- Robert.Risch@uab.cat
Roberto Risch
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Departament de Prehistòria, Faculty Member
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Prehistory, Faculty Memberadd
- Prehistoric Archaeology, Lithic Technology, Island archaeology, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Copper age, Macro-lithic tools, and 24 moreArchaeological Method & Theory, Prehistoric Technology, Lithic Technology (Archaeology), Prehistory Metallurgy, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Prehistory, Mediterranean prehistory, Climate Change, Metallurgy, Aegean Bronze Age (Bronze Age Archaeology), Minoan Archaeology, El Argar, Bronze Age Archaeology, Aegean Archaeology, Iberian Prehistory (Archaeology), Bronze Age (Archaeology), Early Bronze Age (Archaeology), Bell Beakers (Archaeology), Mediterranean archaeology, Archaeological Theory, Late Bronze Age archaeology, Economic archaeology, Political Economy, and Economic Historyedit
This guide aims to show you the most interesting aspects of the research carried out since 2013 on the archaeological site of La Almoloya (Pliego, Murcia). After several campaigns of excavation, restoration and consolidation, both sites... more
This guide aims to show you the most interesting aspects of the research carried out since 2013 on the archaeological site of La Almoloya (Pliego, Murcia). After several campaigns of excavation, restoration and consolidation, both sites are now accessible to the general public. At the same time, the research in the laboratories continues on the huge number of finds, so it is not surprising that some of the ideas expressed here may be modified in the future. This research is carried out under the umbrella of the “Bastida Project”, which is also dedicated to the excavation, study and professional and public dissemination of our knowledge of two other important archaeological sites of the Argaric Bronze Age: La Bastida and Tira del Lienzo (Totana).
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This guide aims to show you the most interesting aspects of the research carried out since 2008 on the archaeological sites of La Bastida and Tira del Lienzo (Totana). After several campaigns of excavation, restoration and consolidation,... more
This guide aims to show you the most interesting aspects of the research carried out since 2008 on the archaeological sites of La Bastida and Tira del Lienzo (Totana). After several campaigns of excavation, restoration and consolidation, both sites are now accessible to the general public. At the same time, the research in the laboratories continues on the huge number of finds, so it is not surprising that some of the ideas expressed here may be modified in the future. The following pages are the result of the efforts of the members of the "Bastida Project". This initiative materialised seven years ago thanks to the wishes and interests of the Government of the Region of Murcia through its Ministry of Culture, the Autonomous University of Barcelona through a team of the Department of Prehistory (Research Group in Mediterranean Social Archaeoecology - ASOME), which continues with the investigations, and of the City Council of Totana. What has been achieved to date fills us with satisfaction and is an incentive to continue working on what remains to be done. But let us not talk about the future. For now, nothing would make us happier than to share the knowledge, emotion and happiness we have experienced in La Bastida and Tira del Lienzo.
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The 10th Archaeological Conference of Central Germany addressed the subject of societies which do not appear to fit into the current understanding of history or which cannot be explained by it. None of the references we know from... more
The 10th Archaeological Conference of Central Germany addressed the subject of societies which do not appear to fit into the current understanding of history or which cannot be explained by it. None of the references we know from historical and ethnographic sources really help us to explain monumental earthworks which enclose dozens of hectares of land but which are unlikely to have been effective as defensive structures; settlements with hundreds of houses but no indication of any central administration or elite; archaeological sites where thousands of people met to hold enormous feasts, only to disperse again into many small hunter-gatherer groups; or extraordinary creative and artistic achievements produced without the patronage of ruling groups, etc. It is only when we question the widely-held premise that material wealth is necessarily accompanied by social inequality that our attention is drawn to those rehistoric societies whose archaeological remains provide no clear evidence of an unequal distribution of resources (in settlement structures or burials, for example) but which nevertheless developed a level of communication and cooperation far exceeding that of family or kindred groups. The existence of such societies undermines the simple antithesis of »primitive« egalitarian societies and »civilised« hierarchical ones (states, in particular), with a spectrum of gradations in-between, which evolutionary ethnology and archaeology have proposed for over 100 years, and suggests that quite different forms of human coexistence are also possible.
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There is almost no phenomenon as difficult to identify in the archaeological record as ritual violence. Yet we know that violence and rituals are fundamental historical forces that have not only radically altered societies, but also... more
There is almost no phenomenon as difficult to identify in the archaeological record as ritual violence. Yet we know that violence and rituals are fundamental historical forces that have not only radically altered societies, but also ›regulated‹ them over long periods of time. They have thus contributed as much to the establishment of accepted social norms, political structures and property relations as to their overthrow. The aim of the 12th Archaeological Conference of Central Germany was to discuss the reciprocal relationship between ritual and violence at an international and interdisciplinary level. The two-volume conference proceedings, with over 30 case studies, provides a historical survey of the mutual relationship between violence and ritual.
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Introduction The proceedings before us, comprised of seven papers, are inspired by the subject of the almost completed CRAFTER programme Creative Europe project. The full title of the project is Crafting Europe in the Bronze Age and... more
Introduction
The proceedings before us, comprised of seven papers, are inspired by the subject of the almost completed CRAFTER programme Creative Europe project. The full title of the project is Crafting Europe in the Bronze Age and Today, and in brief, the idea was to draw inspiration from Europe’s Bronze Age pottery to help revive modern-day artisanship. The project targets the appreciation of Europe's cultural heritage as a shared resource and the reinforcement of a sense of belonging to a common European space. In particular, it hopes to make cultural heritage a source of inspiration for contemporary creation and innovation and strengthen the interaction between this sector and other cultural and creative sectors. The main framework of the project was the idea that four potters from Spain, Germany, Hungary, and Serbia will draw on their skills to (re)create ceramic vessels representative of some of the most outstanding Bronze Age cultures of Europe: El Argar (southeast Spain), Únětice (Central Europe), Füzesabony (eastern Hungary) and Vatin (Serbia).
