Hacia una reinterpretación de la secuencia de ocupación del Yacimiento de a Cidadela (A Coruña).

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an extensive interdisciplinary work of revision, analysis, dating and excavation of the well known site of A Cidadela (A Coruna). Research on this site has traditionally focused on the presence of a Roman fort (2nd-3rd centuries AD), leaving aside a series of later phases known as "Germanic". In order to deepen our knowledge of the whole sequence of the site, we published in 2015 an stratigraphical analysis of two sectors. Continuing this work, this article presents the results of the review of the late antique and medieval material record, petrological analysis of rocks, absolute dating of 21 samples of mortars, charcoal and sediments by means of radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence and two archaeological surveys conducted in 2016. The combination of all this new information radically changes our vision and understanding of the "post-Roman" phases of A Cidadela with the detection of at least four archaeological horizons after the Roman fort: late antique (4th-6th/7th centuries AD), late medieval (9th-11th centuries AD), Central Middle Ages (13th century AD) and Late Medieval-Modern times. A Cidadela thus became a privileged place for the archaeological analysis of the occupation of inland Galicia in the last 2000 years.