258 Apuntes del Alcázar de Sevilla
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The construction of this minor crypt (fig. 24), also enables the con-
stant assessment of the state of preservation of the archaeological
remains, and the performance of conservation treatments to be car-
ried out, allowing partial view of one of the structures most signifi-
cant areas of the excavated area, which demonstrates the high po-
tential of the research work done. At first, you may perform limited
specialized staff visits (analogous to those held in the crypt of the ex-
cavation bendala and Negueruela 1976) and, in future, be capable of
being conditioned to public visit with a reduced investment. In this
perspective, the crypt could hold and expose archaeological mate-
rial chosen from the excavations, contextualized in its own museum
discourse (marble pieces, sectiles, fragments of plaster.
The structural system is solved in a structurally simple and eas-
ily reversible manner. The containment perimeter land is executed
through walls reinforced masonry concrete building blocks that fol-
low a guideline broken ground, which benefits the resistance to hori-
zontal thrust. It is simply resting on the floor of the reservoir through
a shallow foundation slab, supplemented with elements that guaran-
tee an extensive and homogeneous distribution of the burden. The
distribution system is guaranteed by bands and slabs tied to different
depths. The cover is made using a forged unidirectional light saving
approximately 7 meters (fig. 25, 26 and 27). Both in the covered area
and the perimeter of the crypt, during construction they have been
extreme caution to avoid any contact between the new materials
(mortars, blocks, concrete, etc.) and the original remains.
This system has been subject to adjustments in response to the find-
ings produced in the east side of the site for the conditioning of the
archaeological remains above mentioned and the lack of the ground
homogeneity. It has been pointed out, not only the geometric adap-
tation of the container but also the implementation of a system of
complementary structural reinforcement by micropiles screen small
diameter (180mm), lining the remains to keep a sufficient distance.
This has had an impact on the initially projected staircase, which has
moved to save the archaeological remains (fig. 28). The walkway that
runs along the north side of the space is constructed by reinforced
concrete slab cantilever and connects with the auxiliary metal stair-
case that leads to the level of the site.
In order to enable that the remains are preserved in appropriate con-
ditions, the enclosure is provided with natural ventilation—through
the access shaft itself— complemented by an installation of forced
ventilation. A waterproofing of the vertical perimeter in contact
with the ground cut and with the rest of the excavated area has been
implemented. The water from the bottom of the excavation that
may appear on the seasonal rise of the water table will be collected
through pumping station and the sewage directed. The specific situ-
ation of the drainage wells advantage investigated areas where there
are no archaeological remains.
Currently, the limits of the area comprise the block walls and con-
crete floors, stripped of coating or finishing materials. The stairs and
walkway slabs are also found in raw, only bounded by simple metal
railings. It has been equipped with a basic LED lighting using bulbs
that are strategically arranged to indirectly illuminate the ground
plane and the archaeological remains —real subjects to the area suit-
able for visitors— providing an atmosphere similar to the intended
in the crypt general project drawn up in 2012. The structural cover-
ing is prepared to receive a future museographic equipment, likely
composed of pieces and materials belonging to the archaeological
excavation itself (fig. 29).
With regard to the Patio de Banderas, the action returns to its pre-
vious appearance before the excavations in accordance with the
starting premises. The monumental fountain and the two existing
lampposts are relocated and the affected trees are restored. The only
thing that appears between the rows of orange trees of the Eastern
side is the cutback of the access shaft to the enabled space under
gradient which is protected by a folding metal grid that enables its
natural ventilation (fig. 30).
REMAINS ACCESSIBLE FOR VISITORS
Remains of the Roman Building. I BC to II AD centuries.
The provisional accessible space enables to visualize a part of the
southern sector of the basement of a large republican granary or
warehouse built in the first century BC, precisely in its contact with
the cryptoporticus that supported one of the galleries of the adjacent
square, yet to excavated (fig . 31).
What we see is part of a set of rooms located to the south of a large
central courtyard supported by stone pillars. In this area of the com-
plex, the scheme of the northern sector is repeated almost symmet-
rically -behind the said central courtyard, although at a lower level,
placing the pavements, that here are preserved under the level 7snm.
A similar passage communicates the central area with the southern
outside, in which a gallery with latericius columns plastered with
lime mortar is developed, some of which are close to the two meters
preserved of the elevation. The gallery exceeds the 4 meters of light
and the hallway 9.70 x 1.50 m., measures slightly lower than the ones
in the opposite corridor.
It has been possible to excavate a large whole room and part of other
three whose dimensions point to a similar area (Figure 32). The first
has an area of 55 m² arranged rectangularly with 5.71 x 9.70 m. side
and a large pillar of stones in the center of the room. It preserves all
its perimeter except for its northwester corner and appears paved
with a magnificent floor of opus signinum, only altered by some
gaps that possibly belonged to wooden poles, which could hold a
road cabinet whose anchorings are reflected in a cadential way in
the walls, according to a similar disposition to the the tabularium
one(file) of the forum Baelo Claudia. The adjacent nave also has
similar traces.
It had two doors, one of them—visible in the crypt—was the princi-
pal; geminated by a central stone pillar, that opened into the gallery
on the south side, with respective openings of 1.73 m; other, located
in the northeast angle, was made up of bulky jambs and opened to
the central underground space. In the adjoining rooms, the access to
the gallery took place via doors without central pillar, one of which,
retaining the brick threshold and the two stony jambs, had a light of
2.83 meters.
In the amortization fillers, building materials from perhaps the col-
lapse of the upper floor were found. Specially, abundant fragments
of opus signinum, marble ornamental elements, sectiles, tiles and
polychrome renders. Apparently, the roomwould have some dignity
and was probably used for storage or management of documenta-
tion judging to its superior size, type of soil, traces of furniture and
the remarkable size of its double doors. It should be noted the loca-
tion on the foundation of the center pillar of the door with a votive
deposit with a bowl that contained a bronze nail and tile. The adja-
cent rooms have the same depths of 9,70m but a smaller width, 3.96
