A brief overview of archaeological research on ancient mills and miling in Spain

This article presents a brief review of the history of research on archaeological mills and milling in the Iberian Peninsula. As elsewhere in Europe, molinological research began discretely in the 18th century. Early work was carried out by prestigious researchers including the Siret brothers, P. Bosch Gimpera and V. G. Childe. The seminal article by this last scholar, based on the research of Bosch Gimpera, introduced the notion which still stands today of a Western Mediterranean origin for the rotary mill. Another molinological milestone in Iberia was this research carried out by F . de Avilés, then director of the National Museum of Archaeology at Madrid. The findings of his vast data base in the form of a questionnaire sent out different archaeological institutions throughout the Peninsula, alas, remained incomplete and unpublished until it was presented by L. Berrocal more than a half century later. The turn of the millennium
has seen a renewed interest on the subject as evidenced by six doctoral dissertations exploring different molinological aspects.