Panel 12 - The emirate dwellings

The changes that occurred in Reccopolis at the end of the eighth and beginning of the nineth centuries, following the fire that destroyed the palatine complex, radically transformed and reduced the landscape that had characterized the city since Visigothic times. The new dwellings were constructed using materials salvaged from the ancient city’s buildings, such as ashlars for the masonry plinths and tiles for the roofs. The walls continued to be made of rammed earth, protected with a clay and lime plaster coating.

These simpler dwellings, in contrast to earlier phases, consisted of a single rectangular room that served as both a living area and sleeping quarters. The cooking hearths were situated near openings or doorways, directly on the rammed clay and compacted gravel floor.

Ceramic objects constituted the most common materials found in these houses, associated with daily needs – primarily kitchen utensils such as pots, pans, bowls, and jugs. While some derived from the late Roman and Visigothic ceramic traditions, numerous pieces were distinctly Andalusian in style.
These houses, accompanied by sets of silos for storing grain, reflect a peasant lifestyle, with the inhabitants tied to agricultural and livestock activities.