Constructing on the Frontier of al-Andalus: Building Evolution at the Castle of La Estrella in Teba (Málaga)

This paper presents the stratigraphic architectural analysis of the Castle of La Estrella (Teba, Málaga), developed within the framework of a General Research Project (PGI) between 2021 and 2027. After three annual campaigns, we now have a solid proposal for the site's constructive evolution. An interdisciplinary methodology: stratigraphic reading of elevations, characterization of construction techniques, photogrammetric documentation, and archaeometry dating has enabled the identification of seven major construction phases. These span from a potential Almohad foundation (12th - 13th c.) to successive Nasrid and Castilian fortification stages, culminating in late-medieval and post-medieval modifications. The preliminary sequence proposed here integrates data from architectural analysis and radiocarbon samples. This contribution aims to further the understanding of fortified architecture in the western frontier of the Nasrid Emirate of Granada.