Posters Iberian Prehistory
The Argaric Society was developed during the Early Bronze Age (c.2200-1550 BC) in the south east ... more The Argaric Society was developed during the Early Bronze Age (c.2200-1550 BC) in the south east of the Iberian Peninsula, becoming one of the first States societies in continental Europe . They had such a characteristic pottery repertory, with hightly standardized types distributed in 8 elemental forms .
Nevertheless, the ceramic vessels have been always studied from a morphometric point of view, not from its functional dimension.
In this context, we carried out an interdisciplinar study focused on the use of argaric vessels based on organic residues analysis, determination of lipid component by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and chromatography coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) , and mesurements of its volumetric capacities .
The combination of data generated from these studies let us confirm that there's a relation between volumetric capacities and content.
In this sense, for example, there are many 300 ml standardized bowls which have been analyzed, normally resulting not in animal but vegetal content. It could be interpreted as ration units related with a controlled distribution of cereals or its derivatives between the population.
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Thesis Chapters
This thesis focuses on recent prehistory of the Iberian Peninsula, specifically on the argaric gr... more This thesis focuses on recent prehistory of the Iberian Peninsula, specifically on the argaric group archaeological context. This line of investigation is mainly leaded by the Research Group in Mediterranean Social Archaeoecology (ASOME) of Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. First of all, this PhD shows a review study which evaluates the chrono-espatial delimitation of the argaric period, as well as the main elements that characterizes it. In summary, argaric society endured and was developing itself for almost 650 years (c.2200-1550 cal ANE) and comprised a territory of at least 33.000 km2. The analythical study carried on the argaric pottery production, focusing the research on its functional characterizations, is the main subject of this work. In this sense, we propose a strategical analysis that takes into consideration the main functional evidences: direct (use-wear traces/organic residues), and indirect (morphometric characteristics/social amortization context). Moreover, as a methodological release, the organic residues analysis stands out by the use of chemical analysis techniques such as gas chromatography or gas chromatography-mass spectometry, and also by isotopic analysis techniques as the gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry, a rarely used method within the argaric context. The analyzed materials come from four different archaeological sites in which the ASOME group has been developing its research: La Bastida (Totana, Murcia), La Almoloya (Pliego, Murcia), La Tira del Lienzo (Totana, Murcia) and Gatas (Turre, Almería). The study presented here has carried out a diachronic and spatial interpretation of the analyzed pottery and its identified contents. As a result, differentiated patterns of consumption have been identified depending not only on the chronological phase but also on the origin of the sample. In fact, methodologycally, an exhaustive evaluation on the sampling protocol and also on the analysis of organic contents has been carried out, in order to minimize the possible elements could cause degradation and contamination of the archeological content. Finally, the analysis concluded with the elaboration of a sampling protocol and optimized analysis. The aforesaid protocol constitutes another achievement of this study expecting it to become a methodological reference for future investigations regarding on research related with the organic residues.
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Talks
El Argar society developed during the Early Bronze Age (ca. 2200-1550 BC) in southeast Iberia, be... more El Argar society developed during the Early Bronze Age (ca. 2200-1550 BC) in southeast Iberia, becoming one of the Ḁrst state-level societies in continental Europe. As part of its strategy to take control over the means of production, specialized craftsmen gener-ated such a characteristic, sophisticated and highly standardized pottery repertory, comprising mainly eight basic vessel types. Researches on pottery have mainly focused on morphometric traits often overlooking its functional, economic or ritual dimensions. In the context of the “Bastida Project”, we have carried out interdisciplinar studies focused on production, use and circulation of Argaric vessels. This research is based on organic residues analysis, determination of lipid component by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), chromatography coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS), petrographic analyses and, Ḁnal-ly, the mesurement of volumetric capacities. The combination of data drawn from those analysis enables us to suggest several working hypothesis. First, there was a correlation between manufacturing techniques, capacity and material content. Second, many standardized bowls with a capacity of 300 ml can be interpreted as ration or measurement units. In this sense, we suggest that these units were tied to a controlled distribution of foodstuffs by the Argaric elites. Third, some functional differences between vessels found in funerary and domestic contexts may be suggested.
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Papers Macrolithic Artefacts
The present study deals with a specific type of cylindrical pestle identified among several thous... more The present study deals with a specific type of cylindrical pestle identified among several thousands of macro-lithic tools studied so far for the Argaric Bronze Age (2200–1550 cal BCE) in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. The combination of petrographic, technological, use-wear and residue analyses has allowed us to show that these tools were used to process beeswax and animal fatty products, probably for subsistence purposes. Apart from providing an easily recognizable archaeological tracer of apiculture, these results also complete our understanding of the economic organization of El Argar. Diachronic and spatial data reveal honey and meat productions as important energy alternatives in times of nutritional scarcity within a subsistence strategy based primarily on barley monoculture. Additionally, we show that there was socially differentiated access to both, honey and meat.
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Papers
La presente tesis doctoral se inserta en el marco de estudio de la Prehistoria Reciente del sures... more La presente tesis doctoral se inserta en el marco de estudio de la Prehistoria Reciente del sureste peninsula. En concreto, en la investigacion del grupo argarico, el cual es en la actualidad el objeto de estudio del grupo de investigacion Arqueoecologia Social Mediterranea desde la Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona, en cuyo contexto investigador se ha realizado la presente investigacion. En primer lugar, esta tesis presenta un trabajo de revision que evalua la delimitacion crono-espacial del grupo argarico, asi como los principales elementos que la caracterizan. En sintesis, la sociedad argarica perdurara durante casi 650 anos de desarrollo (c.2200-1550 cal ANE) llegando a ocupar un territorio que alcanza los 33.000 km2. En este contexto, el analisis de la produccion ceramica es el objeto centra de la presente investigacion. La investigacion ceramica se centra en la caracterizacion funcional. Se propone una estrategia de analisis que contempla el estudio del grueso de evidencias fu...
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Data in Brief, 2017
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Nevertheless, the ceramic vessels have been always studied from a morphometric point of view, not from its functional dimension.
In this context, we carried out an interdisciplinar study focused on the use of argaric vessels based on organic residues analysis, determination of lipid component by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and chromatography coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) , and mesurements of its volumetric capacities .
The combination of data generated from these studies let us confirm that there's a relation between volumetric capacities and content.
In this sense, for example, there are many 300 ml standardized bowls which have been analyzed, normally resulting not in animal but vegetal content. It could be interpreted as ration units related with a controlled distribution of cereals or its derivatives between the population.
Nevertheless, the ceramic vessels have been always studied from a morphometric point of view, not from its functional dimension.
In this context, we carried out an interdisciplinar study focused on the use of argaric vessels based on organic residues analysis, determination of lipid component by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and chromatography coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) , and mesurements of its volumetric capacities .
The combination of data generated from these studies let us confirm that there's a relation between volumetric capacities and content.
In this sense, for example, there are many 300 ml standardized bowls which have been analyzed, normally resulting not in animal but vegetal content. It could be interpreted as ration units related with a controlled distribution of cereals or its derivatives between the population.