Medieval dams II and III of Melque (Spain)

The archaeological ensemble of Melque is one of the most important historical sites of the High Middle Ages in Spain. It is located in the municipality of San Martín de Montalbán, just 30 kilometers from the city of Toledo. It consists of a very well preserved church, a monastery, several dams and a fence or wall. However, there is no consensus among experts about the date of its foundation. Some authors date it in the seventh century, in Visigothic times, while others consider that it was founded in the eighth century by Mozarabs, that is to say by Christians but under Muslim domination. In total, 5 dams have been preserved that constitute one of the most important medieval hydraulic complexes in Spain. The dams that we can see in the 3D model corresponds to dams number II and III. More information in: Barahona, M. (2020). “Tecnología hidráulica y construcción de presas en Melque: estratigrafía, tipología, paisaje y proceso de obra”, in Archivo Español de Arqueología, 93, 249–274.