Another excavation campaign took place on the Cerca das Alcarias in the village of Mesquita (Mértola) between 16 August and 13 September 2023, as part of the IACAM Project – Archaeological Interventions at Cercado das Alcarias Mesquita – Mértola, with scientific coordination by Maria de Fátima Palma (Mértola Archaeological Site/University of Granada) and Bilal Sarr (University of Granada).
This campaign involved researchers from both institutions and Portuguese and Spanish university students and had the technical and logistical support of the Mértola City Council, the Sociedade Recreativa Mesquitense and the Parish Council of Espírito Santo. This is an important research project which aims to get to know the territory of Garb al-Andalus, particularly the territory of Mértola in the Islamic period, while maintaining a strong link with the local community that closely follows this work.