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The construction work for a new residential development in one of the busiest areas of Rincón de la Victoria, on the eastern Costa del Sol, is generating a great deal of interest. Not a single brick has been laid on the land which is next to the town hall, health centre, banks, bars and shops. Instead, a a preliminary archaeological dig is taking place as the discovery of some remains dating back to the Al-Andalus period falls into the Junta de Andalucía's protection zone of the Bien de Interés Cultural 'ZA4 Castillo de Bezmiliana' (Bezmiliana Castle) protected area.
In other words, the proposed building work affect the area of influence of the old Muslim medina, which is why a survey is being carried out. This is a sensitive matter and for this reason, and although the regional government indicates that these subsoil study works are the responsibility of the developer, it points out that they are authorised and supervised by the Junta's culture department.
However, so far, "there are no decisive results", according to the Andalusian government. "We haven't found anything," says the archaeologist in charge of the investigation, Eusebio José Alegre Paricio.
The Bezmiliana area, which has been protected since 2009 by the Junta de Andalucía and is included in the Catálogo General del Patrimonio Histórico Andaluz (general catalogue of Andalusian historical heritage), is what remains of the original Al-Andalus settlement in Rincón de la Victoria and also serves to show its transformation in the later Christian period.
This testimony to Rincón's past came to light following searches carried out between Avenida de la Candelaria at the junction with the Camino Viejo de Vélez, and El Castillón. The obligation to preserve it covers three specific areas, so the excavations in the surrounding area will provide more details about the local history.
Juan Bautista Salado, director of the Museum of Nerja and responsible for the Roman villa of Antiopa in Torre de Benagalbón, which belongs to Rincón de la Victoria, explains: "Excavations are being carried out there, as the Andalusian necropolis of Bezmiliana was discovered in the nearby town hall."
So far, the investigations carried out have only been able to locate part of an old tobacconist's shop and the house that stood at what is now number 113, Avenida del Mediterráneo. There is a fence which preserves the excavation process and prevents accidents to personnel outside the project. "We have already gone down more than two metres and, beyond the business and the house, we only have sediment and beach sand", says Alegre Paricio.
If, in the end, any important discoveries were to be made, they would be made safe, according to municipal sources, who are also closely monitoring the process. The remains could even be integrated into the new building. An example of this is in Torre de Benalgabón, where the Antiopa Roman villa occupies the ground floor of a block of flats.
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