The papers published within these proceedings are not strictly related to the project itself, but the problems of Bronze Age pottery in Europe in general. The problems discussed in the presented papers and the inspirations are drawn from the CRAFTER project. The original idea was to delve into the content of the pottery and define its composition and quality. These are, in fact, the elements responsible for the final appearance of the ceramic vessel and its function. Considering that out of four editors, two have presented papers within the proceedings, I have been honoured to write this short introduction on their significance and essence. The thread that connects all of the papers, although their concepts do not seem similar at the first glance, since some of the papers are dwelling on interdisciplinarity while others deal with certain chronological and cultural-historical problems, is that the primary analytical material in all of the papers is Bronze Age pottery, from beyond the Pyrenees, across Central Europe, to the Balkans, which is not unexpected considering that a Serbian institution was credited for publishing. The positive aspect is that the pottery is Crafting pottery in Bronze Age Europe: the archaeological background of the CRAFTER project discussed in a manner uncommon for archaeology, while on the other hand pottery studies have been more and more neglected in the past few decades, as such subjects are considered as passé in archaeology. The ever-rising number of specializations and specialists have pushed the pottery and potters into an undeserved corner, even though without such a set of analytic work the past can not be completely and adequately perceived.
The pottery is “slow-moving”. It changes, circulates, and exchanges at a slow pace and it enables the perception of the beginning, development, decadence, and the end of a certain society. The pottery has regional character and reflects the primary contacts, the esthetics of a community, and the inspiration of the artist. Certainly, this implies to prehistoric pottery and communities which do not function within centralized social systems, such as the Bronze Age beyond Mediterranean Europe, which is indeed in the focus of these proceedings. With the appearance of the potter’s wheel, the production and distribution of pottery merge with industry and economy, and at that moment a puzzle of a small man from the past loses a piece. A piece without which we are unable to perceive small communities through such an important, fruitful, and data-rich object such as pottery and which we often tend to neglect as a discipline. In order to identify the contacts, exchange, and trade or reconstruct the communication routes in past, we often reach to the so-called luxurious artifacts: metals, amber, glass, and artisan objects… Likewise, pottery could narrate a story of one meal, one house, one potter, one village, or one community in the past, which is, like it or not, a fact that will make the interdisciplinary and diverse analyses of prehistoric pottery one of the primary archaeological methods.
Vojislav Filipović
Institute of Archaeology, Belgrade
The proceedings before us, comprised of seven papers, are inspired by the subject of the almost completed CRAFTER programme Creative Europe project. The full title of the project is Crafting Europe in the Bronze Age and Today, and in brief, the idea was to draw inspiration from Europe’s Bronze Age pottery to help revive modern-day artisanship. The project targets the appreciation of Europe's cultural heritage as a shared resource and the reinforcement of a sense of belonging to a common European space. In particular, it hopes to make cultural heritage a source of inspiration for contemporary creation and innovation and strengthen the interaction between this sector and other cultural and creative sectors. The main framework of the project was the idea that four potters from Spain, Germany, Hungary, and Serbia will draw on their skills to (re)create ceramic vessels representative of some of the most outstanding Bronze Age cultures of Europe: El Argar (southeast Spain), Únětice (Central Europe), Füzesabony (eastern Hungary) and Vatin (Serbia).
The papers published within these proceedings are not strictly related to the project itself, but the problems of Bronze Age pottery in Europe in general. The problems discussed in the presented papers and the inspirations are drawn from the CRAFTER project. The original idea was to delve into the content of the pottery and define its composition and quality. These are, in fact, the elements responsible for the final appearance of the ceramic vessel and its function. Considering that out of four editors, two have presented papers within the proceedings, I have been honoured to write this short introduction on their significance and essence. The thread that connects all of the papers, although their concepts do not seem similar at the first glance, since some of the papers are dwelling on interdisciplinarity while others deal with certain chronological and cultural-historical problems, is that the primary analytical material in all of the papers is Bronze Age pottery, from beyond the Pyrenees, across Central Europe, to the Balkans, which is not unexpected considering that a Serbian institution was credited for publishing. The positive aspect is that the pottery is Crafting pottery in Bronze Age Europe: the archaeological background of the CRAFTER project discussed in a manner uncommon for archaeology, while on the other hand pottery studies have been more and more neglected in the past few decades, as such subjects are considered as passé in archaeology. The ever-rising number of specializations and specialists have pushed the pottery and potters into an undeserved corner, even though without such a set of analytic work the past can not be completely and adequately perceived.
The pottery is “slow-moving”. It changes, circulates, and exchanges at a slow pace and it enables the perception of the beginning, development, decadence, and the end of a certain society. The pottery has regional character and reflects the primary contacts, the esthetics of a community, and the inspiration of the artist. Certainly, this implies to prehistoric pottery and communities which do not function within centralized social systems, such as the Bronze Age beyond Mediterranean Europe, which is indeed in the focus of these proceedings. With the appearance of the potter’s wheel, the production and distribution of pottery merge with industry and economy, and at that moment a puzzle of a small man from the past loses a piece. A piece without which we are unable to perceive small communities through such an important, fruitful, and data-rich object such as pottery and which we often tend to neglect as a discipline. In order to identify the contacts, exchange, and trade or reconstruct the communication routes in past, we often reach to the so-called luxurious artifacts: metals, amber, glass, and artisan objects… Likewise, pottery could narrate a story of one meal, one house, one potter, one village, or one community in the past, which is, like it or not, a fact that will make the interdisciplinary and diverse analyses of prehistoric pottery one of the primary archaeological methods.
