The Historical Stone Quarries of Gabia la Grande (Granada, Southeast of Spain): Heritage Recovery through Ethnographic Sources

Abstract

With this work, the aim is to demonstrate the historical and patrimonial relevance of the sandstone quarries in Gabia Grande (Granada), located in the Atalaya site. The outcrops of this stone in its territory are evident to the naked eye, but with greater preponderance appears in this area as can be seen in figure 1. There are notable architectural evidences of the use of this material in the different historical stages as evidenced by the material testimonies, including the site of the Roman villa of Gabia with its cryptoportic, the Muslim tower in the square of El Fuerte, the photographic testimony of the Watchtower, the palace houses of the sixteenth century and the countless buildings scattered throughout the historic quarter. To this end, it has documented its territorial scope, the techniques used for the extraction of raw materials, the means of transport used, the protagonists who participated in the last decades of its exploitation, the construction techniques that were developed with this material in the buildings and the description of the urban areas where this material currently lives. Due to its importance as a constructive material and the proximity to the urban area, this raw material could constitute a source of development, both social and economic, for this population, possibly from the Ancient Age until the middle of the twentieth century.