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In this article we re-evaluate the cartulary known as the Becerro Galicano of Valpuesta (1236) with reference above all to its content and the context of its creation. The surprising prominence given in its structure to a series of texts... more
In this article we re-evaluate the cartulary known as the Becerro Galicano of Valpuesta (1236) with reference above all to its content and the context of its creation. The surprising prominence given in its structure to a series of texts referring to Salinas de Añana makes us think that the origin of the cartulary is related to the consolidation of the Burgos-Calahorra interdiocesan border, embodied in the text known as the Convenio de la Alternativa (1229). In this context, the intellectual authorship of Hilario, Archdeacon of Valpuesta in the years prior to 1236 and also involved in the Convenio de la Alternativa makes sense, as indeed was postulated by Ruiz de Loizaga. This hypothesis is further reinforced by the observation that in other contexts (Toledo, Froncea) Hilario also seems to be associated with the creation of cartularies.

En este artículo reevaluamos el cartulario conocido como el Becerro Galicano de Valpuesta (1236) con referencia sobre todo a su contenido y al contexto de su creación. El sorprendente protagonismo cedido en su estructura a una serie de textos referentes a Salinas de Añana nos hace pensar que el origen del cartulario esté relacionado con la consolidación de la frontera interdiocesana Burgos-Calahorra, plasmada en el texto conocido como el Convenio de la Alternativa (1229). En este contexto, la hipótesis propuesta por Ruiz de Loizaga de la autoría intelectual de Hilario, arcediano de Valpuesta en los años anteriores a 1236 e implicado también en el Convenio de la Alternativa, parece consolidarse. Refuerza asimismo la hipótesis la observación que en otros contextos (Toledo, Froncea) también Hilario parece asociarse con la creación de cartularios.
In a number of complex codices from different Castilian monastic archives there are tantalising glimpses of early cartularies in Visigothic script that predate in some cases what is generally regarded as the first of its kind in Castile,... more
In a number of complex codices from different Castilian monastic archives there are tantalising glimpses of early cartularies in Visigothic script that predate in some cases what is generally regarded as the first of its kind in Castile, the Becerro Gótico of Cardeña (1086). The best-known cases come from the factitious Becerro Gótico codex of Valpuesta where there are two multi-folio sequences from the mid-eleventh century, while one is a monothematic dossier referring to Buezo, the larger sequence of twenty-two folios can be understood as the precursor of the genre in Castile. From the same century are two deteriorated folios conserved at the end of the San Millán Bulario which, despite such exiguous remains, also seem to coincide with a broad-ranging cartulary that predates the lost San Millán Gótico. Finally, from Santo Domingo de la Calzada we have two further examples which, while slightly later (mid-twelfth century), underline just how widely established this methodology was across Castile from relatively early.
The eastern flank of the diocese of Burgos barely registers in the cathedral archive during the decades following the creation of said diocese, around 1068. It was a region that had suffered a complex history, often disputed between the... more
The eastern flank of the diocese of Burgos barely registers in the cathedral archive during the decades following the creation of said diocese, around 1068. It was a region that had suffered a complex history, often disputed between the realms of Navarre and Castile, while episcopal activity seems to have been concentrated in the area around the city of Burgos. However, from approximately 1160 we observe renewed episcopal interest in the hitherto largely ignored eastern periphery, first of all with the reactivation of the old seat at Oca, and subsequently, between 1215-1235, in the areas bordering the diocese of Calahorra. The abbey of Froncea would play an important role in this process, its cartulary documenting it and its abbots representing the bishop in the area.

En las décadas que siguieron a la creación de la diócesis de Burgos hacia 1068, el flanco centro-oriental de la circunscripción, con una compleja historia geopolítica a caballo entre Castilla y Navarra, apenas figuraba en la documentación conservada en el archivo catedralicio. Todo apunta a que la actividad episcopal se circunscribía al entorno de la ciudad de Burgos. No obstante, a partir de 1160, se aprecia un renovado interés en el espacio periférico, primero en la reactivación de la antigua sede aukense y después, entre aproximadamente 1215-1235, en el espacio limítrofe con la vecina diócesis de Calahorra. La abadía de Froncea sería clave en el proceso, su cartulario el mejor testimonio de ello, y sus abades figuras claves en la imposición de la autoridad episcopal en estas tierras antaño olvidadas.
In the archive of the cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada there are three codices, among whose quires are hidden the remains of up to five cartularies. Two of them are practically contemporary, from the period 1217-1222, products of... more
In the archive of the cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada there are three codices, among whose quires are hidden the remains of up to five cartularies. Two of them are practically contemporary, from the period 1217-1222, products of a moment of profound crisis in the diocese related to the intended transfer of the episcopal see from Calahorra to Santo Domingo. The nature of these two instruments has been somewhat obscured by an unfortunate change in the order of their quires. But, moreover, and further complicating their comprehension, in one of these two volumes there are two brief sequences in mid-12th century script: an embryonic cartulary begun around 1135, but soon abandoned; and then two quires referring to Salinas de Añana and related to the death of Count Ladrón around 1155. Finally, a brief dossier occupies the entirety of a third codex and seems to be related to the town’s change from abbatial to royal jurisdiction around 1250.

En el archivo de la catedral de Santo Domingo de la Calzada se hallan tres códices plenomedievales entre cuyos cuadernos se esconden los restos de hasta cinco cartularios. Dos de ellos son prácticamente coetáneos, del periodo 1217-1222, productos de un momento de inusitada crisis en la diócesis relacionada con el pretendido traslado de la sede episcopal de Calahorra al burgo calceatense. La naturaleza de estos dos instrumentos ha sido oscurecida por un desafortunado cambio en el orden de sus cuadernos. Pero, además, en uno de estos dos volúmenes se encuentran otras dos pequeñas secuencias en letra de mediados del siglo XII: un cartulario embrionario comenzado hacia 1135, pero pronto abandonado; y seguido dos cuadernos referentes a Salinas de Añana relacionadas con la muerte del conde Ladrón hacia 1155. Finalmente, un breve dossier ocupa la totalidad de un tercer códice y parece estar relacionado con el cambio de abadengo a realengo hacia 1250.
According to medieval records, on June 1 st , 949, a devastating wildfire swept across the Northern Meseta, with notable intensity in the Bureba region of northeastern Castile. In this paper, after analysing in depth the medieval... more
According to medieval records, on June 1 st , 949, a devastating wildfire swept across the Northern Meseta, with notable intensity in the Bureba region of northeastern Castile. In this paper, after analysing in depth the medieval accounts, we examine the possible causes of the conflagration with special emphasis on possible anthropogenic factors. In similar but better documented conflagrations, human mismanagement of woodland, leading to a disastrous build up of fuel in the years before the fire, is consistently observed as a significant contributing factor. We examine to what extent a similar dynamic might have played out in the Bureba. We suspect that the exposed lowland areas that flank the Roman road that passes through Briviesca and were vulnerable to Muslim incursions would have been relatively under exploited until the early tenth century. Then they suddenly came into play leading to a period of uncontrolled deforestation of the valley floor a dynamic that then contributed to the severity of the ensuing fire.
Introducción monográfico "La configuración del espacio diocesano: el territorio y sus agentes"
We analyse the medieval trajectory of the old episcopal see of Oca, abandoned after the Islamic invasion of 711. Our source materials are charters, mainly from the cathedral and the San Millán de la Cogolla archives, but also from the... more
We analyse the medieval trajectory of the old episcopal see of Oca, abandoned after the Islamic invasion of 711. Our source materials are charters, mainly from the cathedral and the San Millán de la Cogolla archives, but also from the unpublished cartulary of Froncea. Oca never regained a significant role in the diocesan organization, marginalized by the creation of the great Castilian diocese established in Burgos and by the transfer to San Millán of the monastery of San Felices de Oca where it had originally been based. It ended up as a small and inconsequential church subordinate to the Abbey of Froncea.