Vojislav Filipović
Institute of Archaeology, Belgrade
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The international Archaeological Conference of Central Germany 2018, hosted annually by the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt, was devoted to the topic of »Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Settlement... more
The international Archaeological Conference of Central Germany 2018, hosted annually by the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt, was devoted to the topic of »Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Settlement Archaeology«. The aim is to bring up to date the state of research in the field of settlement archaeology during the 3rd and first half of the 2nd millennium BCE. Especially in the new federal states of Germany large-scale archaeological remains of settlements have been revealed, as various major infrastructural projects and the construction of business parks were carried out since the German reunification. Until today, the total extent of these settlement sites are hard to grasp. Starting point are the distribution area of the Central German Unetice Culture, its predecessors, as well as the culturally closely connected regions. However, new insights into social
change, mobility, and intensification of long-distance contacts in the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC require a broadening of the perspective onto the whole of Europe. The present conference proceedings span from the Carpathian to Ireland and from Denmark to Sicily, thus laying the foundation for a settlement archaeology which is not tied to today's political boundaries.
change, mobility, and intensification of long-distance contacts in the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC require a broadening of the perspective onto the whole of Europe. The present conference proceedings span from the Carpathian to Ireland and from Denmark to Sicily, thus laying the foundation for a settlement archaeology which is not tied to today's political boundaries.
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The 8th international Archaeological Conference of Central Germany was concerned with the topic »Rich and Poor. Competing for resources in prehistory«. The collected essays can once again be presented as a two volume publication within... more
The 8th international Archaeological Conference of Central Germany was concerned with the topic »Rich and Poor. Competing for resources in prehistory«. The collected essays can once again be presented as a two volume publication within one year after the conference. The question of »Rich and Poor«, in other words of social inequality, is one of the fundamental questions in the development of human societies, at least since the beginning of recorded history. Already the oldest recorded human myth – the Epic of Gilgamesh – shows that this condition was also seen as a fundamental social problem. Since then, numerous models have been developed to compensate for inequality without making it disappear. To this day it is to a greater or lesser degree still part of the reality of social life. But has this always been the case? In the present two volumes, different theoretical approaches and case studies explore the origins and the implications of an unequal access to natural as well as social resources.
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Migration and Integration from Prehistory to the Middle Ages
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Preface and contents of the conference proceedings of the 7th Archaeological Conference of Central Germany, held during 23rd-26th of October 2014 in Halle (Saale)
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Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Cultural Heritage, Mediterranean prehistory, Archaeology of the Iberian Peninsula, and 15 morePrehistoric Europe (Archaeology), Early Bronze Age (Archaeology), Arqueología, Archaeological Site Formation Processes, Arqueología De La Arquitectura, Patrimonio Cultural, Arquitetura e Urbanismo, Edad Del Bronce, Argar Culture, Murcia, Paleoantropología, Prehistoria Reciente, Clases sociales y estratificación, Rituales funerarios, and Orfebrería y platería
Enlace para consultar esta guía arqueológica: https://issuu.com/integral.es/docs/la_bastida_y_tira_del_lienzo
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Este libro recoge una ingente cantidad de documentación en forma de textos, documentos y fotografías procedentes de las excavaciones y análisis científicos centrados en este yacimiento clave de la Edad del Bronce Argárica. A lo largo de... more
Este libro recoge una ingente cantidad de documentación en forma de textos, documentos y fotografías procedentes de las excavaciones y análisis científicos centrados en este yacimiento clave de la Edad del Bronce Argárica. A lo largo de más de 1600 páginas, se ofrece un recorrido documental por la historia de las intervenciones arqueológicas en La Bastida, desde las primeras excavaciones a cargo de R. de Inchaurrandieta hasta el inicio del Proyecto Bastida y, en cierta manera, un repaso por las maneras de hacer arqueología en nuestro país desde el nacimiento de esta disciplina. La obra completa puede ser descargada desde el siguiente enlace: https://ddd.uab.cat/record/148314
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Enlace para consultar esta guía arqueológica: https://issuu.com/integral.es/docs/la_almoloya
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To approach the different social meanings of early gold and silver has been the ultimate objective of the 6th Archaeological Conference of Central Germany taking place at Halle between the 17th and 19th October 2o13. The present two... more
To approach the different social meanings of early gold and silver has been the ultimate objective of the 6th Archaeological Conference of Central Germany taking place at Halle between the 17th and 19th October 2o13. The present two volumes bring together the lectures and posters presented during the conference, as well as additional contributions and discussions resulting out of the meeting or considered of particular relevance to the topic. As in previous editions, the annual Archaeological Conference of Central Germany is seen as a stage where the archaeological findings as well as academic discussions of central Germany can be placed in a wider international context, at the same time making them accessible to a wide audience. On this stage regional approaches are faced with general approaches and interpretative propositions, science-based analyses encounter sociological readings, these are contrasted again with empirical data, so that finally the heuristic value of different interpretative perspectives can be compared. Ultimately, these conferences aim to encourage communication between regions, disciplines and the different archaeological traditions of Europe and beyond, focusing the attention on specific topics of regional as well as international relevance.
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El objetivo de esta publicación es desarrollar nuevas posibilitades de análisis socio-económicas en la arqueología a partir de uno de los poblados prehistóricos más notables de la península Ibérica. Para lograrlo, se propone una teoría... more
El objetivo de esta publicación es desarrollar nuevas posibilitades de análisis socio-económicas en la arqueología a partir de uno de los poblados prehistóricos más notables de la península Ibérica. Para lograrlo, se propone una teoría económica para la arqueología y se presenta un nuevo método para el estudio de los instrumentos de trabajo macrolíticos. Sobre esta base se analizan los miles de artefactos líticos recuperados dentro del yacimiento desde el punto de vista de la procedencia de las materias primeras, los procesos de producción de los instrumentos de trabajo, su función y valor económico, así como la distribución temporal y espacial de los medios de producción dentro del poblado. Finalmente, se ubican los resultados obtenidos en un contexto más general y se proponen diferentes modelos de desarrollo socio-económico para los grupos arqueológicos de Los Millares, El Argar y Post-argar.
