La excavación arqueológica en la fuente abovedada de Valdealcón (León): sobre el abastecimiento hidráulico bajomedieval del valle medio del Esla

En la localidad de Valdealcón se encuentra una construcción hidráulica abovedada similar a otras muchas de la Península Ibérica, abundantes en la provincia de León. Su principal peculiaridad consiste en una entrada de agua de mayores dimensiones y mejor factura técnica de lo habitual. Por esta razón se realizó una intervención arqueológica, cuyo fin era documentar el abastecimiento de agua de la estructura y, sobre todo, avanzar en la datación de este tipo de construcciones, a menudo tenidas por romanas. Actualmente son muy escasas las excavaciones arqueológicas acometidas en ellas, y aún más las dataciones. En el caso de Valdealcón, la secuencia estratigráfica y la datación radiocarbónica confirmaron su pertenencia a un periodo comprendido entre finales de la Edad Media y principios de época Moderna. El resultado pone a esta construcción, y a otras similares localizadas en el valle medio del Esla, en relación con importantes cambios políticos, sociales y económicos, vinculados con el auge de la ganadería. ABSTRACT: In the village of Valdealcón (León) there is a vaulted hydraulic construction, which has a deposit under its arch, and belongs to a morphology similar to that of a large number of structures present throughout the Iberian Peninsula, which are also numerous in the province of León. However, its main peculiarity is to have a side water inlet of greater dimensions and better technical invoice than usual. This issue favored that it was selected for the realization of an archaeological intervention, whose purpose was not only to understand the water supply of the structure, documenting both its deposit and the channel that supplies it, but also and above all, to advance in the dating of this morphology of vaulted constructions. In fact, until now there are very few archaeological excavations undertaken in this type of hydraulic buildings, and even more the dating made from these. In the case of Valdealcón, the stratigraphy associated with his intervention, as well as the sample selected for radiocarbon dating, confirmed its belonging to a chronological period between the late Middle Ages and early modern periods. This result puts both this construction, and other similar ones located in the middle valley of the Esla, in relation to important political, social and economic changes, closely linked to the rise of livestock, widespread throughout the Iberian territory, and exemplified in this specific area of the leonese territory.