Origin and evolution of the “cypress chapel” in Samos (Lugo). New contrinutions in the light of archaeology

Abstract

This paper presents and discusses the main results of several archaeological analyses recently carried out in the “Capela do Ciprés” of the monastery of Samos (Lugo) and its immediate surroundings. Through a combination of geophysical prospection, archaeological trenches, absolute dating, analysis of materials, study of the walls, archaeobotanical analysis and review of previous archaeological information, new proposals are offered on the origin, evolution and function of this building. Despite multiple small alterations to its walls, this work demonstrates that the original architecture is still standing from its foundations, which can be dated to sometime between the 11th and early 12th centuries. This result delays by around a century the chronology usually given to this chapel in the 10th century and makes it more an example of early Romanesque than a pre-Romanesque building. Furthermore, the development of certain economic activities in the area around this chapel from the Middle Ages onwards has been confirmed, such as the agricultural and forestry exploitation of orchards and woodland, iron metallurgy and pottery making.