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Dentro de esta monografía de 699 páginas se presentan los resultados científicos logrados en dos yacimientos al Mediterráneo occidental, como son los espectaculares de Es Càrritx y de Es Mussol, en Menorca. La conservación extraordinaria... more
Dentro de esta monografía de 699 páginas se presentan los resultados científicos logrados en dos yacimientos al Mediterráneo occidental, como son los espectaculares de Es Càrritx y de Es Mussol, en Menorca. La conservación extraordinaria del registro material, en el que destaca una serie de útiles y tallas de madera, ha permitido una profunda revisión de la secuencia cronocultural de la prehistoria balear, así como conocer el complejo mundo de las relaciones sociales e ideológicas de estas comunidades y sus conexiones con otras zonas del Mediterráneo y Europa centroccidental.
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The aim of this thesis was to determine the economic structures that allowed the development of the archaeological groups of Southeast Spain between 3000 and 1000 cal. BC. These groups are known as Los Millares, El Argar, and... more
The aim of this thesis was to determine the economic structures that allowed the development of the archaeological groups of Southeast Spain between 3000 and 1000 cal. BC. These groups are known as Los Millares, El Argar, and Purullena-Villena or Late Bronze Age.
At a theoretical level this implies the establishment of a frame of reference that makes economic analysis in archaeology possible. A review of the history of economic thought since Aristotele allows us to distinguish three concepts (energy, matter and intentionality) around which the historically changing relation between the subject and nature is articulated in what we call the basic economic scheme. Once defined, the idea of “economy” is located again in its social context. Here, the importance of the distribution of energetic costs and benefits inside society leads to a discussion of the concept of surplus and its archaeological identification.
The proposed theoretical framework leads us to the means of pruduction, as the material element with the highest potential for an archaeological study of the economic structures. Frequently these are the only elements that allow a qualitative and specific, as well as a quantitative and abstract, evaluation of economic production. In the chosen research area and period the most frequent means of production are the ground stone artefacts. So far, this material has hardly been considered in archaeology, and it required the development of a specific method of analysis. It includes three forms of approaching the material remains: 1. analytical description of the morphometric and morphotechnical characteristics of the artefacts, 2. petrological analysis and study of the material behaviour of the rocks, and 3. functional study based on an experimental research programme.
The archaeological analysis undertaken within this theoretical and methodological framework consists of the following steps:
1. Identification of the geological, geomorphological and petrological features of the coastal regions of Murcia and Almería. Systematic clast counts were undertaken at different formations, as well as petrological analysis of the raw materials used in the past, in order to identify the exploited resources and the areas of extraction.
2. Identification of the lithic artefacts found on the surface of a large number of settlements. This allowed us to determine the strategies of natural exploitation in each site and the existence of different territories of exploitation.
3. Experimental work and identification of the use wear, in order to understand the tasks carried out with archaeological artefacts.
4. Morphotechnical, functional, petrological and spatial analysis of 2300 artefacts from excavated sites like Almizaraque (Cuevas del Alamanzora), Gatas (Turre) and Fuente Alamo (Cuevas del Alamanzora). This step consists of an artefactual study of the instruments of production, as well as of a contextual study of the spaces of production in which the first participate. The C14 dates from these sites allow us to work with a minimal chronological resolution of 200 years.
Finally, the results obtained from these studies are related to other types of palaeo-economic information, in order to define the basic economic scheme for each of the considered archaeological groups. This allows us to propose different production systems, which conditioned the social, political and ideological development of the prehistoric communities from the Southeast Iberian Peninsula during some 2000 years. The parallel existence of two forms of occupying the space and organising the labour force and the means of production, defines the economic organisation of the Los Millares group as a dual system of production. After a sharp break arround 2300 cal BC the rise of a vertical system of production takes place and characterises the state formation of the El Argar group. Natural resources and means of production are centralised in certain settlements, on which a large part of the population depends for the fullfilment of its needs, in terms of basic products. Around 1550 cal BC different communities follow diverse economic developments, which do not seem to form one system of production, but are rather the result of a disintegration of the previous territorial powers and the integration of the Southeast in a new system of larger scale distribution.
At a theoretical level this implies the establishment of a frame of reference that makes economic analysis in archaeology possible. A review of the history of economic thought since Aristotele allows us to distinguish three concepts (energy, matter and intentionality) around which the historically changing relation between the subject and nature is articulated in what we call the basic economic scheme. Once defined, the idea of “economy” is located again in its social context. Here, the importance of the distribution of energetic costs and benefits inside society leads to a discussion of the concept of surplus and its archaeological identification.
The proposed theoretical framework leads us to the means of pruduction, as the material element with the highest potential for an archaeological study of the economic structures. Frequently these are the only elements that allow a qualitative and specific, as well as a quantitative and abstract, evaluation of economic production. In the chosen research area and period the most frequent means of production are the ground stone artefacts. So far, this material has hardly been considered in archaeology, and it required the development of a specific method of analysis. It includes three forms of approaching the material remains: 1. analytical description of the morphometric and morphotechnical characteristics of the artefacts, 2. petrological analysis and study of the material behaviour of the rocks, and 3. functional study based on an experimental research programme.
The archaeological analysis undertaken within this theoretical and methodological framework consists of the following steps:
1. Identification of the geological, geomorphological and petrological features of the coastal regions of Murcia and Almería. Systematic clast counts were undertaken at different formations, as well as petrological analysis of the raw materials used in the past, in order to identify the exploited resources and the areas of extraction.
