XVIII. Excavation Expedition MARQ within Ifac Medieval Town enabled a comprehensive completion of documentation tasks and the extraction of records, focusing on the stone arch at the West Gate deposit. The Deputy for Culture, Juan de Dios Navarro, visited the archaeological site in Calp this morning to review the results of the research work, including the excavations that uncovered the last three tombs in the necropolis area.
Documentation and extraction of the entire stone arch of the West Gate, partially found last summer, will facilitate the reconstruction of the entrance arch and safeguard a key space at the town entrance. This gate historically served as the access point to the towns of Ifach, influencing town planning and the layout of the historic center.
In the study area morgue and the consecrated churches adjacent to the Beata Santa María church, the excavation of the last three graves yielded crucial insights into the identities and daily lives of the men and women who built and inhabited this medieval city. The discoveries illuminate the social fabric and living conditions of a community that flourished centuries ago.
“The archaeological heritage in this region makes the site special and singular, offering vast possibilities for understanding our ancestors,” the deputy noted, flanked by the town mayor, the MARQ manager Main Sala, the MARQ campaign manager and archaeologist Jose Luis Menéndez, the Natural and Animal Environment General Manager Raul Merida, Calp’s City Member of Parliament Ximo Perles, and national MP Cesar Sánchez. The presence of these officials underscored the significance of the work and its potential impact on cultural identity and regional history.
Jose Luis Menéndez, reflecting on interventions conducted in successive campaigns to date, reported that a total of 70 graves have been identified, containing 108 buried individuals. This rich data set stands as a valuable resource, enabling researchers to gain in-depth knowledge about lifeways, nutrition, and daily living conditions of Ifach residents across centuries, and to build a more nuanced narrative of the community that once thrived there.
Background
Since 2005, the Diputación has invested more than 100 times 400,000 euros in this MARQ-led project, developed in collaboration with the Calp City Council and the Ministry of Environment, Water, Infrastructure and Land. This focused mission seeks to examine roots as a people and the cultural heritage embedded in the medieval era, according to the technicians involved in this eighteenth edition. Twelve volunteers from the universities of Valencia and Alicante contributed their expertise to the work, enriching the field with fresh perspectives and energy.
Protection
Alongside archaeological fieldwork, the Diputación de Alicante has supported preventive conservation efforts. Under the direction of the Head of the Architecture Area, Rafael Perez, the study has concentrated on consolidating tower 7, one of the bastions guarding the West Gate, and the adjacent cemetery. This year a drainage collector was installed along the pavement to convey rainwater, reducing the risk of water accumulation that could damage tombs and exposed walls. The preventive measures help preserve the structural integrity of the site while allowing ongoing exploration.
“The MARQ interventions over the eighteen years have uncovered the outline of a medieval city founded in the XIII–XIV centuries. It sits on the slopes above Penyal d’Ifac, a natural treasure of the Community of Valencia. The preserved remains offer a foundation for a redevelopment plan that could invite more visitors to connect with this unique historical landscape. Since the Middle Ages, the area has drawn people to the Natural Park to observe and study this region,” Navarro noted, highlighting the enduring value of exploration, preservation, and thoughtful restoration for current and future generations.