Se analiza la trayectoria plenomedieval de la antigua sede episcopal de Oca, abandonada tras la invasión islámica de 711. Nos basamos en el análisis documental, principalmente en los fondos catedralicios, emilianenses y, como novedad, el inédito cartulario de Froncea. Oca nunca recuperó una función relevante en el organigrama diocesano, perjudicada por la creación de una gran diócesis castellana centrada en Burgos y por la enajenación a San Millán de la Cogolla de su antigua sede material en el monasterio de San Felices de Oca. Acabó como una pequeña Espacio, Tiempo y Forma, Serie III, Historia Medieval e intranscendente iglesia subordinada a la abadía de Froncea.
La excepcionalidad del noroeste peninsular lo convierte en un testigo muy significativo para las primeras fases de ocupación musulmana, por la simple razón de que allí no hubo sucesivas fases posteriores que compliquen la interpretación... more
La excepcionalidad del noroeste peninsular lo convierte en un testigo muy significativo para las primeras fases de ocupación musulmana, por la simple razón de que allí no hubo sucesivas fases posteriores que compliquen la interpretación de las evidencias de presencia islámica. Es decir, es altamente probable que cualquier indicio de presencia musulmana encontrado en el noroeste se corresponda con la primera (y única) fase de ocupación, ofreciéndonos una posible cronología anterior al 750 no disponible en otras regiones de más larga y compleja trayectoria islámica
La Divisio Wambae es el nombre de un texto que recoge una hipotética división diocesana efectuada en época visigoda. Se trata de un códice polémico cuya elaboración se sitúa en torno al año 1100. Con el objetivo de poder arrojar algo de... more
La Divisio Wambae es el nombre de un texto que recoge una hipotética división diocesana efectuada en época visigoda. Se trata de un códice polémico cuya elaboración se sitúa en torno al año 1100. Con el objetivo de poder arrojar algo de luz sobre el papel que pudo desempeñar dentro de la geografía episcopal plenomedieval y los conflictos interdiocesanos, este trabajo prestará atención a las divisiones reflejadas en el texto mediante su comparación con otros documentos eclesiásticos. Para ello trataremos de cartografiar los topónimos allí representados aceptando que se trata de un texto problemático. En consecuencia, no perseguimos tanto una plasmación cartográfica más o menos definitiva, sino la búsqueda de un sentido a la composición que ayude a entender el significado de los lugares no identificables, dentro del contexto de las disputas por la jurisdicción diocesana acaecidas en la Meseta en torno al siglo XII.

The Divisio Wambae is the name of a diocesan partition of the Iberian Peninsula purportedly carried out during the Visigothic period, but which in fact proves to be a composition from around the year 1100. With the aim of shedding some light on the role that it played within medieval interdiocesan conflicts, this paper will pay attention to the diocesan geography reflected in the text by comparing it with  other  more  authentic  ecclesiastical  documents.  In  order  to  do  this  we  will  attempt  to  map  the  toponyms represented in the Divisio, well aware that it is a problematical text surviving in a number of different  versions.  Consequently,  we  do  not  so  much  pursue  a  definitive  cartographical  analysis,  but  rather  inquire  into  the  meaning  behind  the  composition,  with  particular  attention  to  the  role  of  the  many  unidentifiable  place-names,  and  all  within  the  broader  context  of  disputes  over  diocesan  jurisdiction occuring in Northern Iberia around the year 1100
In this paper we examine the distribution, in North-western Iberia, of the Andalusian Arabic term Almofalla, meaning ‘military camp’, and analyse its microtoponymic use in medieval documentation, notably on the outskirts of the episcopal... more
In this paper we examine the distribution, in North-western Iberia, of the Andalusian Arabic term Almofalla, meaning ‘military camp’, and analyse its microtoponymic use in medieval documentation, notably on the outskirts of the episcopal centres in Calahorra, Oca, and León. Accepting that all the appearances of the term do not necessarily have the same origin, we will explore three different historical contexts that may explain its use: the 8th century Islamic invasion, Arab raids (aceifas) during the 9th and 10th centuries, or as a loan word used in Iberian Romance dialects during the 12th century, particularly with regard to the campaigns of Alfonso I of Aragón.

Este trabajo se centra en la distribución de la voz árabe andalusí Almofalla, con el significado de ‘campamento militar’, en el noroeste de la Península Ibérica. Observamos su uso como microtopónimo en la documentación medieval, concentrada, sobre todo, en las afueras de algunas sedes episcopales como Calahorra, Oca y León. Sin presuponer que todas las apa¬riciones de esta voz tengan necesariamente el mismo origen, contemplamos diferentes diná¬micas históricas que podrían explicar su presencia. En concreto, son tres los contextos que exploramos: la invasión islámica de principios del siglo VIII, las aceifas de los siglos IX y X, o su empleo como préstamo en los dialectos romances del siglo XII, sobre todo en relación con las campañas de Alfonso I ‘el Batallador’.
The past few decades have witnessed great change in the study of the early Middle Ages in the Northern Iberian Peninsula. Spanish and Portuguese historiographies have moved away from older grand narratives such as ‘Reconquest and... more
The past few decades have witnessed great change in the study of the early Middle Ages in the Northern Iberian Peninsula. Spanish and Portuguese historiographies have moved away from older grand narratives such as ‘Reconquest and Repopulation’, which traced a centuries-long process encompassing the ultimate victory of Christianity over Islam and the construction of distinct nations or national societies. The basic tenets of these and other essentialist approaches to a period traditionally seen as the cradle of Spain and Portugal have been questioned and now superseded by a clearer awareness of the territorial diversity characterising the 8th to 11th centuries. Yet the ballast of both nationalism and regionalism has obstructed meaningful comparison amongst the Iberian regions to date. Drawing on the work of the research group EarlyMedIberia, this article argues for a new trans-regional approach to Northern Iberia, looking beyond political and geographical boundaries to consider the whole in a comparative light, and stressing the commonalities between regional and local societies. It does so by providing an overview of the extant charter material from before 1100 (indicating the principal editions) and by reviewing the major historiography. The conclusion proposes a closer assessment of the differences and similarities amongst regional historiographies, based on a more nuanced understanding of how they have been moulded by the specificities of the charter corpus in each region, as the first step towards a more integrated, contextualised, and rigorously comparative approach to the early Middle Ages in Northern Iberia.
During the early thirteenth-century, in the space of barely five years, two cartularies were composed at the church of Santo Domingo de la Calzada (Rioja, Spain) which present radically different versions of the church’s origins: in one,... more
During the early thirteenth-century, in the space of barely five years, two cartularies were composed at the church of Santo Domingo de la Calzada (Rioja, Spain) which present radically different versions of the church’s origins: in one, Alfonso I of Aragón appears as the principal benefactor; in the other, Alfonso VII assumes the same role. In this paper we examine why this came about, setting it in the context of a profound crisis within the diocese of Calahorra that saw a bitterly contested episcopal succession and a long-frustrated translation of the see to La Calzada, all set against the background of intense geopolitical instability.

