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The Castle History.
Between the 9th and 13th centuries, Zorita Castle thrived as a focal point for commerce and military adventures during the wars to take control of Spain between Muslim and Christian armies. Since then, the castle has fallen into obscurity. Geographically unpopular, ignored by academia, and until recently left to crumble. Today the former headquarters of one of Spain's most important military orders is coming back to life. Since 2014 and overseen by the Heritage Office of the regional Castilla-La Mancha government, Zorita Castle field school teaches students and archaeology lovers from around the world how to conduct an archaeological excavation while uncovering part of the castle history. The best preserved building inside the castle is the church of San Benito. The knights of the order of Calatrava built the church at the end of the 12th century when the castle became the order's headquarters. Documents mention a cemetery, but the only material evidence was a long stone slab, possibly a burial cover. When cleaning the stone, a Medieval Tic-Tac-Toe, a game we owe to the Arabs was discovered. Throughout the fifteenth century and like other castles, Zorita was no longer the residence of Commanders of Calatrava Cavalry Order, whose preferred live in houses in nearby towns like Pastrana, becoming an arsenal castle, guarding firearms, propulsion, armor, ammunition and miscellaneous tools. 
The Order of Calatrava and Zorita Castle The Order of Calatrava was born in the actual region of Castilla-La Mancha, specifically in the province of Ciudad Real, where during the twelfth century intensified the struggle between the Berber villages arrived in Al-Andalus and the Christian of Castille. All Mancha region south of Almagro is known today as Campo de Calatrava, the first seat of the institution of monks warriors. Alarcos, defeating in July 19th of 1195, saw the fall of the Guadiana frontier, with the loss of the Head Castle of the Order (Old Clatrava castle). This battle and abandonment of Salvatierra means an unprecedented crisis that brought the Order to the brink of extinction. The remains of the Order took refuge in Zorita castle, one of the few possessions that kept the calatravos under their control. In Zorita, the Order was again organized, rearmed and once strengthened was delivered to new strategies for the recovery and control of territory. After the Christian victory in the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa against the Almohad in 1212, the Order settled permanently based in New Calatrava castle, construction designed to support a large-scale siege avoid Alarcos surprises like. Order of Calatrava text about Zorita castle from 1518 The state of the castle was revised on March 25, 1518 in detail by the visitors accompanied by Miguel de Echeverría, a neighbouring stonemason from Almonacid; Damián, a neighbor of Pastrana, master of Carpentry and plasterwork. The expenses that were suggested include a considerable budget: In the wall, the door to the Jewish quarter was burnt, as was the White Tower, by the part of Badujo river, 8,000 Maravedíes. Wall of the Jewish quarter, 2,000 Maravedíes – Moat an Wall between the fortress and the Jewish quarter 4,000 Maravedíes. Iron door, small repairs, without price, second door with a hand mill, 6,000 Maravedíes. -Stables passing these doors, 500 Maravedíes. -New room, in the new kitchen, in front of the church, 25,000 Maravedíes. The corral of the Counts, which was cemetery, clean it of ground, 1,000 Maravedíes. The Keep, demolished in part, for demolishing it completely and removing the stone, 10.000 Maravedíes excavation
During the excavations of 2014 and after discovering and excavating three burials,the existence of a cemetery inside the castle was finally confirmed . The skeletons were resting on their backs, legs straight, their arms crossed over their chests and facing east. Only one of the skeletons had a proper burial, an anthropomorphic stone tomb. All three were adult men, and only one died at an old age. Probably knights or clergy of the Calatrava order because only these groups would have been buried so close to the church within the castle walls. From 2016 Zorita teams have been excavating the space over the castle cistern. Onto this courtyard converged all the roofs and poured the water from the rain into the cistern. Later on, the courtyard was transformed and home spaces were built, among which the remains of a bread oven stand out. The cistern was abandoned and transformed into a wine cellar with a well on one side. It must have been a terrible drought what forced the castle inhabitants to carve this 40 m deep well directly into the rock. In 2017 new underground chambers were discovered under the access to the church.
Goals for 2022
We will continue excavating both sides of the Romanesque church of the castle. On the South, on the "Corral de los Condes" where the cemetery for the knights of the Calatrava order was found. Some of the graves are already exposed and ready to start working on them. On the North side or areas IV-VII where we are discovering the rooms over the cistern. The Archaeology and Osteology program at Zorita Castle is focused on teaching archaeological methodology and on the excavation of graves. Mornings will be dedicated to excavation with a break for a snack. Fully recovered after a bath in the river, lunch and siesta, afternoons will be dedicated to seminars and workshops. Participants will take part in all the excavation process, they will keep a field journal and clean, identify, and catalogue artifacts. We will learn to define a burial, the right way to dig a skeleton and how to remove it from the ground: how to deal with the body, what tools to use, how to remove the bones in anatomical units with the right and left sides individualized, what is the correct packaging, how to register everything in situ (practice with photogrametry for recording).
Daily Schedule 6,30h Breakfast 07-10,30h Excavation 10,30-11,00h Snack break 13,30-14,30h Free time 14,30h Lunch 15,30h “Siesta” 18,00-20,00h Laboratory/Lectures/Afternoon excursions Lectures/Workshops Medieval Spain Zorita castle History The Calatrava Military Order Archaeology in Zorita castle Stratigraphy and archaeological record
Workshop on osteology
Introduction to osteology: the human skeleton Anthropometry. Systematic measurements of standard parameters Determination of size and sex. Determination of age of death Health of the population: degenerative diseases, deficiency diseases, infectious diseases, traumatic pathologies. Weekend excursions Toledo World Inheritage Town Madrid with the National Archaeological Museum Pastrana Visigothe site of Recopolis accommodationZorita de los Canes is a tiny village (population: 30) in Guadalajara province, a 90-minute-drive east from Madrid. Located between the castle and the river Tajo, It has a charming little hotel, a restaurant over an old tower and a nice beach next to the remains of an old bridge.
