Significant Archaeological Find

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 Wednesday, June 5, 2019 - 10:40
Significant Archaeological Find

The Ministry for Heritage was recently informed of a structure that had been unearthed in the Four Corners area while ground works were being carried out. The Government archaeologist, together with the Gibraltar National Museum’s archaeologists visited the site and quickly realised that this was an important discovery. 

The structure is a large construction, made of limestone, lime mortar, and red clays (Figures 1 and 2) and it sits on a layer of mortar of red clays approximately 20 cm deep.

The interior of the structure is a continuous wall forming a circular shape with a diameter of 4.14 m, the interior of which is filled by clean beach sand.

The wall is made up of limestone masonry, which is flat on one side. Only one row on the inside remains and measures approximately 47 cm. The structure continues with 30 cm more still remaining, but lacking the inner row, made up of a collection of limestone clasts approximately 30 x 30 x 30 cm.

The circular interior seems to be forming a structure that is at least 1.40m wide.

Due to its location and characteristics, it is believed that it could be the foundations and first levels of an old circular tower, known as Torre del Molino, since the design of the foundations coincides with the type of foundations documented for that tower which is known to have been in that area. The type of construction materials and coloration of the lime mortar, suggest that it was built within the Spanish period.

05-06-19 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR