The typology of ancient quarries within the Paleocene limestone of Álava in northern Spain

✍ Scribed by Luis M. Martínez-Torres

• Book ID: 102843483
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 623 KB
• Volume: 24
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0883-6353
• DOI: 10.1002/gea.20252

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Paleocene limestone and dolomitized limestone of Álava, Spain, were used as building materials from the Neolithic age until the Neoclassical, predominantly in the production of headstones, sculpture, and stonework during the Roman era (1st to 4th centuries) and Romanic and Gothic periods (10th to 15th centuries). The quarrying methods employed are related to topographic relief. Five types of ancient quarry have been identified: escarpment, dip‐slope (ascending and descending), edge, and trench. The oldest quarries (1st to 4th centuries) are the trench‐cut stone pits of “Raso de Cezama.” Later, from the Romanic period (10th to 15th centuries), descending dip‐slope, escarpment, and edge‐based quarries were worked, such as those at Achuri, Ajarte, and Santa Elena. Finally, an ascending dip‐slope quarry was developed at Marquínez during the Neoclassical period (18th century). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.