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A total of 32 Archaeology students from more than fifteen Spanish universities are taking part this summer in the 12th Campaign of Excavations of the Medieval Town of Ifac promoted by the MARQ. The work, which began on 1 July and will continue until 31 August, will focus this year on the walled enclosure. Specifically, in a North wall canvas more than twelve metres long and five metres high, and in the Guard TowerBoth sectors are located near the Puerta de Ifach, where the area will be reinforced and volumetric reintegration will be carried out to prevent future collapses.
In addition, this year we will try to finish uncovering the covered access corridor to the village which is located between the first two entrance gates and which, foreseeably, will provide vital information for the study of the internal organisation of this urban enclave built from the year 1298 onwards by Roger de LlúriaLord of Ifach and Calabrian admiral in the service of the Crown of Aragon.
"Although the main focus is on preventive consolidation, the project will also allow us to continue with the documentation of the system of access to the villagelocated in the West Sector of the site and partially discovered in previous editions."explained the director of the campaign and archaeologist at the Alicante museum, José Luis Menéndez.
The work also includes the extension of the necropolis areaa space discovered in 2008 and located in front of the façade of the Church of Our Lady of the Angels. This building, one of the most emblematic of the site, was constructed between 1320 and 1340 by Doña MargaritaCountess of Terranova and daughter of Admiral Roger de Llúria. The work will focus mainly on the completion of the excavations of the funerary area, where so far the following have been located 55 graves with more than 85 documented burials.
In this enclave stands out one that could be that of a gentleman and another possibly belonging to a cleric or ecclesiastical positionHe holds a grail or liturgical cup in his hands. Also of particular interest is a tomb in which the following was found a pregnant woman with her foetus and another collective one with more than 16 burials.
"Three consecutive gates and a complex access system make Ifac a reference site for the study of settlements after the Christian conquest during the 13th and 14th centuries, the historical seed of what is now the Valencian Community."Menéndez pointed out.
The excavation campaign at the Pobla Medieval Pobla d'Ifac, a listed site Bien de Interés Cultural in 2011The event, with the collaboration of the Calp Town Council and the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Environment, Climate Change and Rural Development.
