Findings in Complutum
Roman remains on Reyes Católicos avenue
Reason for excavation
The location of archaeological evidence on Reyes Católicos Avenue, in the earthworks control phase of the Sidewalk and Asphalt Renovation Project and improvement of mobility, accessibility and quality of public space in the municipality of Alcalá de Henares (Madrid) ,
Description of the deposit
Various buildings remain from the Roman city of Complutum, including a series of private houses and a set of public buildings: a basilica, thermal baths and a septizodium (monumental facade with the appearance of a nymphaeum). The chronological phases that have been established for this complex are illustrative of the city's chronology:
- Phase I corresponds to the foundation of the settlement at the time of Claudio-Nero.
- Phase II begins at the end of the XNUMXrd or early XNUMXth century after Christ and the buildings are rebuilt in it, adding new elements to the public ones and raising the private ones again. This phase lasted until the beginning of the XNUMXth century, when the city was abandoned and the use that defines it as such was lost, so that only one of the houses excavated to date in the urban framework has provided indications of an occupation longer, which in any case does not persist beyond the middle of the XNUMXth century.
During the archaeological control work of the Project for the Renovation of sidewalks and asphalt paving and improving mobility in Alcalá de Henares, archaeological remains from the Roman era were detected some 150 meters from the confluence of the avenues of Nuestra Señora de Belén and de los Reyes Catholics. Said remains consisted of ceramic fragments, bones and constructive remains, as well as evidence of a building structure preserved in situ, with internal hydraulic cladding of opus signinum.
The archaeological level is present throughout the street layout. The stratigraphy shows a heterogeneous deposit in which current and ancient materials appear, among which numerous tiles and bricks from the collapse of the roofs and walls of Roman houses stand out.
The building remains would correspond to a wall structure made with CONCRETE work and hydraulic coating of opus signinum that we can identify as part of the hypocaust of a building for thermal and hydraulic use from the high imperial era.
Within the city of Complutum from the imperial era, the existence of two thermal complexes for public use is known: the so-called North and South Hot Springs. The first, oldest, located very close to the basilica, ceased to function as a thermal building around the XNUMXrd century after Christ to become part of an administrative-type building complex. Las Termas Sur, built around the XNUMXth century AD. C., they were able to replace the previous ones after the cessation of their activity as public toilets.
Apart from these public baths, other structures of the same type are known in Complutum, but in private settings, such as the baths of the Casa de Hippolytus and those of the Villa del Val.
The new structure, located to the south of the known hot springs, would increase the number of this type of buildings in the Roman city. Although the limited nature of the intervention does not allow specifying more about the dimensions, structure and division of the building's spaces, if it has been verified that the dividing wall of the hypocaust follows the same orientation as the rest of the buildings in the city and that the dimensions and quality of the work could be indicating the presence of a large building and careful construction
