An Integrated Approach to Understanding the Occupational Trajectory of Mercadal in Southern Aragon, Spain

This article presents an integrated historical ecological investigation of the abandoned Medieval village of Mercadal in southern Aragon, Spain. Combining non-invasive archaeogeophysical survey (magnetometry and ground-penetrating radar), targeted excavation, shovel testing, radiocarbon dating, and analytical cartography, we examine spatial organization, geomorphic context, and occupational chronology of the site. Bayesian modeling indicates a bimodal occupation ca. a.d. 800–1500, spanning Islamic and Christian regimes, with ceramics ranging from Iberian and Proto-Historic to Medieval and Modern. Geophysical survey reveals dense domestic structures, including combustion features and subsurface architecture, while excavation confirms stratified surfaces, burials, and construction episodes linked to the Ermita San Miguel. Medieval documentary evidence situates Mercadal within the Comunidad de aldeas of Daroca, a collective property regime. Situated in the karstic Ebro Basin, Mercadal reflects strategic engagement with water, terrain, and agricultural land, while its occupational trajectory illustrates demographic, environmental, and governance dynamics shaping durable socio-ecological systems.