How to deal with the conservation of the archaeological remains of earthen defensive architecture: the case of Southeast Spain

The southeast of the Iberian Peninsula counts with a large number of earthen defensive architecture built in the medieval period. This heritage has been granted the highest level of protection by Spanish legislation and some of these structures are even listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites worldwide. Notwithstanding, the natural and anthropic risks threatening their survival and the advanced deterioration state they present place them in a position of imminent loss if appropriate action is not taken. The present paper proposes a methodology of study implemented on 8 of the 229 fortifications located in the southeast of Spain focused on the combined analysis of the risks affecting these structures in relation to the damage they generate, with the novelty of considering them both at the macro-scale, which implies the consideration of the property integrated in its geographical environment, and at the micro-scale, which enables to know precisely the effect they cause on the material features. In this way, we provide an innovative strategy based on a multidisciplinary study (geology, chemistry, architecture, archaeology, engineering) that is meant to contribute to the complete understanding of these sites, with the aim of ensuring the proper management and conservation of this particular heritage.