En Santo Domingo de la Calzada a principios del siglo XIII, en el espacio de apenas cinco años se confeccionan dos cartularios que presentan dos versiones antagónicas de los orígenes de la iglesia: en uno con Alfonso I el Batallador como su benefactor más importante, en el otro con Alfonso VII asumiendo ese rol. Aquí analizamos el por qué de esta manipulación historiográfica, relacionándola con un periodo especialmente traumática en la historia de la diócesis, con una sucesión episcopal disputada y un cambio de sede largamente frustrado.
In a re-evaluation of the three thirteenth-century cartularies housed in the cathedral archive of Santo Domingo de la Calzada we noticed that two of them had been erroneously bound, with several quires moved from one codex to the other.... more
In a re-evaluation of the three thirteenth-century cartularies housed in the cathedral archive of Santo Domingo de la Calzada we noticed that two of them had been erroneously bound, with several quires moved from one codex to the other. By reordering the material (virtually), we discover the presence of hitherto uncommented early material, possibly from the mid twelfth century, and two almost identical cartularies from the period around 1220. These two differ mainly in their opening sections: in one the Aragonese monarch Alfonso I ‘el Batallador’ is presented as the church’s main benefactor; in the other, the Castilian Alfonso VII has assumed this role. The co-existence of two rival but almost contemporary traditions is certainly striking, but we think it can be explained in the context of upheaval and conflict during a period which saw the installation of the See in Santo Domingo.

En un estudio de los tres cartularios del siglo XIII custodiados en el archivo de la catedral de Santo Domingo de la Calzada nos hemos dado cuenta que dos de ellos están mal encuadernados, con diferentes cuadernos cambiados entre un códice y el otro. Esto ha hecho que el contenido, tal y como fue publicado por Agustín Ubieto en 1978, resulta muy difícil de comprender. Reconstruyendo los cartularios en su orden original emergen algunos materiales anteriores, posiblemente de mediados del siglo XII, que hasta ahora habían pasado desapercibidos, y dos cartularios casi idénticos del periodo 1217-1225. Estos se distinguen principalmente en sus apartados iniciales: en uno se presenta al rey aragonés Alfonso I el Batallador como máximo benefactor de la iglesia; en el otro se sustituye al aragonés por la figura del monarca castellano Alfonso VII. La coexistencia de dos tradiciones fundacionales debe explicarse por un periodo convulso en la historia de Santa Domingo coincidiendo con el traslado de la sede episcopal a dicho lugar.
In this paper I argue that the Mio Cid epithet, most widely associated with the Castilian warrior exile Rodrigo Díaz and traditionally believed to have been bestowed upon him by Arabic speakers, is in fact an autochthonous Castilian... more
In this paper I argue that the Mio Cid epithet, most widely associated with the Castilian warrior exile Rodrigo Díaz and traditionally believed to have been bestowed upon him by Arabic speakers, is in fact an autochthonous Castilian formula closely related to equivalent hybrid formulas such as Mi Anaya and Mi Echa. Close attention to the charters of the Northern Meseta allows us to flesh out a small but significant corpus of such references and also observe such names being used in a second idiosyncratic way as generic witnesses. By framing the Mio Cid usage within this broader onomastic tradition, a more solid geography and chronology emerge and these in turn indicate a relatively widespread use of such terms in late eleventh and early twelfth-century Castile, initially in aristocratic circles, before the epithets morphed into personal names.

En este trabajo sugerimos que el epíteto Mio Cid, generalmente asociado con el exiliado Rodrigo Díaz y tradicionalmente considerado acuñado por los andalusíes, es en realidad una fórmula castellana, estrechamente asociada con combinaciones equivalentes como Mi Anaya o Mi Echa. El análisis de las colecciones diplomáticas de la Meseta Norte permite la construcción de un pequeño pero significativo dossier de referencias de este tipo, y además se observa que estos nombres vuelven a coin-cidir en su empleo como testigos genéricos. Situando Mio Cid dentro de este marco onomástico más amplio nos permite consolidar tanto la cronología como la geografía del fenómeno, y así se revela un uso extendido en Castilla a finales del siglo XI y principios del siglo XII, inicialmente como epítetos honoríficos aristocráticos, antes de transformarse en nombres propios de persona a final de dicho siglo.
We analyse seven research papers from the last twenty years that have studied North African genetic traces in Iberia and which consistently report that the highest concentrations of genetic characteristics associated with the Maghreb are... more
We analyse seven research papers from the last twenty years that have studied North African genetic traces in Iberia and which consistently report that the highest concentrations of genetic characteristics associated with the Maghreb are found in northwest Iberia, a region both physically distant from Africa and under Andalusi political control for a shorter period than practically any other. Attempts to historically contextualise such a seemingly anomalous distribution have, we believe, been undermined by a simplistic reading of the historiography, leading to the marginalisation of any early-medieval explanation for these results, in favour of other more historically tenuous alternatives. Accordingly, these studies have been largely ignored by medievalists, further exacerbating a lack of dialogue between disciplines. We suggest that the perceived paradox between length of political control and genetic legacy should be used to challenge the orthodoxy surrounding events in the eighth century, and thus explore the possibility of a more profound Berber influence on northwest Iberia than has hitherto been contemplated, rather than being marginalised by historians interested in said period. 

