262 Apuntes del Alcázar de Sevilla
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century the original system, althoughmuch simpler prealmohade usual
in the period, involving the evacuation blind wells located in the street,
to be cleaned with some regularity because of their small size. In the
founding moments available this street pavement with ceramic clay
crushing and some lime, which would give some consistency, unusual
in this era. At the opposite end of the block the existence of amuch nar-
rower street, barely ameter is appreciated, maybe be part of an irregular
parapet, also crossed by a simple brick and tile culvert.
The archaeological remains of the crypt.
In short, the visit to the provisional archaeological underground
enabled on the southern end of the Patio de Banderas allows to ob-
serve about one sixth of the excavated so far (one-eighth part if we
compare it with the abided by the provisions of approved General
Project).
Synthetically, the visit under current conditions allows to contem-
plate the following evidence:
1. Underground colonnaded gallery belonging to an arcade which
is adjacent to a square or open space, still unexcavated, located to
the south of the crypt. The structure dates from the first century
BC, although the columns were gradually repaired until the end
of the second century AD.
2. Roman walls from the first century BC, carved in opus africanum
and opus quadratum, which form part of the southern facade
of a large granary or warehouse. Several rooms with their doors,
one of which, the central, is geminated through a pillar, as well as
a narrow passage that communicated the said arcade with main
courtyard of the building, specially stand out.
3. Well-preserved insulating pavements of opus signinum in all
rooms. In the central room, possible tabularium (file), traces of
post for a perimeter cabinet posts are observed.
4. Structure of tegulas coupled to a shoe in the gallery. Possible
plundered grave or container dating from the third century AD.
5. Stratigraphic profile along the descent staircase to the crypt,
where we find:
6. Flooring and wall of the Roman granary on the base and south-
ern end.
7. Greyish-gritty filling belonging to the flood causing the destruc-
tion of the Roman building at the end of the second century BF
and the beginning of the third century AD.
8. Reddish filling on the previous, of fluvial origin.
9. Foundations of one of the rooms of the late-antique building,
erected in the late fifth century.
10. In the upper part, walls of the Islamic suburb of late tenth-early
eleventh centuries next to a street that opens to a cesspool (in
the middle of the profile) that pierces the said fillings to the Ro-
man pavement.
In short, a thousand years of the history of Seville between the first
century BC and the eleventh century AD.
The preservation of the archaeological remains.
It is necessary to distinguish between two possible scenarios for
the archaeological remains: those located within the restricted
area —and that therefore are in sight— and those protected and
covered. In this stage, only the protection and preservation works
have been strictly contemplated, leaving the works of final restora-
tion and enhancement for later stages.
In general, the preservation of the archaeological remains —both
covered and authorised— have included works of consolidation,
cleaning and restoration to ensure its long-term preservation. To
do this, in general, the appropriate tests and analysis for better
definition of the composition of existing factories as well as the
characteristics of the treatments to be applied to ensure their qual-
ity, weatherability and compatibility with the original materials.
In the case of visitable remains, the contextualization and revalua-
tion is based on a criterion of minimal intervention and reversibil-
ity, an aspect crucial to the find an open research area. It is consid-
ered essential to preserve the value of the original rest unequivocal
and its ability to evoke the construction system or the entire build-
ing to which they belong. Acting on these unique fragments must
be neutral, almost invisible to the visitor.
Intervention
The main preservation works were performed before implementing
the structural system. At the outset, was conducted through cata-
loguing records of archaeological remains, including an audit report
containing the photographic study material, the diagnosis of her
condition, the description of the methodology used conservation,
documentation and graphics, and a proposal for maintenance.
Prior to its cleaning, they proceeded to the emergency consolida-
tion of the original coating areas that had been detached from the
substrate holder, fixing it by injection of acrylic resin. The consoli-
dation of arenizadas areas was performed using ester-based consoli-
dating silica. The application of the treatment has been carried out
by brush or spray with spray in dusty areas. The cleanup involved
the removal of adhering dust, mosses, lichens, fungi, etc. through
vegetable brush and water spray. Subsequently, there has been a fun-
gicide treatment of all surfaces.
In the northern sector —where the covered archaeological remains
are— after the surface cleaning work, a geotextile mesh and inert
sand (washed or river, without salt or clay content) across the sur-
face of the remains was placed. On this base protective layer of filler
pieces they are arranged expanded polystyrene.
Among the remains that have remained hidden, it is necesary to high-
light the need for prior intervention on the walls of adobe brick facto-
ry located in the central area of the deposit, on the eastern front. The
walls, 0.40 and 0.55 m thick and almost two meters tall, are built of
adobe mud stuck to the module responding 0,48-0,32-0.06 blistering
2 cm. They have a composition rich in clay minerals (illite and hillock),
which is reasonable for a material made of raw clay-earth and a high
percentage of fines. It sits on a base composed of limestone masonry
careada on gravel foundation. Finishing the outer coating is formed by
a single layer of a coating (lime) between 300 and 450 microns thick
with a high proportion of hematite (which impregnation or lime im-
purities can appear).
