Resumen de The siltation history of the Muel Roman dam: (NE Spain)

M. Chamizo Borreguero, M. Nieves Meléndez Hevia, David D. Bermúdez Rochas, Francisco José Poyato Ariza

• The Muel dam is located over the Huerva River, a tributary of the Ebro River (N Spain). The dam of 13 m high and 60 m long is very well preserved, and the reservoir is completely silted. A drill campaign was carried out close to the dam wall and 3 cores were recovered. Six different units throughout the stratigraphic profile were identified and described based in sedimentary facies and sediment composition. A combination of geophysical, archaeomagnetic, sedimentological techniques, 14C AMS and historical compilation allowed the reconstruction of the dam sedimentation history based on a robust chronology. The bottom of the dam infill provided an age of 1974 ± 34 cal yr B.P (24 ± 34 yr BC) indicating that the dam was constructed during the 1st century AD. A second sample located 4, 25 m over the first one, showed an age of 1820 ± 45 cal. Yr B.P. (130 ± 45 yr AD). Assuming a constant rate of sedimentation of 2 mm/year the dam was complete silted during the 4th century A.D. Sedimentation of the Muel Dam is coherent with other historical data from Roman Reservoirs in Spain.