Comparative Performance Evaluation of the Shelters at Complutum, a Roman Archaeological Site in Spain

ABSTRACT

The Roman city of Complutum (Alcala de Henares, Spain) conserves archaeological remains declared of cultural interest at an international level. The site presents two areas which are currently covered, the House of Hippolytus and the House of the Griffins, both with exceptional decorative programmes. Shelters are commonly considered the most suitable preventive conservation option for exposed archaeological sites, as they are able to reduce the impact of direct sunlight and rainfall. However, shelters may not fully protect a site and active decay has been often documented on covered remains. An extensive monitoring programme based on temperature, relative humidity, and light readings inside and outside the shelters has been undertaken over the course of a year (2018–2019) to evaluate the suitability of sheltering and the performance of the two types of covers from the point of view of the preservation of the remains.

KEYWORDS:

• Shelters
• archaeological sites
• complutum
• environmental monitoring
• performance evaluation

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Dr. Joaquín Barrio, Director of the Service for the Conservation, Restoration and Scientific Studies of the Archaeological Heritage at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, and Dr. Sebastián Rascón, municipal archaeologist of Alcalá de Henares and heritage manager of Complutum.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cristina Cabello-Briones

Cristina Cabello-Briones holds a PhD in Geography and the Environment from the University of Oxford. Her thesis is on the effects of open shelters on the preservation of limestone remains at archaeological sites. She also has an MA in Preventive Conservation from the University of Northumbria at Newcaslte, a BA in Heritage Conservation from Escuela Superior de Conservación y Restauración de Bienes Culturales de Madrid, and a BA in Art History from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Currently, she is working as a Researcher in the Service for the Conservation, Restoration and Scientific Studies of Archaeological Heritage at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.