The stratigraphical study of historic buildings has laid the foundations for a new understanding and interpretation of Hispanic architecture dated to the Late Antique and Early Medieval periods. Some recent works in Catalonia show an archaeological perspective on these both heterogeneous groups and thus offer a different vision of the architecture in the light of the new facts recorded in stratified contexts in archeological sites. Considering these facts, this paper attempts to explain the vaulting’s typology and its periodization and linking with the contemporary cultural environment. The position of the Catalan architectural works within the current discussion about the definition of early medieval Hispanic art is also exposed.

Peer reviewed