Pre-Romanesque and Romanesque quarries of San Román de Tobillas (Valdegovía, Álava)

Abstract

This study documents a cluster of six quarries situated close to the church of San Román de Tobillas, which served as the source of stone for its construction. The extraction method employed was an ascending benching system, exploiting artificial notches within the rock strata. The analysis of quarry intersection relationships indicates the lower the level, the more modern the quarrying activities. The morphological analysis of the quarries suggests that five correspond to the Pre-Romanesque II construction phase (c. 939), while one dates to the Romanesque period (12th century). The Paleocene dolomitic megabed, within which the quarries are located, provides a unique stratigraphic marker for tracing the evolution of stone use in medieval construction systems. The megabed was initially exploited in Late Antiquity for the creation of hermitages. Later on, during the Pre-Romanesque period, stone was extracted for the production of ashlar masonry. Finally, in the Romanesque period, the resource was utilized for both ashlar and decorative carving.