Sobre la localización geográfica de la qarya andalusí de Sobuerva (Šuburbal) y otras cuestiones

Abstract

This paper aims to examine all known documentation for the study of the Muslim hamlet ( al-qarya ) of Sobuerva, cited ocasionally in Medieval and Modern Age sources. Several authors have proposed some hypotheses about the location of this place: Bormujos, Tomares and Guillena. In our paper we try to demonstrate the invalidity of such hypotheses and to offer a new one after the review of a more complete documentation. Basically, our arguments focus on the important documentary sources and the utilization of a Geographical Information System (GIS). The latter responds to the need to understand better the territorial and frontier evolution of a list of current towns of Aljarafe from the Middle Ages to the present, approaching to the available historical and archaeological evidences. The final result leads us to propose the location of the core of the qarya of Sobuerva in the present municipality of Mairena del Aljarafe.