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The Diputación de Alicante, through the MARQ, is promoting the tenth campaign of archaeological excavations in the Medieval town of Ifach in which more than 40 students of Archaeology from 15 universities Spanish and Europeanwith the collaboration of the Calp Town Hall.
The Deputy for Culture, Juan Bautista Rosellótogether with the Calpina councillors for Culture, Education and Youth, Mª Pilar Cabreraand Environment and Strategic Projects, Ana Maria Salathe director of MARQ, Manuel Olcinaand the archaeologist José Luis MenéndezThe excavations were presented at the start of this summer's campaign by the excavators, who are in charge of the excavations.
Roselló pointed out that This year we are going to move on to a second very important phase, which is consolidation, to protect all the elements that have been found. This year we will begin this proposal in an area of the wall that is in the worst state of conservation, a line that we will continue to follow in the coming years..
For her part, Mª Pilar Cabrera pointed out that there are actions planned to bring the archaeological work being carried out at the site closer to the public and make it accessible to them, specifically some visits for children, as well as disseminating all the information generated on the rock with conferences after the summer excavation campaign.
The campaign, which began on 1 July, will continue for a further two years. until 31 August next and aims to continue the discovery of the access system to the villagelocated in the West Sector of the site and partially uncovered in previous editions. In addition, this year's efforts will also be focused on completing the uncovering of a large building, identified as a Guard Corps, which was discovered in the last campaign, as well as the access corridor.
Likewise, in order to conserve the remains uncovered in recent years, the Diputación de Alicante has programmed an action to consolidate some of the structures of the walled enclosure that were in serious deterioration. The work will focus on a six-metre-long section of the north walllocated near the Puerta de Ifach, where a volumetric reintegration will be carried out to avoid future collapses and to reinforce this area.
The second objective will be to continue with the extension of the necropolis areaThis is a space located on the façade of the Church of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, built between 1320-1340, one of the site's emblematic buildings, discovered in 2008. The work in the necropolis will be aimed at completing the excavations in the funerary area, which to date has offered 48 graves with more than 75 documented inhumations.
Finally, José Luis Menéndez pointed out that it was essential, after ten years, to begin a project to enhance the value of the entire structure and the entire excavated and uncovered area, but first we had to address priorities, such as a fragment of the wall that was in poor condition and which is one of the best preserved we have in the walled enclosure, so this year we proposed an emergency action..
