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The findings suggest a more gradual and complex process of Islamization in the Iberian Peninsula than previously understood, indicating a period of coexistence and adaptation rather than immediate societal upheaval.
Archaeological excavations at Cerro de la Virgen in Murcia, Spain, have uncovered an early Christian church that appears to have remained in use for nearly two centuries after the Muslim conquest in 713 AD. The church, initially built between 410 and 440 AD, shows architectural similarities to Visigothic churches in Spain and churches in Syria, reflecting common Mediterranean architectural models of late antiquity.
Radiocarbon dating and ceramic analyses support the hypothesis of prolonged occupation. The study, published in "Salduie," suggests that the church was not converted into a mosque and continued its liturgical function well into the 9th century. Researchers argue that materials found, such as containers and cooking pottery, indicate continued use for community practices that included both worship and resource management, rather than desacralization or conversion into dwellings.
This finding challenges traditional historical narratives that often portray the arrival of Moorish troops as a sharp break with Visigothic traditions. Instead, the Calasparra church suggests a more complex reality of adaptation and coexistence. The research places this phenomenon within the context of the kūra of Tudmīr, an administrative entity formed after a pact between Muslim authorities and the Visigothic nobleman Theodemir, which allowed Christian communities to retain some structures in exchange for taxes.
The presence of objects related to economic control and tax collection, including a weight with an Arabic inscription, indicates the church played a role beyond the strictly religious. Its strategic position made it a center of territorial and economic organization, with the Christian community participating in the fiscal mechanisms of the new Andalusi power. The study concludes that the Islamization of the Iberian Peninsula was a gradual process of adaptation and integration, with Christian communities slowly becoming part of the new Andalusi society.
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