The "arte" of marble: an archaeological and digital approach to 19th century hydraulic sawmills in the Almanzora Valley (Almeria, Spain)

Abstract

[EN] This work is framed within the historical processes of industrialisation that took place in the Almanzora Valley (Almería, Spain) throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. This geographic depression located in the centre of Almeria, province in the southeast of Spain, is structured by a river of the same name, with an irregular regime, which flows entirely through Almería territory. This river valley divides the province geologically and climatically from its source in the Sierra de los Filabres to its mouth at the Mediterranean Sea. In this geographic and geological area, where the exploitation of marble has been a reality since prehistoric times, the so-called hydraulic sawmills emerged in the first half of the 19th century. These production complexes were based on a mechanised system known as arte or telar . Fed by extensive networks of irrigation channels, the introduction of this hydraulic cutting mechanism made it possible to considerably speed up the processing of marble. This progressive mechanisation of the marble industry would lay the foundations of a prosperous economic sector that survives to this day, with a great international projection. A clear example of the development and evolution of these industrial complexes can be found in the so-called Nicoli Factory (Macael, Almería), which due to its location, age and longevity is an excellent case study. This intricate historical context that gave rise to the hydraulic marble sawmills has been analysed through two growing theoretical lines with a strong methodological and interpretative heterogeneity: Industrial Archaeology and Virtual Archaeology. At the very confluence of both archaeological branches, this study presents a multidisciplinary methodological flow to study this heritage, focusing on the Nicoli Factory specific case (built in the 19th century). Thus, a historical and archival study has been carried out to locate and specify the Nicoli Factory chronologies of use. Subsequently, archaeological prospection was used to analyse and study the factory remains, which were quite altered. In addition to this, the remains digitisation was carried out using Structure from Motion photogrammetry with the support of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Based on the historical-archaeological data, together with the three-dimensional (3D) model of the environment and the factory remains, the authors proceeded to their digital analysis and the virtual reconstruction of what this factory would have looked like in the early production days. It is therefore a question of using 3D modelling as a method to test different construction and industrial work organisation hypotheses quickly, effectively, at low cost and without affecting the material heritage in any way. An interdisciplinary approach arises to demonstrate that the industrial past can be approached not only from more technical disciplines such as Architecture or Engineering, but also from the heart of Archaeology itself. As the fo

[ES] El presente trabajo se enmarca en los procesos históricos de industrialización producidos en el valle del Almanzora (Almería, España) a lo largo del siglo XIX y principios del XX. En esta comarca con larga tradición en la explotación del mármol surgieron, en la primera mitad del siglo XIX, las serrerías hidráulicas. Estos complejos productivos basaban su funcionamiento en un sistema mecanizado denominado como arte o telar . La introducción de este mecanismo de corte permitió acelerar considerablemente el procesado. Esta progresiva mecanización de la industria del mármol asentó las bases de un próspero sector económico. Los restos de esta fábrica han sido analizados a través de dos líneas teóricas crecientes y con una gran heterogeneidad metodológica: la Arqueología Industrial y la Arqueología Virtual. El presente estudio aporta un flujo metodológico multidisciplinar para la investigación de este patrimonio, aplicado al caso concreto de la fábrica de Nicoli (Macael, Almería), construida en el siglo XIX. Así, se ha combinado el estudio de fuentes históricas, la prospección arqueológica y análisis paramental de los restos de la fábrica de Nicoli, que han sido documentados a través de fotogrametría Structure from Motion con el apoyo de un vehículo aéreo no tripulado (VANT). Con todos estos datos, se ha procedido a su análisis digital y a la reconstrucción virtual de cómo sería esta fábrica en los inicios de su producción. El objetivo es emplear el modelado para testar distintas hipótesis constructivas y de organización del trabajo industrial de forma rápida, efectiva, de bajo coste y sin ningún tipo de afección al patrimonio material. Este enfoque interdisciplinar surge para demostrar que el pasado industrial puede abordarse, no solo desde disciplinas más técnicas, como la Arquitectura o la Ingeniería, sino también desde el propio seno de la Arqueología.