GRANADA, SPAIN––La Brújula Verde reports that University of Granada researchers identified the oldest known library in Iberia at the sprawling Roman villa of Fuente Álamo near Córdoba. When the complex was first excavated decades ago, archaeologists originally believed that the network of rooms was part of a mithraeum dedicated to the worship of the god Mithras. However, recent reinterpretation concluded that it was actually a library. Roman libraries are often difficult to identify since papyrus or parchment scrolls and wooden shelving have almost always deteriorated over time and no longer exist. To overcome this lack of evidence, the research team applied an innovative technique known as shape grammar, which involved analyzing the distribution and combination of rooms and comparing their architectural features with those from known libraries. The researchers determined that the apses, rectangular niches, podiums, and auxiliary rooms were consistent with the space’s use for reading, studying, storing literary texts, and displaying works of art. The facility dates to the fourth century a.d., a prosperous time in the Roman province of Baetica when wealthy landowners frequently built monumental and luxurious estates. The library is not only the oldest one yet documented in Iberia, but arguably the best preserved private library in the entire Roman Empire. To read about the contents of the Roman world's most famous private library, go to "The Charred Scrolls of Herculaneum."