2. Identification of the lithic artefacts found on the surface of a large number of settlements. This allowed us to determine the strategies of natural exploitation in each site and the existence of different territories of exploitation.
3. Experimental work and identification of the use wear, in order to understand the tasks carried out with archaeological artefacts.
4. Morphotechnical, functional, petrological and spatial analysis of 2300 artefacts from excavated sites like Almizaraque (Cuevas del Alamanzora), Gatas (Turre) and Fuente Alamo (Cuevas del Alamanzora). This step consists of an artefactual study of the instruments of production, as well as of a contextual study of the spaces of production in which the first participate. The C14 dates from these sites allow us to work with a minimal chronological resolution of 200 years.
Finally, the results obtained from these studies are related to other types of palaeo-economic information, in order to define the basic economic scheme for each of the considered archaeological groups. This allows us to propose different production systems, which conditioned the social, political and ideological development of the prehistoric communities from the Southeast Iberian Peninsula during some 2000 years. The parallel existence of two forms of occupying the space and organising the labour force and the means of production, defines the economic organisation of the Los Millares group as a dual system of production. After a sharp break arround 2300 cal BC the rise of a vertical system of production takes place and characterises the state formation of the El Argar group. Natural resources and means of production are centralised in certain settlements, on which a large part of the population depends for the fullfilment of its needs, in terms of basic products. Around 1550 cal BC different communities follow diverse economic developments, which do not seem to form one system of production, but are rather the result of a disintegration of the previous territorial powers and the integration of the Southeast in a new system of larger scale distribution.
Esta monografía constituye el resultado del 1er Congreso de Análisis Funcional de España y Portugal, celebrado en Barcelona durante los días 28-30 de noviembre del 2001. La obra pretende reflejar los adelantos que se han obtenido en ambos... more
Esta monografía constituye el resultado del 1er Congreso de Análisis Funcional de España y Portugal, celebrado en Barcelona durante los días 28-30 de noviembre del 2001. La obra pretende reflejar los adelantos que se han obtenido en ambos países durante los últimos años dentro del campo del análisis funcional de los artefactos arqueológicos. Con el objetivo de avanzar en el potencial heurístico de esta metodología arqueológica, se dedican secciones específicas a cuestiones teóricas y a nuevas propuestas metodológicas. Además, se ha logrado ampliar el ámbito convencional de aplicación del análisis funcional (fundamentalmente, sílex de contextos paleolíticos) al conjunto de los materiales arqueológicos y a todas las fases prehistóricas del desarrollo humano.
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Most a-cephalic societies identified by anthropology are described as being poor in absolute (material) terms, but rich in time for leisure or other activities. Affluence is generally understood as a situation where material needs remain... more
Most a-cephalic societies identified by anthropology are described as being poor in absolute (material) terms, but rich in time for leisure or other activities. Affluence is generally understood as a situation where material needs remain limited and where the idea of necessity governs economic production. In this stoic understanding of human existence, social equality is inevitably linked to limited economic wealth and, hence, to hunter-gatherer societies. According to this logic, the development of individual needs not only requires a greater input of labour, but also leads to social inequality, political institutions, etc. This dominant civilisational narrative is being challenged by archaeology, as increasing evidence is provided of prehistoric societies with an exceptional demographic and economic development, including a high level of specialisation and coordination, but where no or few signs of political centralisation can be identified. These societies engaged in substantial joint enterprises, extended over large territories, organised large-scale distribution networks, and developed exceptional technical skills. No convincing interpretative framework has yet been developed for these archaeological complexes, which evade the conventional labels of chiefdom, state, social complexity, etc. The various spatial and material expressions used in archaeology to identify political institutions, centralised power, or social hierarchies remain elusive in these cases. Although settlement areas may have reached considerable sizes, they did not develop into urban centres. The production of substantial surplus is the common feature of these groups. This production was utilised in very different social, ideological, or political realms, but was not transformed into private property. Consequently, we can speak here of cooperative affluent societies, where substantial material benefits were shared and enjoyed collectively. In our presentation, examples of several archaeological case studies, ranging from the Near East to the western Mediterranean, will be used to discuss the strategies adopted by these societies in relation to surplus production and obliteration, as well as their political forms. Ultimately, this will also allow us to understand why it proves difficult to find equivalences in the ethnographic record.
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Confusion currently exists in the economic- and social sciences concerning the definition of and differentiation between wealth, economic gain, and surplus profit or added value, a confusion partly caused by the ambiguity of the English... more
Confusion currently exists in the economic- and social sciences
concerning the definition of and differentiation between
wealth, economic gain, and surplus profit or added value, a
confusion partly caused by the ambiguity of the English
meaning of the term surplus. The scientific-political consequence
of this misunderstanding has been to cover up the
social exploitation of certain sections of the population by
others – be it in present times or in the past. The basis of the
discussion presented in this paper is the observation that
every society – in principle and owing to various social and
natural causes – can produce surplus gains, but that it is only
under certain circumstances that these gains are transformed
into surplus profit, i. e. into production from which the producer
is alienated. We also assume that a fair distribution of resources
is not a state of nature of human affairs, but requires certain
distribution mechanisms, which need to be enforced socially
and politically.
