Description

Cistern Nº 4 or “The High Cistern” is of the “a bagnarola” type, like the others at the site. It is more ovoid than rectangular in shape and is built with masonry made of small and medium-sized limestone blocks. Its external length is 4.87 metres and its external width is 2.43 metres. Its walls are between 64 and 72 cm thick and its interior measures 3.53 metres by 1.26 metres. It is covered by a pinkish-coloured “opus signinum”, with a texture and quality very similar to that of Cistern Nº 2. This “opus signinum” is very damaged, mainly due to the growth of a mastic tree on one of its sides. The border of the cistern has an average height of about 80 cm.

Ground plan

planta-cisterna-alta

Location

Its floor is relatively well preserved, although with some damage, and its depth is 2.75 metres. We estimate that it would have a capacity of about 12,200 litres. A large number of ceramic fragments from different periods and building remains were recovered from the interior. On one of its sides there was a child burial from the late medieval period. It faces northwest and looks directly towards El Castril de Benaocaz, where the natural spring that was the head of the aqueduct that supplied the city may have been, so it can not be ruled out that this cistern was the one that stored the water from this aqueduct and from here it was distributed to the other cisterns in the city, located at lower altitudes.

Photos