The group, including ArchaeoSpain staff, will be staying at Posada de Zorita Hotel, just five-minute walk down from the castle. The students will be sharing double-triple rooms with bathroom and air conditioning. Meals will be done at the Posada where we are fortunate to have one of the best cooks in the region, who works hard to make us feel like at home wile enjoyong a wide diversity of spanish traditional dishes. 
FULL FOR 2022
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Dionisio Urbina Martínez
PhD. in Geography and History from the University Complutense of Madrid. He has been a professional archaeologist since 1990 and has directed over fifty archaeological excavations: Medieval, Late Antique, Roman, Iron and Bronze Age. Specialist in the Roman world and the Second Iron Age in the center of the Iberian Peninsula, he has published several scientific articles and divulgative books, co-edited several conferences and exhibition catalogs, and several articles in scientific journals. He has taught numerous courses, conducted ten archaeological exhibitions as well as various presentations, and lectures and seminars. He taught the specialized course “Generalist in Antiques and Twentieth Century”, at the Center for Arts and Business Álvaro Durán, from 2001 to 2007, and was a teacher of the Degree in Cultural Management at the University Antonio de Nebrija in 2009 and 2010. Currently runs Achaeospain, directing the investigations at the sites of Zorita Castle and Cerro de la Muela Roman castellum. |
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Víctor Barrera Alarcón.
Graduate in History and Archaeology from the Complutense University of Madrid and Master in Physical Anthropology: Human Evolution and Biodiversity by the Complutense University of Madrid, the University of Alcalá de Henares and the Autonomous University of Madrid. Specialist in Archaeology and Forensic Anthropology by the Institute of Professional Training in Forensic Sciences of Madrid. I have collaborated as a technician in archaeology and as a specialist in human skeletal remains in more than a dozen archaeological excavations both in Spain (Convento de San Juan de Dios, Arco de Conejeros, Ermita de la Vega, el Ceremeño, Zorita de los Canes) and abroad (Hala Sultan Tekke -Cyprus- and Viminacium -Serbia-). I have directed the Osteoarchaeology Laboratory of the Complutense University of Madrid for four years and carried out the osteological studies of 5 different collections during those years. I have also taught several introductory courses on osteoarchaeology for young archaeologists during my tenure there. I have more than a dozen scientific publications including articles, book chapters and conference proceedings. |
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excursions
You will be inmersed in a research project and live in a different country for some weeks. On the weekend excursions you will have the opportunity to meet different aspects of the Spanish culture and traditions, visiting historical cities, picturesque villages and archaeological sites.
Whole day excursions:
Toledo, declared World Heritage City, is a very unique place. It is known as the city of the three cultures: Muslim, Christian and Jewish. You will have the opportunity to visit some examples like the mosque of the Cristo de la Luz, the synagogue of The Tránsito or the Cathedral of Toledo. We’ll get lost in its narrow streets, have tapas at its terraces and we will also have time for some shopping.
Whole day excursions:
Toledo, declared World Heritage City, is a very unique place. It is known as the city of the three cultures: Muslim, Christian and Jewish. You will have the opportunity to visit some examples like the mosque of the Cristo de la Luz, the synagogue of The Tránsito or the Cathedral of Toledo. We’ll get lost in its narrow streets, have tapas at its terraces and we will also have time for some shopping.
Madrid became the capital of Spain in the XVI century, under the reign of Felipe II, we will get lost in between its oldest streets, visit some of its most emblematic areas, enjoy with some tapas and churros and end the day in the National Archaeological Museum.
Renaissance city of Pastrana where the princess of Eboli spent part of her life
photo archive
survivors' tales"This being my first dig, the ninth of July was just like any other day on the site, exciting and fascinating. As always, the walk up to Zorita Castle was filled with beautiful views, but the site was where the real finds were waiting. After brushing and excavating the walls, the team started in on the floor. Working on the southern end of the room was tough going, the soil was quite compact with a sandy brown coloring.
A white, smooth stone had revealed itself and shone differently than all the usual finds. I picked it up and approached the director of the site. Immediately his face lit up and as he showed it to the other director she let out a squeal. As they explained to me that I had stumbled upon an ax head from the Neolithic age I could not quite believe it. I had held something thousands of years old and it had survived those many years to tell its story". - Sydney Comstock, 2014 "Today we began by excavating around the house-shaped structure. I was digging in the stratigraphic unity 104. My goal was to bring down the level of SU 104 enough to see if the two flanking walls had an end point. This question has not yet been answered, as the trench is not deep enough to tell. Unity 104 has gray-white colored soil that is very light, sandy, and extremely dry. We have found many bone and pottery fragments along with some iron and glass in this unity as well. All of the bone fragments are presumably animal because most recognizable ones belonged to a sheep or goat. The pottery ranges in color from white, to green-blue, to black. Many of the pieces are without decoration, but some have geometric patters painted or stamped on." - Katherine Hodge, 2015 "Today, July 10th, is the tenth day of our three-week-long excavation of the Castillo de Zorita de los Canes in Guadalajara, Spain. We will continue to excavate to find out if, in-fact, this was a rubbish pit, for whom it was one, and what all was thrown away. The objects inside this unity may tell us who used this pit, what the people of the castle ate, what they used as vessels, and what they burned to cook or fuel a flame with (charcoal). The structure next to the rubbish pit is thought to be a room for a castle prior or priest; this might also help us understand what this corner was used for". - Madison Taylor, 2014 
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