A group of archaeologists managed to rebuild the history of a over 2500 -year -old house on the territory of the Cerro de San Vicente archaeological site (Salamanca, Spain), revealing details about how its inhabitants set and covered their houses before rebuilding them.
The study, published in the magazine Anthropological Archaeology, combines advanced methods to determine if the fire was accidental, an act of violence or part of a renewal ritual.
The house, called house 1, was part of a settlement from the Iron Age (between 900 and 400 BC). The researchers found that its interior was covered with a layer of ash up to 4 cm, with traces of coal, iron tools and fragments of burnt ceramics. The analyzes confirmed that the fire temperature has reached 700 ° C, enough to collapse the roof, reddish the walls of the chirp and partially melt the clay floor.
The study is mentioned that the fire was so intense that the house resembled a ceramic burning oven. Shortly after the fire, the inhabitants covered the house with layers of burnt and ash, methodically arranged so that the floor rises about 60 cm. Some of the material came from the walls of the house, and another part, possibly, from other buildings of the settlement.
The researchers propose several hypotheses regarding the causes of the fire. It is possible that in the common areas the garbage and ash has been accumulated, requiring the level of the floor level to maintain access to the house. Fire and covering with chirpics would have allowed the soil leveling and preparing the house for a new living stage, they explain.
Or, like many ancient cultures, the fire of the house could mean the end of the useful life of the house or even the life of the inhabitants. The researchers suggest that it could have been a symbolic act – a conclusion and a new beginning. Presence of valuables (like an iron knife) in the ash layer support this idea, they convey
Even the burning of the chirpic for its strengthening and reuse, a documented practice in other sites, is considered possible. This was, the authors say, an early form of prehistoric circular economy.
In order to reach these conclusions, the team analyzed thin sections of the floor at the microscope, identifying ashes, coal and fragments of chirp. Then they studied how the heat changed the magnetic minerals in the clay, confirming the high temperatures. Finally, they mapped the distribution of the blocks of chirp and found that the largest had been placed the first, next to the walls – proof of an organized work.
Also, the kept coal showed that the roof had been made of pine and stone oak – common species in the area. Interestingly, some fragments wore traces of insects, indicating that the structure was already old at the time of fire.
House 1 is not the only burnt home in Cerro de San Vicente. Other houses on the same site have a similar succession – arson, covering with chirpi and rebuilding the floors – indicating a lasting architectural tradition in the Duero River region.
The research emphasizes that these houses have not been abandoned, but transformed. The fires and reconstruction reflect a dynamic relationship with the living space, in which the fire was rather an instrument than a catastrophe.
The study concludes that the fire of house 1 was intended and part of a renewal process: the fire and the coverage with the chirpic were stages closely linked and executed quickly. The practice had practical motivations – such as lifting the floor – but also a deep cultural sense, related to the continuity of domestic life.
Although the questions remain – was it a ritual? a construction technique? -The discovery highlights the fact that the fire was not only destructive, but also a key element in the life of these communities.
