Amarejo 01 in Bonete, the first funerary monument in the province of Albacete

In the world of archeology, there are two types of interventions: management/rescue or research. For people who do not know this world, we will say, without elaborating too much, that each one depends on the context and the objectives set, especially since one is more at the expense of the resources used than the second. In this way, who better than S. Roskams to explain it in other words:

Amarejo 01 was one of those sites that can hardly reveal such a surprise in the academic world, where excavations have a long bibliographic tradition. This enclave, no larger than a ranch, contained more than could have been assumed at the prospecting level. Superficially, it was still the typical “installation” that could have been a prehistoric cabin, as we thought, until the first human remains appeared.
But let's start at the beginning. The enclave is located on a hill with the typical vegetation of the area, scattered thickets adapted to stony soil and with outcrops of mother rock. Although it is not an elevated hill, from its position you can see the surrounding plain, without being clearly visible, or at least, that's what we appreciate when we excavate the place. Perhaps at the time it would be a clearly visible place, although, of course, today, it is not. In terms of connections, a dirt road runs northwest of the hill that continues to the southwest until it borders the Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC) of El Amarejo.

In fact, Amarejo 01 was collected in the Archaeological Letters within one of the Municipal Protection Areas. At first glance, it was barely distinguishable from the surroundings. You could only see some medium-sized slabs tucked in and arranged in a semicircle. Otherwise, it was just another rock outcrop with vegetation, but with a slight elevation, barely noticeable.

Following the theory of the “Ockham Razor”, we began the excavation thinking, internally, that it would be just another installation, used for habitation purposes and with the typical and scarce material. So we proceeded according to the usual protocol, we cleared, we documented the first structures and stratigraphic units that were seen, and we began to excavate. We only had to start the excavation so that, without waiting for it, we would dig up some teeth that turned out to be human, which, obviously, led us to suspect that we were looking at another type of structure, perhaps a cabin with a burial? Well no, it turned out to be a Funerary Monument. The first documented Funerary Monument in the entire province (we would like to know what William of Ockham would think of this).

To be understood, megalithic funerary structures are designed as burial spaces for several people from the same community, and culturally to become a space of respect for the past and worship of ancestors. Of course, the characteristics of this funerary monument indicate that not everyone could be buried here.

Because of their relevance and scientific interest, the management and technical team for the excavation of Environmental Ideas (José Luis Serna López, Laura Castillo Vizcaíno, Fernando Ruiz Salazar, as directors, and José Vicente Rodríguez Cano, as technician) collaborated with the University of Alicante on a research project led by Dr. Gabriel García Atiénzar. For them, it is the first monument of this chronology and these characteristics found in the province of Albacete. It is, therefore, a Unicum to date, which opens new doors to research and fills an important gap in scientific literature. This closes a circle that begins with a management/rescue excavation and ends up being the beginning of a new line of research that affects the population.

This study could not have been possible without the invaluable support of Bonete City Hall, the University of Alicante, ELAWAN Energy (as a project promoter) and the support of the entire team of Environmental Ideas.

If you want to know more about our heritage findings or about this project, you can contact us at ideas@ideasmedioambientales.com. For more information on this excavation, we invite you to keep an eye on our publications in this medium, as we will be disseminating future scientific publications that are coming.

Laura Castillo, Archaeology