An Archaeological Study of Talamanca Battlefield

Abstract

The Peace of Utrecht (1713) ended the War of the Spanish Succession as a global European conflict. However, the treaty abandoned to their fate the Spanish territories that had supported Archduke Charles. Resistance to the House of Bourbon was focused in the city of Barcelona, which was immediately put under siege. However, the Catalan government managed to create a powerful army outside the siege belt of the capital. This force, comprising almost 5,000 soldiers, attacked a similar Bourbon army in the small town of Talamanca on 13 August, 1714. The Catalan commander, the Marquis of Poal, successfully launched three simultaneous attacks against the Bourbon force. This study is an approach to this battle, using the results of archaeological fieldwork undertaken in the area. The study of material evidence is combined with GIS and statistical analysis in order to better understand the armies of the 18th century.