Aznalmara (Benaocaz): historiographical and archaeological review of a fortification in the border with Granada

Abstract

With the constitution of the Granadian border, there takes place within the region of Jerez a process of fortification that is, in the main, completely new. In this region is situated the castle that is discussed in this article. The text that follows is a historical review that tries to break with the common misunderstandings that surround not only this castle, but also other fortifications on the western border of the Granadian sultanate. Received assumptions, resorting to the established authorities, and professionals practising without qualifications give rise to a distorted picture that has nothing to do with the actuality. A re-reading of Aznalmara’s fortifications, based on an archaeological approach in which the analysis of the process of construction plays an important role, is proposed.