This volume presents a historical and archaeological study of the province of Cuenca in Late Antiquity. The study concludes with an examination of the archaeological collection from the province, which has been divided into three large groups: monumental sculpture and epigraphic items, ceramic productions and metalwork arts.
The central position of the province of Cuenca, Spain, was a decisive factor in its relationship with Toledo, the capital of the Visigothic kingdom. Also, its location meant that, from the middle of the 6th Century, it was directly affected by some of the most relevant historical episodes of those times: the foundation of the royal city of Reccopoli, the establishment of the Servitanus monastery, the transformation of Toledo as the metropolitan seat of the Carthaginian province and the military campaigns against the imperial forces. Parallel to this, archaeological excavations document a process of disrupting the old urban centres in favour of small populations within their municipal territory. This process was resolved with a shift of power centres towards other cities supported by the political power of Toledo: Toledo itself in the case of Segobriga, Reccopoli in the Arcavica???s case and Illunum to the detriment of Valeria. In this way, the ancient Roman cities were reduced to serve as a symbolic reference of the small villages that developed in the shadow of the old urban centres. This volume presents a historical and archaeological study of the province of Cuenca in Late Antiquity. The study concludes with an examination of the archaeological collection from the province, which has been divided into three large groups: monumental sculpture and epigraphic items, ceramic productions and metalwork arts. The first group is mainly constituted by the findings made in the excavations of Cabeza de Griego (Segobriga). Most of the pottery productions correspond to vessels placed as funerary deposits. Due to the absence of excavations, the ceramics for kitchen and storage use are hardly represented, whereas there is an overrepresentation of types destined for use as libations or offerings. Finally, most of the elements of industrial arts correspond to elements of the Latin-Mediterranean fashion or Byzantine style of the 7th Century. The almost total absence of materials corresponding to the Pontic-Danubian fashion also should be noted. | La posici??n central de la provincia de Cuenca ha sido el factor determinante en su relaci??n con Toledo, la capital del reino visigodo. Esta situaci??n fue la causa tambi??n de que, desde mediados del siglo VI, se viera directamente afectada por algunos de los episodios hist??ricos m??s relevantes del momento: la fundaci??n de la ciudad regia de Rec??polis, el establecimiento del monasterio Servitano, la transformaci??n de Toledo en sede metropolitana de la provincia cartaginesa y las campa??as militares contra los ej??rcitos imperiales. De forma paralela, las excavaciones arqueol??gicas documentan un proceso de desestructuraci??n de los antiguos centros urbanos a favor de peque??as poblaciones de su territorio. Este proceso se resolvi?? con un cambio de centros de poder hacia otras ciudades apoyadas por el poder pol??tico de Toledo: Toledo mismo en el caso de Seg??briga, Rec??polis en el caso de Arc??vica e Illunum en detrimento de Valeria. De este modo, las ciudades romanas quedaron reducidas servir como referentes simb??licos de las peque??as poblaciones que se desarrollaron a la sombra de los antiguos centros urbanos. El presente trabajo se completa con el estudio de la colecci??n arqueol??gica procedente de la provincia, que se ha dividido en tres grandes grupos: escultura monumental y epigraf??a, producciones cer??micas y artes industriales. El primer grupo est?? constituido principalmente por los hallazgos realizados en las excavaciones de Cabeza de Griego (Seg??briga). Por otro lado, la mayor??a de las producciones de cer??mica corresponden a vasijas colocadas como dep??sitos funerarios. Debido a la ausencia de excavaciones, la cer??mica de cocina y de almacenamiento apenas aparece representada, mientras que hay una sobrerrepresentaci??n de tipos destinados a libaciones u ofrendas. Finalmente, la mayor??a de los materiales de las artes industriales corresponden a elementos de la moda latino
About the Author
Rafael Barroso Cabrera (Madrid, 1963) has a master???s degree in Prehistory and Archaeology from the Universidad Aut??noma de Madrid. He is a specialist in the Visigothic period and has collaborated and continues to collaborate in various research projects about this period. Currently, he collaborates in several research projects that are being carried out at the archaeological sites of Los Hitos (Arisgotas, Toledo) and Idanha-a-Velha (Portugal). Previously he has worked in different archaeological sites, directing different excavation campaigns at the Roman fora of Valeria and Ercavica. He has also directed the excavation of the necropolis of the Visigothic period of La Dehesa de la Casa (Cuenca) and of the Roman villa and Visigothic necropolis of Tinto Juan de la Cruz (Madrid). The result of this research is the publication, alone or in collaboration with other authors, of numerous books and monographs dedicated to this period and these archaeological sites. He has also published a large number of articles in the main specialized magazines on this subject both nationally and internationally. | Rafael Barroso Cabrera (Madrid, 1963) es M??ster universitario en Prehistoria y Arqueolog??a por la Universidad Aut??noma de Madrid. Es especialista en el periodo visigodo, periodo al que ha dedicado buena parte de su trabajo de investigaci??n. Dentro de esta labor, el autor ha colaborado y contin??a colaborando en diversos proyectos de investigaci??n, entre los que pueden destacarse el dedicado a la Sedes Regia Toletana, dirigido por la Real Fundaci??n de Toledo, o Sacra Tempora. Certae aedes, dedicado a las fuentes epigr??ficas en los espacios religiosos. Actualmente, colabora en varios proyectos de investigaci??n que se est??n llevando a cabo en los yacimientos de Los Hitos (Arisgotas, Toledo) e Idanha-a-Velha (Portugal). Anteriormente ha trabajado en diferentes yacimientos arqueol??gicos, dirigiendo diferentes campa??as de excavaci??n en los foros romanos de Valeria y Erc??vica. Tambi??n dirigi?? la excavaci??n de la necr??polis del per??odo visigodo de La Dehesa de la Casa (Cuenca) y de la villa romana y la necr??polis visigoda de Tinto Juan de la Cruz (Madrid). El resultado de esta actividad investigadora es la publicaci??n, en solitario o en colaboraci??n con otros autores, de numerosos libros y monograf??as. Adem??s, el autor ha publicado una gran cantidad de art??culos sobre esta materia en las principales revistas especializadas tanto nacionales como internacionales.