La fortaleza de Guarros (Paterna del Río, Almería): evolución constructiva y producción metalúrgica en la Alpujarra medieval

The aim of this work is to present an unpublished area of metallurgic production in the fortress of Guarros (Paterna del Río, Almería), a medieval castle in the Alpujarra Alta occupied between the 8th and 13th centuries. This is a step forward in our knowledge on medieval mining and metalworking in the southern face of Sierra Nevada, mostly unknown up to this moment. In this paper, we analyse the remains of the castle, studied through Building Archaeology and surface pottery, and the metal resources of the surrounding area. The results show that this metallurgic production is confined to the High Middle Ages and it seems to follow the patterns of late antique and early medieval metallurgy identified on the northern side of Sierra Nevada, with little workshops far from the mining zones.

Fortification. Metallurgy. Medieval. Sierra Nevada.