The Almuñécar Councillor for Culture & Heritage has sought to allay the concerns of residents over the amount of water in archaeological sites around town.

Councillor Alberto Manuel García Gilabert was referring to the fish-salting factory in El Parque El Majuelo and the aqueduct between the Carbonel building and the beginning of the San-Sebastian road.

He explained that the rise in the water table is “completely normal and natural after so much rain in just a few days,” emphasising that it is natural water that is constantly being replenished. 

“Even if it were pumped out, it would come up again because it comes from the subsoil. It is not a structural problem, but rather the natural behaviour of the terrain,” the Councillor explained.

The Municipal Archaeologist, Elena Navas, pointed out that in Roman times, “When these infrastructures were built, both the Majuelo and the aqueduct were at ground level. Over the centuries, the river has deposited sediment, covering the Río Seco basin and the archaeological remains themselves, so that today the site is several metres below current ground level.” 

She also referred to the water in these sites, explaining that it carries micro-organisms, spores, seeds and larvae which, under the right temperature, can create a greenish tint on the surface:  “Although it may look like a pond, it is actually clean water that is continually renewed from the bottom. It is not stagnant water that becomes tainted; it flows slowly and remains in motion.”

Once the water has gone, it will be necessary to check the archaeological remains and clean out any accumulated litter, but in the case of the fish-salting pits, they’re lined with opus signinum, which is a type of ancient cement used by the Romans on structures carrying water or immersed in it, so there’s no problem there.

(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)

keywords: Archaeoligical Remains, Roman Aqueduct, Phoenician Fish-Salting Factory, Accumulated Water, Water Table

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