Portal de Murcia
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Today the geotextile has been removed, the oratory and the cemetery have been discovered and the field work begun, confirming the good state of the remains.
Next week the guided tours begin and "Murcia will be able to perceive unique sensations, like walking down a street in the Murcia of the 12th century," said José Ballesta.
Registrations can be made, as of today, at sanesteban.estrategiamurcia.es
A team of eight archaeologists, two anthropologists, two restorers and a surveyor have begun field work today at the San Esteban site.
The mayor of Murcia, José Ballesta, together with the Minister of Tourism and Culture, Miriam Guardiola, and the rector of the University of Murcia, José Luján, visited the site this morning to see in situ the work of excavation and restoration of the remains archaeological sites of Medieval Murcia (12th and 13th centuries).
The team of the University of Murcia, led by the archaeologist and professor of the Department of Prehistory, Archeology, Ancient History, Medieval History and Historiographic Sciences and Techniques of the UMU, Jorge Eiroa, began yesterday the preparation of the land.
Today the geotextile has been removed and the oratory and the cemetery have been discovered and the first excavations started with the paletines, shovels, brushes and surgical tools with which they carry out the field work.
Eiroa has confirmed the "good condition of the remains".
José Ballesta stressed that it is "a unique intervention in Europe, in a medieval urban area right in the center of our city, in which a team of top-level specialists and renowned prestige participate" and added that "the works have awakened the interest of the experts at the national level ".
Next week, a wooden roadway will be set up in the site and guided visits to the Arrabal de la Arrixaca network will begin, so that "Murcians will be able to perceive unique sensations, such as walking down a street in Murcia in the 12th century", he pointed out. the mayor, who pointed out that this action is "a long-pursued dream in which we have tried to have all those who had something to say about this site, because we consider it an emblematic transformation project for Murcia, which will transcend us in time "
The City Council has enabled the website 'sanesteban.estrategiamurcia.es' today to register and participate in the free visits, which will take place over the next two months.
The works cover an estimated area of ​​900 m2 and specialists will reach up to one meter deep in their excavations to discover the walls, elements and archaeological remains that houses the site.
They will work from 8 am to 2 pm and from 3 pm to 6 pm, Monday through Friday.
In the fieldwork of Phase Zero also collaborate a dozen students in practices of the Degree of History and Master in History and Historical Heritage of the UMU to which, in the coming days, will be added another 20 students.
Walk through medieval Murcia: itinerary of the visits
After a historical introduction, visitors will visit the main street of the site through the wooden roadway that will be enabled and that will connect the two different monumental spaces of the suburb.
From there you will access the so-called Enclosure 1 where you will find the 'funduk', the lodging for pilgrims and merchants of Murcia from the XII-XIII centuries.
Then they will go to Sector 2, which includes the religious group, formed by the cemetery (maqbara) and a Mudejar oratory.
Visitors can see the excavations 'in situ'.
The City Council offers guided tours of the site to groups of up to 25 people.
Many schools, associations and collectives of the municipality have already shown interest.
From today, those interested can register on the website 'sanesteban.estrategiamurcia.es'.
The visits will be at 12.00, from Monday to Friday.
Who were the Murcians of the 12th century?
DNA analysis
The fieldwork will last for two months and the different samples collected will be sent to the laboratory.
Then 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.
Among specialists there is an archaeobotany specialized in the analysis of seeds.
These and other studies will be decisive for the definitive value of the site and the future Interpretation Center.
Source: Ayuntamiento de Murcia
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