Mosque and Settlement of CuatrovitasArchaeological and architectural exploration of a mosque and deserted site of the Almohad period in the Aljarafe (Seville, Spain)

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Lorenz Korn
• Subject Area: Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies ; Islamic Studies, Arabian Studies, Semitic Studies
• Term: from 2012 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 228601079

With this project, current archaeological research on the settlement of Cuatrovitas is to be refined and widened in a second phase. At the end of the project, all information will be accessible through a GIS database and in a web-based version for a wider public (see module Öffentlichkeitsarbeit).The settlement has hitherto been examined in four campaigns of fieldwork. They have resulted in a detailed picture of the transformation of the mosque and of settlement activities that continued beyond the Christian conquest. Around the former mosque, further questions have arisen that encourage the application of further research methods, with a focus on natural sciences. This way, the original project design of 2 + 1 years will be modified, in order to systematically complete the archaeological exploration of Cuatrovitas. While the documentation of the former mosque can be considered complete, more fundamental questions about the morphology, functionality and importance of the site justify further thorough research with archaeological fieldwork. This is also a due to the fact that the settlement nuclei of the Almohad period have proved to be considerably larger than previously expected (7.5 ha and 10 ha). In order to better understand the interrelationship of the village nuclei, their relation to the mosque, as well as their chronological development, grid surveys and geophysical surveys that have proved successful should be expanded an intensified. The exploration of the Islamic cemetery will be another focus of research. Its localization will be attempted with intensified ground surveys and geo-archaeological methods (drilling, geomagnetics). Subsequently, a (partial) excavation of the tombs will significantly expand the data that have hitherto been gathered from skeleton finds around the mosque. A third focus will be put on the reconstruction of the cultural landscape and potential changes in regional climate, through the analysis of pollen and macroscopic remnants of plants. In the past field campaigns, these methods could only be applied with few individual samples. This scientific approach will yield the first archaeo-botanical data for the higher middle ages in the region. Research in Cuatrovitas will continue to be conducted in close cooperation with the University of Seville (Prof. Dr. Magdalena Valor Piechotta). This way, it will also be possible to continue work on written sources on the history of the Aljarafe, and to realize the larger survey (25 sq km) on neighboring medieval sites of the Aljarafe.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Spain
• Cooperation Partner: Professorin Dr. Magdalena Valor Piechotta