In the first half of August, and after completing the process of consolidation and protection of the excavated remains, the archaeological work of the first campaign of excavations in the Rock of the Fort of Yegen (Alpujarra de la Sierra, Granada) was concluded. .
This campaign must be part of the Provincial Program for the Conservation and Use of the Rural Archaeological and Paleontological Heritage of the Province of Granada 2021-2022, of the Provincial Council of Granada, which has provided part of the funding (12,000, €00); The town hall of Alpujarra de la Sierra co-financed the intervention with €8,000.00, thus completing the total investment made, which amounts to €20,000.00.
The evaluation of the results was very positive because the objectives set were achieved both in terms of scientific knowledge of the site and with regard to the involvement of establishments, social entities and the population in the Project.
Part of these results were exhibited last Sunday, August 28, in the Municipal Hall of Yegen (Alpujarra de la Sierra), in an act with a large influx of people, which highlighted the growing interest of neighbors in the work done. Moreover, this interest was shown above all by the active participation of some of them.
Archaeologists from the University of Granada, geologists from the University of Oviedo, specialists in archaeometry and ceramics from the University of Granada, restorers, and the participation of undergraduate and master’s students from the University of Granada and of Malaga and specialists from various auxiliary disciplines of archeology.
As explained in the presentation, the archaeological work focused on the opening of two boreholes located in the central earthwork, one coinciding with the cistern described in the existing bibliography on the Rocher du Fort, and the another located in the fallback zone closest to the access point. In both cases, it was possible to study the structures, the construction materials used, to collect and date the associated material culture, and to compare the data with the results of geophysical tests carried out during prospecting. Although it is still necessary to process and order the data, to classify and study the materials with their spatial distribution, to wait for the analytical results, etc., it can be foreseen that there is a wide chronological arc of occupation and use of this space that goes from the Final of the Bronze Age, until the Roman, reaching medieval and modern times. The geomagnetic survey carried out confirmed the existence of structures in the basement which are in conformity with the data collected in the bibliography, confirming the existence of a fortification of considerable size in the Rock of the Fort of Yegen.
As stated by the Mayor of Alpujarra de la Sierra, José Antonio Gómez, these works should continue in the coming year, during which it is hoped that they will also have the support of the Provincial Council of Granada. . The evaluation of the intervention of the mayor of the municipality is very positive because, on the one hand, it represents a great step towards the recovery of the deposit of Peñón del Fuerte, allowing to know more about its constructive characteristics and its history , essential issues facing its care and conservation, and on the other hand, it opens the doors to the planning of future activities that promote greater knowledge and interest in the area.
El Peñón del Fuerte is an archaeological site declared BIC according to the generic declaration of 1949 on the protection of Spanish castles. It is located in the town of Yegen, which belongs to the municipality of Alpujarra de la Sierra (Granada), very close to the limits of the Sierra Nevada Natural Park. Its location, in a valley and surrounded by impressive ravines, makes it an exceptional landscape enclave, a characteristic that adds to its historical, archaeological and heritage potential.
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