Archaeological work at the Alcudia site in Elche continues to reveal layers of ancient life, bridging a distant Iberian past with the present day. The recent campaign focused on studying a wall structure that appears to have been built to endure earthquakes and protect the settlement in a seismically active region.
Alberto Lorrio, a prehistory professor, and Hector Uroz, a scholar from Murcia, led a team of researchers from the University of Alicante who have been working in Sector 11. This is the area where the Lady of Elche was unearthed in 1897. Their goal is to illuminate the earliest Iberian phases and place them in a broader historical context for today’s audiences in Canada and the United States who are curious about Iberian urban planning and daily life.
Throughout this year, the team has concentrated on stabilizing and documenting the surrounding wall. So far, twenty eight meters of wall have been excavated. Inside the nearby interiors, eight rooms have been mapped, suggesting four or five houses might have once formed a cohesive domestic block.
Structural analysis revealed a robust construction system based on stacked elements that echo Eastern practices. The wall uses diverse materials in distinct sections, a choice believed to increase its flexibility and resilience against seismic events. This approach, sometimes described as earthen architecture, combines masonry with clay-based methods to yield durable results that endure over centuries.
Field studies conducted last month also uncovered evidence of at least two flood events and signs of previous fire exposure, underscoring the dynamic history of this urban landscape.
The archaeological context of the Lady
Between 2017 and 2023, researchers led by José Uroz with the University of Alicante uncovered Iberian materials dating to the fifth century BCE in La Alcudia. The discovery of the wall alongside surrounding urban ruins marks a significant milestone in understanding the site and its long timeline. This marks a notable step in situating the Lady of Elche within Iberian urban development.
The upcoming 2024 campaign will continue the museumization of the excavated sector. The team plans to emphasize the wall and the broader urban layout while preserving an ancient irrigation canal that runs through the area. Even the walls show the most recent chapters of La Alcudia, offering visitors a tangible link to the past.
Traces of urban planning in La Alcudia
The year’s field team included around twenty doctoral candidates, graduate students, and collaborators from the University of Alicante and the University of Murcia. Notable participants included a specialist in Earth Sciences and Environment and a curator from the Prehistoric Museum of Valencia, along with three workers from La Alcudia supported by a cooperative agreement with the Elche City Council. Their combined efforts map the evolving urban plan and provide a clearer picture of life during earlier eras.
Domus-La Alcudia and the road ahead
The Domus-La Alcudia project team is set to take over excavations at the end of October. The collaboration includes researchers from the University of Alicante, the University of Murcia, and CSIC, all engaged in documenting the settlement from its origins to its current state. This work is part of a broader initiative to understand how the city transformed through successive periods.
Guided by UA archaeology professor Sonia Gutiérrez and colleagues Julia Sarabia, Victoria Amorós, and Jesús Moratalla, the campaign has three clear aims. First, to examine ancient Iberian settlements that hosted significant structures during the Punic Wars. Second, to extend excavation into the Roman, Visigothic, and Islamic phases. Third, to share discoveries in a way that illuminates the city’s diachronic development for visitors and scholars alike.