Troglodytic life at Jódar

Abstract

This classic text by Joaquín Costa offers a sociological reflection on the life of the troglodytes in Jódar, a municipality in Jaén, and raises a series of reflections on the relationship between housing, health and living conditions of the working classes in Spain at the end of the 19th century. In Jódar, more than a third of the population lived in caves, which raises questions about the relevance of this phenomenon. Evidence is presented on the troglodytes' health conditions, work, economy, housing values and culture, concluding that there is a disconnection between the socioeconomic reality of these communities and the legal structures of the country.