Reconstructing past terraced agrarian landscapes in the Ebro valley: The deserted village of Torrentejo in the Basque Country, Spain

Abstract

AbstractThe historical agrarian landscape features of the deserted medieval village of Torrentejo (Ebro Valley, southern Basque Country, Rioja Alavesa region) are presented here. This study relies on analyses of agricultural lands on terraces and, secondarily, of domestic occupation, funerary spaces, and of a medieval church. An archaeological excavation was carried out around the church, covering 800 m2, and exposing more than 2 m of archaeological deposits. The detailed study of 6 ha of terraced land made use of oral and written sources, historical aerial photos, and fieldwalking survey and mapping of each feature and retaining wall. Trial trenches were studied by means of soil analyses and micromorphology. The integration of buried and surface evidence provided a comprehensive sequence of phases of terrace construction and allowed us to document the progressive expansion of vineyard production. Three main phases within the last 1,300 years were identified and dated using radiocarbon. This paper examines the correlations between terrace fields, landscape history, settlement changes, and agrarian practices.