Se analizan siete estudios recientes sobre la huella genética norteafricana en Iberia. En todos ellos se observan las mayores concentraciones de características genéticas asociables con el Magreb en el noroeste de la Península Ibérica, una región no sólo alejada de África sino también sujeta al control político andalusí durante menos tiempo que prácticamente cualquier otra región peninsular. Los intentos para buscar un contexto histórico para tan anómala distribución han sido lastrados por una lectura algo simplista de la historiografía, en detrimento de cualquier explicación altomedieval, favoreciendo en cambio soluciones alternativas más historiográficamente problemáticas. En consecuencia, estos estudios han sido generalmente ignorados por los medievalistas, así agravando la falta de diálogo entre ambas disciplinas. Sugerimos que la percibida paradoja entre un breve periodo de control político y una profunda huella genética debe servir para cuestionar la interpretación tradicional de los acontecimientos del siglo VIII, y así obligarnos a contemplar una mayor influencia Bereber en el noroeste, en vez de conducir a la marginalización por parte de los historiadores de tan llamativos resultados.
En las afueras de la villa burgalesa de Arlanzón, se registra un topónimo llamativo: Mezquita. Para Gonzalo Martínez, el nombre era ‘de significado obvio’ tan obvio, de hecho, que no recibe más explicación en su obra. No obstante, éste es... more
En las afueras de la villa burgalesa de Arlanzón, se registra un topónimo llamativo: Mezquita. Para Gonzalo Martínez, el nombre era ‘de significado obvio’ tan obvio, de hecho, que no recibe más explicación en su obra. No obstante, éste es un entorno plenamente agreste, alejado de las vías de comunicación y en tal contexto, resulta chocante la presencia de una hipotética mezquita, pues de confirmarse, las implicaciones históricas en cuanto al grado de penetración islámica en el mundo rural castellano serían importantes, para no decir revolucionarias. Por lo tanto, el significado de este topónimo no es una cuestión baladí. En las siguientes páginas se pondrá a prueba esta hipótesis a la vez que se reflexiona sobre la toponimia en general, y la burgalesa en particular.
In the Danelaw hybrid place-names combining an Old Norse personal name and an Old English habitative element, generically referred to as Grimston hybrids, have traditionally been regarded as indicators of in-comers taking over (and... more
In the Danelaw hybrid place-names combining an Old Norse personal name and an Old English habitative element, generically referred to as Grimston hybrids, have traditionally been regarded as indicators of in-comers taking over (and renaming) existing settlements, plausibly within a context of Viking conquest in the ninth century. In this paper, I will explore whether equivalent Islamo-Romance hybrids in Castile might similarly be a direct legacy of the Islamic conquest and partition of the region in the early eighth-century. Certain characteristics of the Castilian hybrids, such as their apparent antiquity and concentration in prime sites, seem to support the hypothesis, however this should only be regarded as a first tentative approach to the subject. What is clear is that the tradition and quality of place-name analysis in Britain are clearly superior to the Spanish situation where such methodology has been largely ignored in recent years, and I suggest that much can be learnt by studying the British bibliography on toponymy and settlement.
A number of disparate onomastic phenomena occurring in northwestern Iberia have long puzzled scholars: the abundance of Arabic personal names in early medieval Christian communities, often fossilised as place-names; the extraordinarily... more
A number of disparate onomastic phenomena occurring in northwestern Iberia have long puzzled scholars: the abundance of Arabic personal names in early medieval Christian communities, often fossilised as place-names; the extraordinarily profuse Romance toponym Quintana; and a surprisingly high number of hypothetical Amazigh (i.e. Berber) demonyms. In this paper we argue that these seemingly disparate onomastic phenomena can all be explained if it is accepted that following the Islamic invasion of Iberia in 711, the Amazigh settlers of the Northwest were at least partially latinophone. The internal history of the Maghreb suggests this would have been the case at least in the sense of Latin as a lingua franca, a situation which the speed and superficiality of the Islamic conquest of said region would have been unlikely to have altered significantly. In this context, all of the puzzling onomastic elements encountered in the Northwest fall into place as the result of the conquest and settlement of a Romance-speaking region by Romance-speaking incomers bearing Arabic personal names but retaining their indigenous tribal affiliations and logically choosing to interact with the autochthonous population in the language they all shared.
During the first half of the eleventh-century, during a period of rapid expansion of the kingdom, it was Navarrese royal policy to appoint the abbots of leading monasteries as bishops. However, following the Gregorian Reform, this system... more
During the first half of the eleventh-century, during a period of rapid expansion of the kingdom, it was Navarrese royal policy to appoint the abbots of leading monasteries as bishops. However, following the Gregorian Reform, this system was abandoned, and over the course of the following century the relation between abbots and bishops had to be redefined. In this paper we concentrate on one particular case, that of the abbots of San Millán de la Cogolla, a number of whom held different episcopal titles between 1025 and 1065, and how their successors successfully defended the extensive patrimony acquired during said period. All of this is observed through the prism of the monastery’s late-twelfth-century cartulary. Known as the Becerro Galicano, this is essentially a vehicle for the defence of the monastery’s rights in the face of the bishops of Calahorra’s attempts to assert control over the diocese.
In this paper we explore the long-standing hypothesis that the very abundant Quintana place-names, anomalously concentrated almost exclusively in northwestern Iberia, have their origin in the Islamic conquest of 711. Alternative... more
In this paper we explore the long-standing hypothesis that the very abundant Quintana place-names, anomalously concentrated almost exclusively in northwestern Iberia, have their origin in the Islamic conquest of 711. Alternative etymologies are considered, and their inherent problems noted. We then address the distribution of said toponyms in both Spain and Portugal, noting a strong correlation in the latter with the coordinates provided by al-Gassani and which purportedly delimit an area differentiated in terms of the post-conquest land-partition. In the light of the Portuguese correlation, we tentatively propose Sajazarra (Rioja) as a new identification for the enigmatic Sayya, the eastern coordinate provided by al-Gassani, traditionally interpreted as referring to Ejea (Zaragoza).
The geographical boundary established by Sancho, Count of Castile, and Sancho III “el Mayor” of Navarre in 1016 was an agreement of that went beyond what is reflected in the Becerro Galicano of San Millán de la Cogolla. The purpose of... more
The geographical boundary established by Sancho, Count of Castile, and Sancho III “el Mayor” of Navarre in 1016 was an agreement of that went beyond what is reflected in the Becerro Galicano of San Millán de la Cogolla. The purpose of this article is to explore the early medieval origins of this frontier, including the northernmost section that goes unmentioned in the 1016 text, and to observe how different cultural, toponymic and linguistic phenomena respect this border between the 8th and 11th centuries.

La frontera geográfica fijada en 1016 por Sancho, conde de Castilla y Sancho III “el Mayor” de Navarra fue un acuerdo de límites geográficos que va más allá de lo reflejado en el Becerro Galicano de San Millán de la Cogolla. El objeto de este artículo es analizar los orígenes de dicha frontera en la Alta Edad Media incluyendo el tramo más al norte que no cita la documentación emilianense y observar cómo diversos fenómenos culturales, toponímicos y lingüísticos se dieron en torno a dicha línea  fronteriza entre los siglos VIII y XI.
After an early reference in the Crónica de Alfonso III, Miranda de Ebro disappears from the documentary record until the granting of its municipal charter in the 12th century. However, an exhaustive review of the Becerro Galicano of San... more
After an early reference in the Crónica de Alfonso III, Miranda de Ebro disappears from the documentary record until the granting of its municipal charter in the 12th century. However, an exhaustive review of the Becerro Galicano of San Millan de la Cogolla has unearthed an unknown and unpublished document in which the place name appears. This new text lacks a date, but is seemingly from the mid-11th century, and in this article we justify this date, and in so doing enrich our knowledge of the early history of the city.

Después de una temprana mención en la Crónica de Alfonso III y hasta el fuero plenomedieval de la ciudad, pesaba un largo y problemático silencio sobre Miranda de Ebro. No obstante, la revisión exhaustiva del Becerro Galicano de San Millán de la Cogolla revela otras dos apariciones del nombre, en un texto inédito y sin fecha, aunque datable a mediados del siglo XI. En este artículo contextualizamos el texto en que reaparece el nombre, justificamos la fecha aproximada propuesta, y nos acercamos a la historia temprana de la ciudad.
Why were some cartularies meticulously ordered while others are seemingly anarchic? Why, indeed, in the same cartulary can we find ordered and unordered sections? And, perhaps most interestingly of all, how could different ways of... more
Why were some cartularies meticulously ordered while others are seemingly anarchic? Why, indeed, in the same cartulary can we find ordered and unordered sections? And, perhaps most interestingly of all, how could different ways of presenting essentially the same material serve the specific and changing needs of the commissioning institutions?
In the mid-tenth Century a wildfire ravaged the northern Meseta, and particularly Castile, leaving its mark not only in the narrative records of the moment and of successive generations, but also, rather exceptionally, in the diplomatic... more
In the mid-tenth Century a wildfire ravaged the northern Meseta, and particularly Castile, leaving its mark not only in the narrative records of the moment and of successive generations, but also, rather exceptionally, in the diplomatic register where, in the months following the disaster, there would be a marked increase in activity. This is most keenly observed in an until now misunderstood dossier of twelve documents dating from the first half of 950 and referring to the monastery of Buezo which has been preserved in the Becerro Gótico of Valpuesta. This unusual coincidence between the annalistic and diplomatic genres, which has gone unnoticed until now, offers a unique insight into the nature of peasant life in times of crisis, and the relationship between such events and the generation
of notarial acts.

