The Strait of Preserves

This display offers an overview of the first photographic exhibition to be shown at the Archeological Site of Baelo Claudia, presented by the Museum of Cádiz and the Castle of Guzmán el Bueno (Castle of Tarifa), between 2016 and 2017.

The exhibition was devised as a dialogue, matching photographs connecting the classical period with the present day. It started with the link of the canned fish tradition, and the common ground of the Strait of Gibraltar.

The results of archeological digs carried out at Baelo Claudia by the University of Cádiz were connected to the tradition of the "Conservera de Tarifa" canning company.

These snapshots represent the humble image of a traditionally manual economic activity, which has always permeated the life and progress of the people of the Cádiz coast.

The coasts along the Strait have been populated with fishing and canning towns since Phoenician-Punic times. Baelo Claudia is one of the best examples of ancient urban settlements, which flourished by taking advantage of marine wealth. On the other hand, the city of Tarifa perfectly illustrates the fishing and seaside towns that have characterized the settlements along the Cádiz coast since medieval times.

Tuna and mackerel have been the royalty of the sea since Phoenician times. One exhibit from the Roman period displays the remains of tuna tails (5th century AD), from the XII Industrial Complex of Baelo Claudia; they are testament to the importance of this species in ancient fish preparations. The close-up shows mackerel in the Conservera deTarifa manufacturing facilities. Mackerel is another key species, both in ancient times as well as now.

Shellfish farms, processing, and canning factories reveal an element of the cultural landscape of the Strait. An aerial comparison of the fishing-canning neighbourhood of Baelo Claudia, with the area occupied by canning factories in Tarifa, shows how a beach-side position enabled an easier catch process.

Large rooms for processing and scaling: an essential element of the factory. The VI Industrial Complex of Baelo is an example from the Roman period, with a patio made from damp-proof concrete (opus signinum), and where the cleaning and processing took place. Modern arrangements are not dissimilar, as seen in the Conservera de Tarifa scaling room and loading area; this is where the workers coordinate to scale, fillet, and manually stack the fish, and is one of the busiest areas in the factory.

Preservation methods have evolved over time. The image of the salt mines of San Fernando, in the middle of the last century, shows the traditional system for the collection of "white gold." In ancient times, salt was the primary preservative, and as such it was key for the preserving process. These days, the freezers in the Conservera de Tarifa factory allow production processes to be controlled, and for fish to be available on demand. This represents one of the most important technological innovations in the sector.

In the Roman period, there were stores (tabernae), such as the one illustrated on the Decumanus Maximus of Baelo Claudia, that had small salting rooms which could be used to sell fish products directly, in small quantities. A modern-day example is Conservera de Tarifa's Traditional Store and Gourmet Space. Here, they sell canned fish and other marine and fresh produce, considered authentic delicatessen products.

Archeologists are trying to recover testimonies from the past, and protect the importance of garum and salted fish. This archeologist is cleaning the vertebrae of a tuna found in one of the salting factories of Baelo Claudia (XII Industrial Complex). The activity of workers in the fish canning factory in Tarifa also demonstrates the preservation of artisan traditions and professions associated with the sea. Between them they endeavor to maintain the traditions of the coastal populations of Cádiz, forever linked to the sea.