Abstract
This paper aims to present the constructive evolution of the fortress of Guarros (Paterna del Río, Almería) and the discovery of a metallurgical production area. This fortification was occupied between the 8th and 13th centuries. This work analyses in detail the evolution of the fortress through building archaeology. It relates it to the mining possibilities of the surrounding territory to contextualise the metallurgical production area. The results show that this production is limited to the early medieval period and seems to correspond to the Late Antique and Early Medieval production models documented on the northern side of Sierra Nevada, with small workshops far from the extraction areas. This is an important advance in our knowledge of medieval mining and metallurgy on the southern face of Sierra Nevada, practically unknown until now.