Los muros de tapial de las torres de vigilancia de la Orden de Santiago en la provincia de Albacete (España)

Abstract

The construction of rammed earth walls is usually found in vernacular architecture. The use of the same technique to build up walls in military buildings, with stones and mortar (roman concrete) is frequently confused with ordinary masonry walls. This paper aims to analyze the technique used in the construction of a selected group of military towers located in the south of Albacete province (Spain). A detailed study was made of the existing walls in order to achieve a characterization of the technique (formwork and associated tools). The methodology followed is based on similar studies proposed for other geographic areas of the Iberian Peninsula to allow a comparison and to date the construction. The results distinguish two variants of the same typology, which leads to the need of further historic research for a precise dating. A framework was also developed for the characterization of similar military constructions existing in the area. © 2012 Taylor & Francis Group, London.