The ‘Conjunto de Irulegi’ archaeological zone, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest

2023-04-26 14:10:32

The Government of Navarra, in its session this Wednesday, has agreed to declare the archaeological zone ‘Irulegi Complex’ (Valle de Aranguren) an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC), made up of the remains of the castle and the preceding protohistoric habitat from the Bronze Age Middle to the end of the Iron Age in which an old castro, or pre-Roman fortification, and an antechamber are integrated.

The Department of Culture and Sport began in November the declaration as BIC of the whole of which the Historical Heritage Commission of the Navarre Council for Culture and the Arts reported favorably on March 31.

The declaration of the place as BIC by the Executive implies the legal protection of this space called the Archaeological Zone, which the Ley Foral de Patrimonio Cultural defines as a place with goods susceptible to study with archaeological methodology. In addition, the regulation stipulates that the owners of the property -in this case, the Valle de Aranguren City Council and individuals- must preserve and protect the property, avoiding its deterioration, as well as procure its use appropriate to its nature, as a means of promoting social interest. of its conservation.

It should be noted that the remains of the old castle that dominated the eastern sector of the Pamplona Region were already considered an Asset of Cultural Interest, according to state regulations that protect all castles. However, the archaeological excavations have allowed to know the characteristics, evolution and perimeter occupied by the fortress, with remains in a good state of conservation, and integrated into a broader asset that the Executive deems necessary to protect.

As reported by Diario de Navarra, the file on which the declaration of the Government of Navarra is based explains that, from a scientific point of view, the long sequence of the protohistoric habitat (that is, periods prior to the appearance of writing) that from the Middle Bronze Age to the end of the Iron Age, that is, between 2,000 and 1,000 BC, is unusual in the area and “offers an obvious potential for the site as a whole for knowledge of the 1st millennium BC in Navarre. It is also pointed out that the state of conservation is ideal to know this period, as well as the conversion of the place into a fortification, oppidum, which structured the Basque territory. As is known, in the course of the excavations, last November the find was revealed at the Mano de Irulegi site, an ornamental plaque welcoming one of the houses in the area, with the first known text written in Basque language, dating from the 1st century BC.

The declaration agreed by the Government of Navarra entails the establishment of measures for the protection of the Complex such as the maintenance of the current uses, the archaeological control prior to the authorizations for the improvement of roads or works of clearing vegetation and clearing trees. On the other hand, any intervention in the delimited area will require prior authorization from the Department of Culture and Sports and the Valle de Aranguren City Council must draft or adapt the urban planning instruments to protect the environment. In addition, the cultural, recreational and environmental use of the Archaeological Zone will be promoted.