GharbNET · Interconnected villages: rural organisation and commerce in Gharb al-Andalus

The project titled Interconnected villages: rural organisation and commerce in Gharb al-Andalus (GharbNET) will advance our understanding of the social and economic dynamics of Andalusi societies by studying settlement, trade, and networking in rural areas of the Algarve, particularly along the navigable stretch of the Guadiana River. This river functioned as a structuring axis for communities, shaping territorial organisation, settlement hierarchies, and commercial routes. Despite its importance, the rural contexts of this region remain understudied compared to urban centres, leaving significant gaps in our understanding of Andalusi society.To address theses challenges, this project applies an interdisciplinary methodology that combines Archaeology, History, Digital Humanities, and Ethnoarchaeology. Written sources, archaeological evidence, and spatial analysis will be combined to reconstruct settlement patterns, communication routes and regional trade networks. In addition, comparative ethnographic data will provide analogies to better understand rural dynamics and market practices in rural al-Andalus.Through the systematic study of the Lower Guadiana Basin, GharbNET will deliver a comprehensive analysis of rural organisation and trade in the Algarve during the Andalusi period. The project will not only advance historical and archaeological research but also contribute new methodological tools for interpreting medieval rural societies in a broader Mediterranean context.