‘Escuela de Balates’: Transmission and dissemination of traditional dry stone construction techniques

Abstract

The Biocultural Archaeology Laboratory (MEMOLab) of the University of Granada undertook the recovery of an ancient agricultural space linked to the medieval alquería (village) of Alcázar (Jérez del Marquesado, Granada, Spain). This participatory process comprised several tasks, the most outstanding being the development of a dry stone construction school called the ‘Escuela de Balates’ offering instruction on how to restore the walls of ancient cultivation terraces. The main objectives of the project were to recover the agricultural space, gain knowledge of ancestral practices, and involve the local population in the conservation of its cultural and environmental heritage.