The use of sources to promote historical thinking skills from heritage education. The Magistral Palace Cave, in Guadix (Granada)

Introduction: We present an educational research project, aimed at students in the 4th year of Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO) and Baccalaureate. Its objective is to promote historical thinking skills from heritage education, using sources as a resource, whose analysis has allowed us to identify and analyze a lost and forgotten heritage, “The Palace Cave of the Magistral Gallardo), a unique and singular case in the excavated architecture of the city of Guadix. Method: The methodology belongs to the qualitative paradigm, specifically the descriptive content analysis of the sources used. Results: The expected results are based on the consideration of historical education as a method that allows students to systematize the evidence available to explain the historical processes they study based on their close heritage, from a critical perspective; the need for changes in methodology, evaluation and in the role of teachers and the importance of working on relevant problems in the classroom based on the students’ close environment to promote the achievement of the SDGs. Conclusions: The SWOT analysis of the project shows that the historical recovery of a forgotten heritage, through the analysis of sources, favors the development of historical thinking skills: causes and consequences, change and continuity, historical evidence and historical awareness. It promotes knowing, understanding and valuing the heritage of the nearby environment and the importance of controversial heritage, of which forgotten heritage is part, such as the Cueva Palacio del Magistral Gallardo, as a primary source for teaching and learning history.