Spanish Civil War Trench (Sierra de Guadarrama)

During august 2020 my friend, Luis Antonio Ruiz Casero, and I excavated a Francoist position in Cuesta de la Casa (La Paradilla, Madrid). The trench was part of a much bigger fortified position a "Centro de Resistencia", inspired by the experience of the army in Northern Africa. It was construted during 1938 winter after the rebel army gainned some terrain against the republican army in this sector. According to the documents studied in the Archivo General Militar de Avila, the position was occupied by the 72º nationalist Division. The trench, like other improved fortifications, was built using low quality concrete, local stone and force labor workers in an effort of reducing the number of soldiers emplace in this secondary front in the mountains with very cold temperatures. Amongst the materials, we found shells of spanish (more numerous) and german mauser, barbed wire, liquor bottles, sardines cans, nailed military boots and, suprisingly, remains of a rigid cloak and a buckle over the natural bed-rock.