The Torcularium at the Roman rural settlement of Los Palacios, Villanueva del Pardillo (Madrid): on the wine production in central Hispania

Abstract

The archaeological site of Los Palacios consists of a rural settlement from the Roman period, where we have identify the core of the productive part of a villa dedicated to winemaking. Next to different rooms belonging to the pars rustica, a torcularium has been located including a calcatorium or press space, a lacus or reception sink and a counterweight that is aimed to activate a beam and windlass press. At this site, there have been identified stages of building and refurbishment that show a long occupation in time. All the documentation and materials registered give us a chronology from the end of the 1st century AD to the end of the 4th or early 5th century. Los Palacios has become a site with outstanding interest, because it is the first centre of wine production at this scale that has been found in the area of the province of Madrid.