravija), and was already documented in the thirteenth century by the poet from Cartagena Al-Qar? Ayanni, who referred to him as "the one of the white houses of Arrixaca".
Carbon Analytics 14 to the ancient inhabitants of Arrabal
With the findings of the fieldwork, a specialized research will be carried out in collaboration with different national and international laboratories, which will complete the work developed at the University of Murcia.
This research will encompass different archaeological, anthropological and restoration aspects.
Thus, we contemplate a series of Carbon 14 analytics that allow us to specify the chronology of the bones found in the cemetery, as well as a Mitochondrial DNA study to define possible kinship relationships.
A stable isotope analysis will also be carried out on the skeletal remains, to define the diet of the inhabitants of El Arrabal.
These and other studies will be decisive for the definitive value of the site and the future Interpretation Center.
Center for Interpretation and recovery of the square
The guide document of the whole of San Esteban and carried out by a specialized multidisciplinary team (archaeological, tourist, cultural, environmental, urban integration), is the Master Plan, which structures both the enhancement of the deposit, and the recovery of the garden for its social use and the San Esteban Ensemble (Church and urban environment).
After Phase Zero, the roadmap of the Master Plan establishes the construction of a protection cover that allows the conservation and progressive valorization of the remains of the Archaeological Zone, in a manner compatible with the recovery of the Garden / Plaza above ground.
In this way, this space of 30,000 m2 will be configured as a focus of cultural and tourist attraction unique in our country, through an Interpretation Center for the study and archaeological research, as well as for the realization of cultural and leisure activities related to the Medieval Murcia, which will allow you to visit the remains at a level below zero and enjoy the garden.
Removal of geotextile, cleaning and lighting of the environment
The agreement signed today for scientific research, training, enhancement and dissemination of the site, establishes that the City will finance the costs of archaeological research, activities in the site and interdisciplinary studies, with an investment of 100,000 euros.
In addition, the Consistory will contract the actions of architectural consolidation and adaptation of visitable spaces: removal of gravel and geotextile, archaeological cleaning of the structures and protection and lighting of the surroundings.
The research will be coordinated by Jorge Eiroa, archaeologist and full professor of the Department of Prehistory, Archeology, Ancient History, Medieval History and Historiographic Sciences and Techniques of the UMU.
Source: Ayuntamiento de Murcia
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