RESUMEN: Un gran incendio a mediados del siglo x asoló la Meseta Norte, con especial incidencia en Castilla, dejando su huella no solo en las fuentes narrativas del momento y de generaciones posteriores sino también, de manera excepcional, en la diplomática, donde se observa un pico extraordinario de actividad en los meses posteriores al desastre. Se aprecia de manera especialmente nítida en un incomprendido dosier de doce documentos, datados en el primer semestre de 950, que se refieren al monasterio de Buezo en la Bureba, pero que están insertos en el Becerro Gótico de Valpuesta. Esta inhabitual coincidencia entre un hecho narrado en la analística y su huella en la diplomática ha pasado desapercibida hasta ahora, pero nos ofrece una perspectiva singular sobre el funcionamiento del campesinado en momentos de crisis y la relación entre tal coyuntura y la generación de actas notariales.
In this paper we examine the genesis and meaning of the Votos de San Millán. Indisputably a forgery, it was until recently regarded as a late addition to the Becerro Galicano and thus peripheral to its contents. However, recent work... more
In this paper we examine the genesis and meaning of the Votos de San Millán. Indisputably a forgery, it was until recently regarded as a late addition to the Becerro Galicano and thus peripheral to its contents. However, recent work demonstrates that it is an integral part of the cartulary. Although it recycles older materials, it was seemingly composed around 1194, when the papal legate in Iberia was attempting to unite the warring Christian kingdoms in an alliance against the Almohads. The Votos reflects this situation, evoking a mythologized tenth century alliance in which both Castile and San Millán himself played important roles.

Aquí contemplamos la génesis y significado de los Votos de San Millán. Indiscutiblemente una falsificación, hasta hace poco considerada una adición tardía al Becerro Galicano, y por tanto irrelevante para la comprensión del cartulario, ahora se entiende como una parte íntegra del códice. Aunque se reutilizara materiales ya existentes, su composición final se hizo hacia 1194, cuando el legado papal en Iberia intentaba unir los diferentes reinos cristianos en una alianza contra los almohades. Los Votos refleja esta situación, evocando una mitificada alianza del siglo diez en la cual tanto Castilla como el propio santo Millán ostentaron papeles decisivos.
In the early medieval documentation that refers to the Upper Ebro valley we encounter an abundance of references to both iron and smiths, but silence with regard to furnaces or forges. This leads us to a series of considerations about the... more
In the early medieval documentation that refers to the Upper Ebro valley we encounter an abundance of references to both iron and smiths, but silence with regard to furnaces or forges. This leads us to a series of considerations about the essentially precarious and rural nature of early iron-working, in accordance with a series of recent studies on northern Iberia. In this same documentation we observe that, above all others, two areas on opposite flanks of the valley and separated by almost one hundred kilometres are repeatedly associated with iron-working: Álava and the Sierra de la Demanda. They are, moreover, two regions linked in this period by human migration, evidenced above all by its linguistic consequences: the Álava dialect flourishing in the Demanda in this period. We hypothesise that the influx of Alavese population into the Demanda might well have contributed to its metallurgical pre-eminence, although this is also clearly conditioned by the geology of the area.

En la documentación altomedieval referente al Alto Ebro encontramos una abundancia de referencias al hierro y a los herreros, pero silencio con respecto a las herrerías. Esto nos lleva a hacer algunas consideraciones sobre la naturaleza esencialmente precaria de la siderurgia medieval, que parece concordar con los resultados de recientes estudios sobre el tema en otras partes del norte peninsular. En la misma documentación altoibérica, dos espacios se relacionan con insistencia con la actividad siderúrgica: Álava y la Sierra de la Demanda. Se tratan, además, de espacios unidos en este periodo por flujos migracionistas evidenciados sobre todo por las huellas lingüísticas de los mismos: el dialecto alavés arraigándose con fuerza en la Sierra. A partir de esta coincidencia, lanzaremos como hipótesis que los dos fenómenos, siderurgia y euskera, pueden entenderse ambos dentro de un mismo paradigma migracionista que unía la Demanda y Álava en el Altomedievo, beneficiando así el desarrollo de la primitiva siderurgía demandesa.
Algunos de los textos más antiguos de San Millán de la Cogolla, aunque funda-mentales para la historiografía altomedieval, resultan enormemente problemáti-cos: confusas redacciones plenomedievales a partir de no se sabe qué originales. No... more
Algunos de los textos más antiguos de San Millán de la Cogolla, aunque funda-mentales para la historiografía altomedieval, resultan enormemente problemáti-cos: confusas redacciones plenomedievales a partir de no se sabe qué originales. No obstante, partiendo de una serie de estudios sobre los orígenes del Becerro Galicano y una nueva edición digital de dicho cartulario, argumentaremos que una lectura atenta y una pormenorizada contextualización topográfica permiten una siempre hipotética reconstrucción del proceso de confección de un archiconocido texto del año 864.

Some of the earliest texts from San Millán, although central to early medieval Spanish historiography, are tremendously problematical: anarchic high-medieval compositions drawing on unknown sources. Nonetheless, working from studies into the origins of the Becerro Galicano and a recent digital edition of said car-tulary, we maintain that a close reading of the text and detailed study of the local topography allow us to reconstruct the process of composition of one of the most notorious of these compositions, dating from 864.
Texto de una conferencia sobre toponimia en Herramélluri (Rioja) en 2016 como parte de las Sextas Jornadas del Románico en la Rioja Alta, http://www.riojaromanica.com/publicaciones
Research Interests:
The management of land-use in Old Castile: the early strands of the Becerro Galicano of San Millán de la Cogolla ... long before the creation of the great monastic estates that are so well known, many monasteries were managing the mixed... more
The management of land-use in Old Castile: the early strands of the Becerro Galicano of San Millán de la Cogolla ... long before the creation of the great monastic estates that are so well known, many monasteries were managing the mixed agricultural regimes of their property portfolios, with an eye on specialized land-use for grape production and on controlling cereal production. By 950 many of these monasteries must have been producing for the market – which presumably explains why San Millán de la Cogolla was so interested in acquiring them across the following century.
Pradoluengo would seem to be one of the most transparently Romance place-names in the province of Burgos, from the Latin etyma pratum and longus. However, all the medieval references to the town, from various sources, insist on quite... more
Pradoluengo would seem to be one of the most transparently Romance place-names in the province of Burgos, from the Latin etyma pratum and longus. However, all the medieval references to the town, from various sources, insist on quite different forms —essentially Paderluengo— which it is difficult to derive from pratum, obliging us to consider alternatives. Within the context of the Sierra de la Demanda, an area teeming with Basque place-names, a Basque origin seems a plausible alternative, and in fact the name would appear to be a hybrid, formed from Basque padur(a) 'water-meadow' and Latin longus. Hybrids of this type are useful in that they allow us to understand and potentially even contextualise in chronological terms the period of Basque-Romance bilingualism in this area.

