Research Interest Statement

History is, for me, an exciting discipline that opens the door to understanding our past and deciphering the traces left by human action over time. Since I was very young, I have been fascinated by the history of my homeland, which led me to focus my research on the Vega de Granada, especially in the Soto de Roma and the area around the Torre de Roma. My study focuses on the evolution of the landscape of this region, from the Muslim period to the present day, analyzing how human presence has transformed the territory through the development of settlements, the modification of toponymies, the implementation of agricultural techniques, deforestation and the establishment of a complex system of irrigation ditches of Arab origin, fundamental for irrigation and agricultural exploitation.

This research is crucial, as it allows us to understand the changes that the landscape has undergone in more than a thousand years and to unravel details about the crops that have historically characterized the Vega of Granada. It also illuminates the permanence of human settlements in the region, whose names have evolved in a process of Castilianization. A clear example is that of my own locality: during the Muslim period it was known as Ŷabŷāna, and after the conquest by the Catholic Monarchs, it went through various transformations-Chuchina, Chuchinaya or Chuchino-until it was consolidated into Chauchina.

This toponymic transformation not only evidences a linguistic adaptation, but also the profound cultural and political change that occurred in the transition from Islamic to Christian society. My research highlights the resilience of local communities, their ability to adapt to historical circumstances and the importance of preserving cultural and natural heritage for future generations.