The following investigation aims to discuss, using different archaeological case studies, the kind of strategies
prehistoric societies developed to administer wealth
and to prevent an appropriation of the means of production
by certain groups or individuals. The development of productive
forces and, hence, expanded possibilities for generating
economic gains has required increasingly complex strategies
to prevent the appropriation and transformation of those
gains into surplus profit. From an evolutionary or processual
perspective, a »natural equality« is often contrasted with a
»complex division of labour« leading unavoidably to differences
in wealth. Instead, a historically orientated approach should
examine the economic, social, and political conditions under
which social exploitation became possible, and under which
the old distribution strategies, as well as ideologies of social
cooperation supportive of those strategies, were overcome.
concerning the definition of and differentiation between
wealth, economic gain, and surplus profit or added value, a
confusion partly caused by the ambiguity of the English
meaning of the term surplus. The scientific-political consequence
of this misunderstanding has been to cover up the
social exploitation of certain sections of the population by
others – be it in present times or in the past. The basis of the
discussion presented in this paper is the observation that
every society – in principle and owing to various social and
natural causes – can produce surplus gains, but that it is only
under certain circumstances that these gains are transformed
into surplus profit, i. e. into production from which the producer
is alienated. We also assume that a fair distribution of resources
is not a state of nature of human affairs, but requires certain
distribution mechanisms, which need to be enforced socially
and politically.
The following investigation aims to discuss, using different archaeological case studies, the kind of strategies
prehistoric societies developed to administer wealth
and to prevent an appropriation of the means of production
by certain groups or individuals. The development of productive
forces and, hence, expanded possibilities for generating
economic gains has required increasingly complex strategies
to prevent the appropriation and transformation of those
gains into surplus profit. From an evolutionary or processual
perspective, a »natural equality« is often contrasted with a
»complex division of labour« leading unavoidably to differences
in wealth. Instead, a historically orientated approach should
examine the economic, social, and political conditions under
which social exploitation became possible, and under which
the old distribution strategies, as well as ideologies of social
cooperation supportive of those strategies, were overcome.
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La narrativa dominante del desarrollo económico de la humanidad está basada en la convicción de que toda producción de riqueza implica inevitablemente división social del trabajo, explotación social y, en última instancia, la aparición de... more
La narrativa dominante del desarrollo económico de la humanidad está
basada en la convicción de que toda producción de riqueza implica inevitablemente división social del trabajo, explotación social y, en última instancia, la aparición de formas políticas estatales. La antropología y sobre todo la arqueología prehistórica, está mostrando en los últimos años que esta perspectiva probablemente es un constructo que ha servido más como legitimación histórica del poder dominante que como explicación de nuestra historia económica. Durante los últimos años la arqueología está aportando evidencias sustanciales de sociedades de la prehistoria reciente, como el grupo Halaf (c. 6200-5300 ANE), con un desarrollo demográfico y económico excepcional, con un alto grado de especialización y coordinación, pero donde se observan escasas o ninguna señal de centralización política. En estas sociedades, las formas de cooperación y la producción de sobrantes parecen jugar un papel central como estrategias de contención a la generación de plusvalías y a la centralización de poder. Tal organización económica también implica unas formas políticas específicas y con un nivel de complejidad superior a las que rigen las primeras sociedades clasistas. El registro arqueológico del grupo Halaf nos permite adentrarnos en lo que pudieron ser las sociedades cooperativas de la abundancia durante la época Neolítica, tanto en Próximo Oriente como en otras partes del mundo.
basada en la convicción de que toda producción de riqueza implica inevitablemente división social del trabajo, explotación social y, en última instancia, la aparición de formas políticas estatales. La antropología y sobre todo la arqueología prehistórica, está mostrando en los últimos años que esta perspectiva probablemente es un constructo que ha servido más como legitimación histórica del poder dominante que como explicación de nuestra historia económica. Durante los últimos años la arqueología está aportando evidencias sustanciales de sociedades de la prehistoria reciente, como el grupo Halaf (c. 6200-5300 ANE), con un desarrollo demográfico y económico excepcional, con un alto grado de especialización y coordinación, pero donde se observan escasas o ninguna señal de centralización política. En estas sociedades, las formas de cooperación y la producción de sobrantes parecen jugar un papel central como estrategias de contención a la generación de plusvalías y a la centralización de poder. Tal organización económica también implica unas formas políticas específicas y con un nivel de complejidad superior a las que rigen las primeras sociedades clasistas. El registro arqueológico del grupo Halaf nos permite adentrarnos en lo que pudieron ser las sociedades cooperativas de la abundancia durante la época Neolítica, tanto en Próximo Oriente como en otras partes del mundo.
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The present debate on social inequality in the media, in politics and in society in general challenges history, archaeology and social anthropology in two different, albeit related realms. Firstly, it is necessary to understand the social... more
The present debate on social inequality in the media, in politics and in society in general challenges history, archaeology and social anthropology in two different, albeit related realms. Firstly, it is necessary to understand the social contexts that can lead to a notion of equality arising within a species whose distinct trait it is to create diversity with regard to kinship and sexual relations, artefact manufacture, subsistence habits, ideology, etc. The study of how our current concepts evolved shows that the differences between »rich and poor« are not part of human diversity, but a historical product. Secondly, if social inequality is not an intrinsic part of our social existence, archaeology, social anthropology, and history are responsible for our understanding of how the original principles of cooperation and sharing, on which the successful expansion and development of the human species was based over hundreds of thousands of years, became disrupted and led to more exploitative organisations in certain times and places than in others. Finally, it is necessary to ask what consequences social inequality has had for these societies.
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The research presented in this paper raises the question of why acts and means of physical violence were represented prominently for the first time around the middle of the 4th millennium BC and became widespread in the 3rd millennium BC.... more
The research presented in this paper raises the question of why acts and means of physical violence were represented prominently for the first time around the middle of the 4th millennium BC and became widespread in the 3rd millennium BC. Although hunting was a common topic in prehistoric art, depictions of suffering inflicted on humans by humans crop up relatively late in human history. If palaeo-anthropological evidence suggests that inter-personal physical violence had occurred – at least occasionally – since the very early development of our species, its late depiction must be related to changes in the social understanding of this praxis at a time when deep technological and political changes were occurring over a large and increasingly connected part of the world, extending from the Middle East to North Africa and the western Mediterranean.
