Keeping an eye on them

Almost every day the archaeologists' 4x4 can be seen driving slowly round the widened lanes and sometimes taking photographs of what's been done. They are checking that the diggers and lorries haven't damaged anything of historical interest.

There are many areas that the archaeologists roped off (with the inevitable red and white plastic tape) before any of the work began, and in the photo the digger behind the trees is right next to one such area. There's an old cisterna with a little wooden door, and there may well also be trenches in the woods behind it dating from the civil war. There are lots of areas of trenches around here as the ridge provided such a good view of the valley.

As well as making sure that historical sites are protected, the archaeologists keep their eyes open for anything else that should be treated with care as it's not uncommon for the bodies of soldiers to be discovered. This whole area, and down into the valley, was where one of the most decisive battles was fought, the battle of the Ebro.