New perspectives in the investigation of qanats in the central area of the Iberian Peninsula

Investigations performed by a multidisciplinary team comprising the authors and others have revealed the existence of extensive historical water supply systems based on qanats in two very important cities in the center of the Iberian Peninsula. In Madrid, the first documented city and one with much importance in the Iberian Peninsula, tunnels identified as qanats in 1959 have been associated with the city’s Muslim origin. Since then, qanats have also been discovered in the study area and specific enclaves in three other cases, although these have less importance. This work gathers all these cases, which, until now, had been treated in isolation, quantifies them and performs a cross-sectional analysis of the most relevant aspects. The results show multiple connections between the different cases and indicate that they form an interrelated set. In this way, questions regarding the status of qanats in this area are redefined, the knowledge base is expanded and strengthened, and new lines of research are opened.