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Halle (Saale) wird der Frage nachgegangen, wann Krieg erstmals in Erscheinung tritt und wie es dazu kommt. Nach Überlegungen zur Definition von »Krieg« und Bezügen zur Ethnologie sowie zum Konfliktverhalten von Schimpansen wird der Mensch... more
Halle (Saale) wird der Frage nachgegangen, wann Krieg erstmals in Erscheinung tritt und wie es dazu kommt. Nach Überlegungen zur Definition von »Krieg« und Bezügen zur Ethnologie sowie zum Konfliktverhalten von Schimpansen wird der Mensch und sein kriegerisches Verhalten in den Vordergrund gerückt: beginnend mit den frühesten nachweis baren Konflikten der Menschheitsgeschichte in der Steinzeit und endend mit umfangreichen kriege rischen Auseinandersetzungen während der Bronzezeit. Hier spielt das neu entdeckte, mehr als 3000 Jahre alte Schlachtfeld vom Tollensetal eine besondere Rolle. Die aktuellen Forschungen auf dem Schlachtfeld von Lützen (1632) lenken schlaglichtartig den Blick in die jüngere Vergangenheit: Am Beispiel eines ge-borgenen Massengrabes werden die Spuren aufgedeckt, die der Dreißigjährige Krieg in Mitteldeutschland hinterlassen hat.
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Halle (Saale) wird der Frage nachgegangen, wann Krieg erstmals in Erscheinung tritt und wie es dazu kommt. Nach Überlegungen zur Definition von »Krieg« und Bezügen zur Ethnologie sowie zum Konfliktverhalten von Schimpansen wird der Mensch... more
Halle (Saale) wird der Frage nachgegangen, wann Krieg erstmals in Erscheinung tritt und wie es dazu kommt. Nach Überlegungen zur Definition von »Krieg« und Bezügen zur Ethnologie sowie zum Konfliktverhalten von Schimpansen wird der Mensch und sein kriegerisches Verhalten in den Vordergrund gerückt: beginnend mit den frühesten nachweis baren Konflikten der Menschheitsgeschichte in der Steinzeit und endend mit umfangreichen kriege rischen Auseinandersetzungen während der Bronzezeit. Hier spielt das neu entdeckte, mehr als 3000 Jahre alte Schlachtfeld vom Tollensetal eine besondere Rolle. Die aktuellen Forschungen auf dem Schlachtfeld von Lützen (1632) lenken schlaglichtartig den Blick in die jüngere Vergangenheit: Am Beispiel eines ge-borgenen Massengrabes werden die Spuren aufgedeckt, die der Dreißigjährige Krieg in Mitteldeutschland hinterlassen hat.
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A continuación, esbozaremos el papel de la ideología en la construcción del conocimiento de las sociedades prehistóricas a partir de un caso concreto que alude a la visión occidental de un fragmento del desarrollo humano como si de un... more
A continuación, esbozaremos el papel de la ideología en la construcción del conocimiento de las sociedades
prehistóricas a partir de un caso concreto que alude a la visión occidental de un fragmento del
desarrollo humano como si de un proceso único, lógico y unívoco se tratara. La existencia de trayectorias
humanas muy diferentes en otras partes del mundo suele ser pasado por alto o concebido como casos
exóticos, por lo que rara vez lleva a cuestionar la “lógica” de nuestra Weltanschauung. Como trasfondo de
este proceder, la ideología económica y política capitalista brinda las premisas teóricas para captar, a su
manera, un fenómeno prehistórico que, como el megalitismo atlántico, constituye un ejemplo de cómo una
materialidad social que podríamos considerar realmente “exótica” y de complejas implicaciones explicativas,
es “encajada” en el recto camino del progreso hacia la modernidad y responde a lo que cabría esperar
de una idiosincrasia que se reconoce nuestra y se presupone perenne.
prehistóricas a partir de un caso concreto que alude a la visión occidental de un fragmento del
desarrollo humano como si de un proceso único, lógico y unívoco se tratara. La existencia de trayectorias
humanas muy diferentes en otras partes del mundo suele ser pasado por alto o concebido como casos
exóticos, por lo que rara vez lleva a cuestionar la “lógica” de nuestra Weltanschauung. Como trasfondo de
este proceder, la ideología económica y política capitalista brinda las premisas teóricas para captar, a su
manera, un fenómeno prehistórico que, como el megalitismo atlántico, constituye un ejemplo de cómo una
materialidad social que podríamos considerar realmente “exótica” y de complejas implicaciones explicativas,
es “encajada” en el recto camino del progreso hacia la modernidad y responde a lo que cabría esperar
de una idiosincrasia que se reconoce nuestra y se presupone perenne.
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The “event” has recently emerged among social sciences as a debated concept through which to explore social practices and historical change. Instead of focusing on processes or long term trajectories of natural and social systems, as has... more
The “event” has recently emerged among social sciences as a debated concept through which to explore social practices and historical change. Instead of focusing on processes or long term trajectories of natural and social systems, as has been the dominant trend during the last decades, the intention is to grasp the specificity of given moments and to understand their historical relevance. The present text delves into the philosophical background of the concept “event” and its relevance to the present discussion on the natural and ideological construction of reality. Meanings and pitfalls of the concept are explored before a series of definitions are proposed, in order to establish the necessary epistemological background for such an approach.
