The first manual in English on Medieval Spanish archeology will be published by the prestigious British-American Equinox Publishing printing house. Professor Avelino Gutiérrez, researcher from the Department of History of the University of Oviedo, is the co-author and co-editor of the monograph alongside Magdalena Valor, Professor of the University of Seville.

The Archaeology of Medieval Spain 1100-1500 traces the path through the main archeological sites and monuments of our country erected between the 12th and 15th Centuries. "This is the first book with a general and synthetic tone about the matter that is published in English. We are placing Spain and its Medieval archeology in the international scene, where it has remained relatively unknown until now", explains José Avelino Gutiérrez.

The book revises in its eleven chapters the evolution of the cities and the rural population, everyday life, technology and industry of the time, as well as commerce and transportation and the importance of religion within society. The vision of the whole of Medieval reality is analyzed by comparing the part of Spain that was, until then, still part of the al-Andalus and the territories dominated by the Christian Kingdoms. The latter was mainly the field of study of Avelino Gutiérrez.

The work of Professors Valor and Gutiérrez shows the advances experienced for the past three decades by our knowledge of the Muslim world and the Christian Kingdoms of the time. The manual analyzes and compares the most important archeological sites. "Along places with an incalculable value, such as La Alhambra, there are other significant and barely-known sites in smal towns", claims Gutiérrez.

The selection of archeological sites tried to maintain the balance between all the Hispanic regions. Within the Principality, the manual talks about, for example, the importance of the Palace House of Valdecarnaza or La Baragaña, of the funerary Chape of the Wings in Avilés, or of the remains found in the recent excavations performed at the Monastery of Corias in Cangas del Narcea.

The text is part of a European series promoted by Danish, English, French, German and Spanish universities. The publication has the collaboration of more than twenty experts from universities, museums and enterprises of the field of archeology.

Next Tuesday, September 16, at the event hall of the Library of Humanities, Professors Valor and Guitérrez, with commercial editors J. Schofield and J. Joyce, will present the book and offer conferences on Teaching Medieval Archeology in the context of the EHEA. Materials for a bilingual and innovative teaching. The session will begin at 10 AM and will be open to the general public.