The Montecillo
Documentation project in a section of the Guadarrama Canal
Reason for intervention
The appraisal of the patrimonial elements existing in the plot.
Archaeological performance
The archaeological survey consisted of surface prospecting of the land and the realization of six mechanical soundings on the plot, in which there is a section of about 75 meters of the historic Guadarrama Canal.
At the beginning of the work, a large part of the plot was occupied by spills and the land had been leveled in order to facilitate the transit of machinery to the nearby building works. All this had meant that the section of the Guadarrama Canal that runs from west to east was not visible on the surface. The documentary study carried out prior to the field work was therefore essential to be able to determine the layout of the aforementioned channel and properly interpret its morphology.
The archaeological surveys carried out have made it possible to document the material remains of the old Guadarrama Canal. The analysis of the profiles shows that this section was excavated in the geological sands or arches. Its upper width is close to 11,50 meters and its lower width is approximately 7 meters. Its height, from the vegetal level, reaches 2,50 m. The canal walls form a 45º incline. Generally, the funds located are flat and are located at a height between 724,35 and 724,08 m.
The passage of time and the flattening of the land caused the filling of the canal ditch with the earth from the ridge or parapet that existed on its right bank, still visible in recent aerial photographs, which would protect it from the steep unevenness of the terrain, avoiding the erosion.