Pradoluengo parece ser uno de los topónimos más transparentes de toda la provincia de Burgos, a partir de los étimos latinos pratum y longus. Sin embargo, las referencias medievales a la villa en diversas fuentes insisten en unas formas —esencialmente Pader-luengo— que difícilmente se deriven de pratum, lo cual nos obliga a contemplar etimo-logías alternativas. En el contexto de la Sierra de la Demanda, una comarca profusa en toponimia vasca, un origen euskérico es una posibilidad a tener en cuenta, y parece verosímil que en realidad se trata de un topónimo híbrido vascorrománico, compuesto del étimo vasco padur(a) 'vega' y el latino longus. Este tipo de híbrido nos ayuda a entender e incluso contextualizar cronológicamente un periodo de bilingüismo vascorrománico en la comarca.
El Cartulario de Froncea, hasta ahora prácticamente desconocido, es la única fuente para la historia de la Castilla primigenia que aún permanece inédita, a pesar de contar con diecisiete textos del periodo condal (930-1029). Este trabajo... more
El Cartulario de Froncea, hasta ahora prácticamente desconocido, es la única fuente para la historia de la Castilla primigenia que aún permanece inédita, a pesar de contar con diecisiete textos del periodo condal (930-1029). Este trabajo se centra en el contenido toponímico del cartulario que hace referencia a un espacio de gran interés filológico -el Alto Arlanzón y los Montes de Oca- en el cual, además de una abundancia de toponimia romance y un previsible pero opaco sustrato prerromano, encontramos toponimia vasca y algunas huellas del breve periodo de control islámico de estas tierras. De modo especial dos aspectos llaman la atención: el topónimo Almofalla, una posible referencia al asentamiento de tropas bereberes en las afueras de la sede episcopal de Oca a principios del siglo VIII; e indicios de bilingüismo vasco-romance en el Alto Arlanzón en torno al año 1000.
Resumen: El Becerro Galicano es un cartulario de finales del siglo XII del monasterio riojano de San Millán de la Cogolla, y una fuente de incuestionable valor para el estudio de la sociedad rural altomedieval del norte de España. La... more
Resumen: El Becerro Galicano es un cartulario de finales del siglo XII del monasterio riojano de San Millán de la Cogolla, y una fuente de incuestionable valor para el estudio de la sociedad rural altomedieval del norte de España. La recién lanzada edición digital del Becerro Galicano viene equiparada con una serie de herramientas analíticas y motores de búsqueda que nos permiten inte-rrogar esta fuente de maneras hasta ahora imposibles. Lo que se propone en este trabajo es emplear estas innovadoras herramientas para acercarnos al lenguaje que se emplea en el códice en referencia a la violencia y, a través de él, a la violencia en sí y su lugar en la socie-dad medieval. Palabras clave: Edición digital. Búsquedas automatizadas. Sociedad rural altomedieval. Becerro Galicano. San Millán de la Cogolla. Résumé: Le Becerro Galicano est un cartulaire fin du XIIe siècle du monastère de San Millán de la Cogolla, dans la région de La Rioja au nord de l'Espagne, et est l'une des sources les plus importantes pour l'histoire rurale, sociale, économique et politique de la région. Une édition numérique nouvellement lancé du Becerro, qui intègre une gamme d'outils analytiques et des moteurs de recher-che, nous permet aujourd'hui d'interroger cette source par des moyens qui étaient auparavant impossible. Dans cet article, nous utili-sons ces nouveaux outils pour découvrir la langue utilisée dans le Becerro relative à la violence, et de là au rôle de la violence elle-même dans la société médiévale. Mots clés: Édition électronique. Société rurale médiévale. Recherches automatisées. Becerro Galicano. San Millán de la Cogolla. Abstract: The Becerro Galicano is a late twelfth-century cartulary from the monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla, in the Rioja región of northern Spain, and is one of the most important sources for the rural, social, economic and political history of the region. A newly launched digital edition of the Becerro, which incorporates a range of analytical tools and search engines, now allows us to interrogate this source in ways which had previously been impossible. In this paper we use these new tools to explore the language used in the Becerro relating to violence, and thence to the role of violence itself in medieval society.
Es notorio que la documentación temprana de San Millán de la Cogolla está plagada de falsificaciones e interpolaciones, algo que resulta especialmente problemático cuando se tiene en cuenta la centralidad de esta documentación a la... more
Es notorio que la documentación temprana de San Millán de la Cogolla está plagada de falsificaciones e interpolaciones, algo que resulta especialmente problemático cuando se tiene en cuenta la centralidad de esta documentación a la historia y la historiografía del altomedievo hispano en general y, más específicamente, a la trayectoria temprana de lo que se convertirían en dos de los reinos más importantes del centro peninsular, Navarra y Castilla. En muchas ocasiones la falsedad es delatada por anacronismos contenidos en el texto (reyes y condes citados en años e incluso siglos que no les corresponden, reinas inexistentes, obispos desconocidos, listas enteras de testigos repetidas medio siglo después …), en otras por el improbable alcance de los bienes donados o los espacios delimitados. En la única monografía dedicada a la problemática hasta ahora, Martínez Díez evalúa como apócrifos unos 58 textos emilianenses (Martínez Díez, 1998: 7-53), una alta proporción de ellos entre los más tempranos: nada menos que dieciséis de los primeros dieciocho textos. En términos generales, sus evaluaciones y críticas me parecen acertadas, pero no la idea de que todas estas falsificaciones procedan de un único programa de forja a mediados del siglo XII, e iremos retrocediendo en el tiempo descubriendo diferentes capas de falsificación hasta llegar a los textos más antiguos, en los cuales centraremos nuestra atención.
Abstract The work of Plácido Romero, archivist of the monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla at the end of the eighteenth-century, records the existence of a long since lost cartulary known as the Becerro Gótico. From Romero’s notes we... more
Abstract
The work of Plácido Romero, archivist of the monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla at the end of the eighteenth-century, records the existence of a long since lost cartulary known as the Becerro Gótico. From Romero’s notes we have been able to reconstruct the lost cartulary, the contents of which suggest an intial phase of composition around 1115, with further additions being made during the rest of the twelfth-century. Analysis of the structure that emerges from our reconstruction allows us to better understand the workings of the San Millán scriptorium, and more specifically, to trace how the successor cartulary, the Becerro Galicano, came to be created around 1195, rearranging the contents of the Gótico, but also introducing much material absent from the earlier volume. This is of special significance with regards to the origins of the notorious forgeries that abound in this documentation.
Key words: San Millán de la Cogolla, cartulary, Becerro Gótico, Becerro Galicano, forgeries
In this paper we argue that the Basque place names that appear south of the river Ebro in the Rioja and Burgos regions should be separated into two groups, with different distributions, chronologies and forms, whereas previously they have... more
In this paper we argue that the Basque place names that appear south of the river Ebro in the Rioja and Burgos regions should be separated into two groups, with different distributions, chronologies and forms, whereas previously they have always been analised as a whole. The first group is limited to the mountainous areas around the headwaters of the Oja, Tirón and Arlanzón rivers, and consists mainly of references to grazing areas and water courses, with relatively few settlement names. These names appear during the 9 th and 10 th centuries just to the west of the Castille-Navarre frontier. The second group appears towards the end of the 11 th century in the agriculturally fertile lower reaches of the Oja and Tirón rivers, just to the east of the same border and consists mainly of settlement names bearing the Basque suffix-uri. In both cases political circumstances provide a context in which inmigration to the areas in question from Álava makes sense a couple of generations before these names start to figure in our source material: the diplomas of the monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla.
En un intento de estudiar el fenómeno de la migración vasca medieval a través del contenido antroponímico de la diplomática de esa época, uno de los nombres que se contempló como posible indicador de tales movimientos fue Annaia,... more
En un intento de estudiar el fenómeno de la migración vasca medieval a través del contenido antroponímico de la diplomática de esa época, uno de los nombres que se contempló como posible indicador de tales movimientos fue Annaia, relativamente común en la diplomática medieval y con una (aparentemente) clara etimología vasca. Pues parece existir consenso en cuanto a la relación entre este nombre, su aparente derivado Minaya (< ‘mi’ + annaia) y la voz común vasca anaia ‘hermano’. En 1946, Menéndez Pidal dictó sentencia al respecto, y esta lectura parece haber sido aceptada por cuantos investigadores se han acercado al tema. El objetivo de este artículo es cuestionar este consenso, sobre todo después de observar la distribución de este nombre en las fuentes medievales, con una fuerte presencia en tierras castellanas y leonesas pero prácticamente ausente del territorio vascófono, supuesto origen de irradiación.
We present a list of 106 Basque toponyms from the tenth, eleventh and twelfth centuries that have previously been either unpublished or incorrectly published. While not all the toponyms are new, in the sense that the same place-names... more
We present a list of 106 Basque toponyms from the tenth, eleventh and twelfth centuries that have previously been either unpublished or incorrectly published. While not all the toponyms are new, in the sense that the same place-names appear in other texts, this still represents a significant contribution to the field of early Basque onomastics. All the names appear in the Becerro Galicano cartulary of the Riojan monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla, whose documentation has been repeatedly but deficiently published.
The presence of Basque-speaking population in early medieval Castille has for a long time provoked debate over the chronology of their crossing of the river Ebro. The place-name evidence suggests a migration from the Alava region shortly... more
The presence of Basque-speaking population in early medieval Castille has for a long time provoked debate over the chronology of their crossing of the river Ebro. The place-name evidence suggests a migration from the Alava region shortly after al-Andalus lost control of Castille during the mid 8th century. The focus of this paper is on whether the personal names preserved in the early medieval cartularies of the region, which generally date from the 10th century onwards, can further enhance our understanding of the process.

Where place-names are added to the personal name to indicate the origin of the named individual there is little evidence of significant displacement in 10th century Castille, the majority of such references pointing towards very localised movement, which seems to suggest a sedentary population with relatively little immigration. 

Nor does the tracking of personal names that can be regarded as being etymologically Basque prove a useful methodology since many of the names most frequently used by the Basques in this period do not have obvious origins in the Basque language. Even when names common in Castille seem to have clear Basque origins (Annaya, for example) there are often puzzling aspects to their distribution and behaviour.

The third method employed, analysis of the names used by the Basques and tracking such names in Castille and neighbouring regions, has proved more rewarding, although the results obtained were not what we had anticipated: we found a higher proportion of names of navarrese origin than we would have expected given that the place-names in this region are generally regarded as being alavese in origin. However, rather than discarding the dominant Álava hypothesis, we suggest that the observed dichotomy between anthroponymic and toponymic evidence can be explained diachronically and indeed reinforces the idea that the alavese type toponyms are fossils from the 9th century preserved in 10th century and later texts.
In this paper we analyse the anthroponomic contents of early medieval Basque inscriptions, in all 46 personal names dating from the eighth to the eleventh centuries published by Agustín Azkarate and Iñaki García Camino in 1996. Most of... more
In this paper we analyse the anthroponomic contents of early medieval Basque inscriptions, in all 46 personal names dating from the eighth to the eleventh centuries published by Agustín Azkarate and Iñaki García Camino in 1996. Most of the inscriptions are from Vizcaya, a region notoriously poorly served by early medieval diplomatic records. Our methodology is to compare the epigraphical corpus with the contents of diplomatic sources from the same period in surrounding regions. While the onomastic stock is essentially the same, the forms that appear in the inscriptions are much more varied, with a notable profusion of hypocoristic forms uncommon in the notarial records. The contrast allows us to reflect on the methodology of the monk-scribes, who seemingly standardised forms and in so doing eliminated valuable information. Western Basque personal names appear to lean towards Castile, in accordance with political ties during this period, by contrast, there being a relative paucity of the names common in Navarre, to the East, despite the common linguistic heritage of the two areas.
Research Interests:
The Becerro Galicano, which contains texts from the eighth to the twelfth centuries, is one of the most important sources for early medieval Basque philology, and yet it has been poorly served by previous editions. The appearance of a new... more
The Becerro Galicano, which contains texts from the eighth to the twelfth centuries, is one of the most important sources for early medieval Basque philology, and yet it has been poorly served by previous editions. The appearance of a new digital edition (http://www.ehu.es/galicano/) makes this the perfect opportunity to return to this cartulary and re-evaluate its Basque language content. The greatest wealth of material is to be found in the place-names: over 800 from the Basque Country and Navarre, the vast majority of them the first recorded instances of said names, and thousands more from neighbouring regions (Rioja, Burgos) with important and early vascophone communities.  Amongst the personal-names we observe a number of interesting Basque adjective-based cognomina, as well as the seemingly Basque titles eita and ama. Finally, as a whole the anthroponymic corpus confirms Michelena’s observation that Navarrese and Alavese personal-names constitute two distinct sets.
I attempt to explain the origins of the many personal and place names of apparent Arabic origin that appear in the Duero basin in Northern Spain and Portugal. The abundance of such names is surprising in a region which seems only to have... more
I attempt to explain the origins of the many personal and place names of apparent Arabic origin that appear in the Duero basin in Northern Spain and Portugal. The abundance of such names is surprising in a region which seems only to have been briefly under direct Andalusi control, and the three different hypotheses that have sought to explain the phenomenon will be studied in turn. The first hypothesis considered is that the names are the result of migration of persecuted Christians from al-Andalus towards the North during the ninth and tenth centuries. Although such migration seems to have taken place, I argue against it being responsible for the names that interest us. The second hypothesis is that of acculturation from across the Andalusi border. Again there seems to be some validity for this as an explanation for many descriptive place names to be found in the southern extremes of the region, but again this solution fails to explain the abundance of Arabic names further north. I conclude that the northernmost concentrations of Arabic names in fact have their origins in the eighth-century conquest and settlement of the area by Romance-speaking north-Africans and the early conversion of a significant part of the autochthonous population.
This article examines the context in which the Becerro Galicano of San Millán de la Cogolla was created in the late twelfth century. The first factor taken into account is the monastery’s position on the frontier between the kingdoms of... more
This article examines the context in which the Becerro Galicano of San Millán de la Cogolla was created in the late twelfth century. The first factor taken into account is the monastery’s position on the frontier between the kingdoms of Castile and Navarre. Then the contents and structure of the cartulary are compared with those of its now lost predecessor, the Becerro Gótico, a comparison that reveals that the prime concern of the monastery by the late twelfth century was the defence of its possessions from the bishopric of Calahorra. Finally, events of the 1190s, above all a resurgent bishopric and endemic warfare in the Rioja region, conditioned the decision to compose a cartulary stressing the monastery’s Castilian origins and subsequently seek its ratification by higher ecclesiastical authorities.
Starting with the stark contrast in treatment afforded to the two groups in the Fuero of Nájera, we explore the status of Jews and Muslims in the Rioja and in neighbouring regions of Northern Spain. The Jewish minority appears in greater... more
Starting with the stark contrast in treatment afforded to the two groups in the Fuero of Nájera, we explore the status of Jews and Muslims in the Rioja and in neighbouring regions of Northern Spain. The Jewish minority appears in greater numbers and in earlier periods than has been reflected in recent scholarship. Nájera provides a particularly rich example of this, with abundant references to Jews owning land in the city’s suburbs cheek by jowl with Christian neighbours from the early eleventh century onwards. By contrast, we have very few references to Muslims in the region after its conquest by the Christians around 925. It seems probable that there was in fact no free Muslim population in the Upper Rioja region during the early medieval period; the first Mudéjar communities emerging only after the fall of Calahorra in the Lower Rioja in 1045.

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Rivo de Ogga es la primera forma documentada del nombre de la actual región de La Rioja y refiere en origen simplemente al cauce del río Oja y a las tierras aledañas. Se registra así en un diploma de San Millán de la Cogolla del año 1082.... more
Rivo de Ogga es la primera forma documentada del nombre de la actual región de La Rioja y refiere en origen simplemente al cauce del río Oja y a las tierras aledañas. Se registra así en un diploma de San Millán de la Cogolla del año 1082.
Basado siempre en las fuentes documentales, el estudio Rivo de Ogga examina la historia de la Rioja Alta hasta el siglo XIII. Primero se contempla el largo periodo, de casi tres siglos, cuando la cuenca inferior del río Oja funcionó como una frontera política y Tierra de Nadie, como consecuencia de la invasión musulmana de 711 y acontecimientos posteriores. Esto cambiaría a principios del siglo XI con la expansión hacia el oeste del reino de Pamplona. Esa plurisecular función fronteriza quedó ahora obsoleta y de repente se pusieron en juego algunas de las tierras más fértiles de la Península.
Nos adentraremos en las comunidades campesinas altorriojanas surgidas en ella y promocionadas en muchos casos por la aristocracia alavesa. Observaremos cómo ésta disputa el territorio, al compás siempre de la política regia, pues la región bascula continuamente entre los diferentes reinos de Pamplona, Castilla y Aragón y apenas conocerá unas décadas de paz en todo el periodo contemplado. Con respecto al desarrollo urbano, que tradicionalmente se ha asociado con el auge del Camino de Santiago y del comercio, aquí proponemos una perspectiva novedosa: la incertidumbre geopolítica que asolaba la región. Así, paulatinamente, se iría configurando una comarca con nombre propio: Rivo de Ogga o, lo que es lo mismo, Rioja.
El Becerro Galicano constituye una de las fuentes fundamentales para el estudio de la España cristiana entre los siglos VIII y XII. El emplazamiento de San Millán de la Cogolla y lo vasto de su dominio hacen de este cartulario una fuente... more
El Becerro Galicano constituye una de las fuentes fundamentales para el estudio de la España cristiana entre los siglos VIII y XII. El emplazamiento de San Millán de la Cogolla y lo vasto de su dominio hacen de este cartulario una fuente indispensable para la primera historia del reino de Pamplona y del condado de Castilla, y en general para el conocimiento de las tierras y las gentes de La Rioja, Navarra, Castilla, Álava y Bizkaia durante cuatro centurias.

The Becerro Galicano is one of the most important sources for the study of Christian Spain between the eighth and twelfth centuries. Both the location of the monastery on the Castilian-Navarrese border and the vast scale of its demesne make the cartulary an outstanding source for the early history of both the kingdom of Pamplona and the county of Castile, and more generally for the lands and peoples of the Rioja, Navarre, Castile, Álava and Bizkaia over some four centuries.
Research Interests:
The reinterpretation of thirteen eleventh-century documents from the cartulary of San Millán de la Cogolla allows us to study a rural mountain community. Subjects considered include cultural and demographic continuity, the ethnic origins... more
The reinterpretation of thirteen eleventh-century documents from the cartulary of San Millán de la Cogolla allows us to study a rural mountain community. Subjects considered include cultural and demographic continuity, the ethnic origins of these people and the implications of the extensive Basque onomastics, the survival of archaic social tendencies such as matrilineality and agricultural comunalism, and the feudalization of the community.
La invasión musulmana marcó el norte peninsular de una manera mucho más profunda de lo que la historiografía tradicional ha reconocido. A raíz de ella, en el corredor Bureba - Rioja, que comunica el Valle del Ebro con el noroeste... more
La invasión musulmana marcó el norte peninsular de una manera mucho más profunda de lo que la historiografía tradicional ha reconocido. A raíz de ella, en el corredor Bureba - Rioja, que comunica el Valle del Ebro con el noroeste peninsular, se erigió una frontera que perduraría durante aproximadamente tres siglos. Dividiría primero el Reino de Asturias de al-Ándalus, y después Castilla de Navarra, tendría también implicaciones y manifestaciones culturales, religiosas y étnicas, y es apreciable no sólo a partir de la fragmentada cronística y diplomática del periodo, sino también gracias a diversos registros onomásticos. La metodología seguida en este trabajo es el análisis sistemático de tales estratos, cuya distribución espacial se contrasta con la evidencia escrita. Los resultados resaltan la importancia que tuvieron los oscuros acontecimientos del siglo VIII incluso en zonas que pronto quedarían excluidas de -o periféricas a- al-Ándalus. Así muchos aspectos de la posterior historia de Castilla y de Álava, de Navarra y de la Rioja sólo se entienden con referencia a un periodo que daría origen, por ejemplo, a la onomástica semítica que se observa después en Castilla y a la toponimia vasca que abunda en la Sierra de la Demanda. También se reevalúa la trayectoria temprana del monasterio de la Cogolla, íntimamente vinculada con la emergencia del Condado de Castilla; se sigue el rastro en la diplomática cristiana de una sorprendentemente significativa comunidad judía; y se calibra la expansión navarra al sur del Ebro en compás con la retirada andalusí del mismo escenario. Planteamientos nuevos para iluminar siglos oscuros.
Call for Papers for the International Conference "Building the Medieval Diocese" to be held in Burgos (Spain), December 9-11, 2020
Research Interests:
Call for Papers para el Congreso Internacional Building the Medieval Diocese que se celebrará en Burgos, 9-11 diciembre, 2020
Research Interests:
Early medieval inventories are commonly found among northern-Iberian archival holdings, both as single-sheets and cartulary copies. However, notwithstanding the extensive use that has sometimes been made of their contents, Spanish and... more
Early medieval inventories are commonly found among northern-Iberian archival holdings, both as single-sheets and cartulary copies. However, notwithstanding the extensive use that has sometimes been made of their contents, Spanish and Portuguese historians have largely failed to address the problems that this particular type of record poses, although some recent work is starting to change this picture. This is the first of three sessions that aim to provide a comparative overview of Iberian inventories before 1100, in order to identify and reflect upon the specificities of these records. Papers in this session will look at materials from Catalonia, Aragón, and Portugal, paying particular attention to their production, their use, and the evidence they provide.
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Includes the following articles: Rethinking the minimi of the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands in late antiquity by Ruth Pliego Quintana place-names as evidence of the Islamic conquest of Iberia by David Peterson Territories and... more
Includes the following articles:
Rethinking the minimi of the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands in late antiquity by Ruth Pliego

Quintana place-names as evidence of the Islamic conquest of Iberia by David Peterson

Territories and kingdom in the central Duero basin: the case of Dueñas (tenth–twelfth centuries) by Daniel Justo Sánchez & Iñaki Martín Viso


“Neither age nor sex sparing”: the Alvor massacre 1189, an anomaly in the Portuguese Reconquista? by Jonathan Wilson

Riots, reluctance, and reformers: the church in the Kingdom of Castile and the IV Lateran Council by Kyle C. Lincoln

Squire to the Moor King: Christian administrators for Muslim magnates in late medieval Murcia by Anthony Minnema

Glassmaking in medieval technical literature in the Iberian Peninsula by David J. Govantes-Edwards , Javier López Rider & Chloë Duckworth