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In the valley of Cuelgamuros, 56 km north-west of Madrid, Spain, a monumental complex was created between 1940 and 1959 by a military dictatorship, which emerged out of a devastating war against a democratic state. Extraordinary public... more
In the valley of Cuelgamuros, 56 km north-west of Madrid, Spain, a monumental complex was created between 1940 and 1959 by a military dictatorship, which emerged out of a devastating war against a democratic state. Extraordinary public funds and the forced labour of political prisoners were deployed in its construction in a country ruined by three years of war. In order to provide the monument with a specific meaning, from 1959–1983, but mostly in the first half of the 1960s, more than 33 000 corpses were unearthed from cemeteries and mass graves scattered all over Spain, frequently without the permission of the relatives, and transported to the valley. These remains are not only those of war casualties, but also of republicans starved, tortured and killed by the Franco army, the Guardia Civil, and Falangist party members. These corpses were immured in the underground construction or “basilica”, while José Antonio Primo de Rivera, the founder of Falange Española, and Francisco Franco were buried in 1959 and 1975, respectively, on either side of the altar under the central dome. To this day, a community of Benedictine monks, devoted to the cult of the “fallen”, hold a daily service amidst the thousands of human remains. After more than forty years of democracy, a Spanish government has recently been able to remove the dictator Franco from Cuelgamuros. A number of families, however, continue to claim the remains of their relatives in order to free them from this space of terror.
The aim of our study is to unveil and visualise the historical meaning of the monument from an historical, archaeological, forensic, and political perspective, showing the fundamentally violent character of the state that conceived and used it, and the direct personal relationship between the dictator and the monument right from its initial conception through its construction, to the ritual violence still practiced in it today. The whole complex of Cuelgamuros was erected and continues to function as a monument of terror to remind Spanish society of what can happen if it challenges the relations of oppression and exploitation.
The aim of our study is to unveil and visualise the historical meaning of the monument from an historical, archaeological, forensic, and political perspective, showing the fundamentally violent character of the state that conceived and used it, and the direct personal relationship between the dictator and the monument right from its initial conception through its construction, to the ritual violence still practiced in it today. The whole complex of Cuelgamuros was erected and continues to function as a monument of terror to remind Spanish society of what can happen if it challenges the relations of oppression and exploitation.
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The Circum-Harz group of the Central German Únětice Culture (c. 2200-1550 BCE), which finally unified the Late Neolithic Corded Ware and Bell Beaker Cultures, exhibits a remarkably high level of social complexity. Based on the funerary... more
The Circum-Harz group of the Central German Únětice Culture (c. 2200-1550 BCE), which finally unified the Late Neolithic Corded Ware and Bell Beaker Cultures, exhibits a remarkably high level of social complexity. Based on the funerary record and the structured composition of the metal hoards, it has been suggested that this social entity was developed into a state organisation ruled by a dominant leader and supported by armed troops. However, the surplus economy necessary to supply this army and other state servants, which would not work in agricultural production, has not been confirmed so far. In this sense, the burial mound of Bornhöck in the communal district of Raßnitz, Saalekreis district, near Dieskau with its well-known weapon hoards, offers new insight into the economic organisation of an Únětice community, especially with regard to its rulers. In this socio-historical context, the study of grinding equipment coming from the stone core protecting the central burial chamber turns to be of crucial importance. Our study shows that an exceptional number of highly efficient grinding slabs, specifically designed to carry out intensive grinding processes, was concealed in this funerary context. Moreover, these tools were markedly different from the grinding slabs present in the typical Únětice longhouses. As a result, the Bornhöck provides direct evidence of the existence of three characteristic elements of a state organisation, i.e. the centralisation of an important part of agricultural production, probably through some type of taxation mechanism, the control of surplus value by the dominant class of Únětice, and the existence of a substantial population dependent on this surplus. As an army seems the most plausible consumer of large amounts of food supplies, indirectly, the macrolithic tools of the Bornhöck confirm the monopoly on the use of force hold by the ruler buried in it.
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The wealth of settlement evidence has supposed a decisive difference between prehistoric archaeology of the Mediterranean compared to that of Central Europe. This situation has changed substantially during recent years due to large scale... more
The wealth of settlement evidence has supposed a decisive difference between prehistoric archaeology of the Mediterranean compared to that of Central Europe. This situation has changed substantially during recent years due to large scale rescue excavations carried out in central and eastern Germany. Individual houses as well as large settlement complexes have been systematically recorded and can now be dated to the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. The catalogue of all ground plans discovered up to 2019 in the federal states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia has recently been published as a supplementary volume of the proceedings of the conference 'Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Settlement Archaeology', held in Halle (Saale) in October 2018. Based on the geographical distribution, shape, size, orientation, and dating of the more than 240 building ground plans, the present study examines the architecture and settlement development of the Corded Ware and Bell Beaker communities, as well as of the Únětice complex, between the rivers Saale and Elbe. This analysis offers new insight into the way of life of the first full metalworking societies of central Germany from the 3rd and first half of the 2nd millennium BCE, which so far have mainly been approached through their outstanding, but numerically limited, funerary remains and hoards.
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The wealth of settlement evidence has supposed a decisive difference between prehistoric archaeology of the Mediterranean compared to that of Central and Northern Europe. The publication series »Settlement Archeology of the End Neolithic... more
The wealth of settlement evidence has supposed a decisive difference between prehistoric archaeology of the Mediterranean compared to that of Central and Northern Europe. The publication series »Settlement Archeology of the End Neolithic and the Early Bronze Age«, which resulted out of the 11th Archaeological Conference of Central Germany in 2018 aims to close this gap, at least in part. In the third and last volume presented here, all known groundplans from the third millennium and first half of the second millennium BC in the states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia are systematically presented as a catalogue. Based on the geographical distribution, shape, size, orientation, and dating of the more than 240 building floor plans, the settlement patterns, and the architecture of the Corded Ware, Bell Beaker, and Aunjetitz Culture are examined in this study. These results decisively expand our insight into the
way of life of the first metalworking societies of Central Germany.
way of life of the first metalworking societies of Central Germany.
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Based on recent evidence from both archaeological and natural sciences, in this paper we would like to sketch a historical geography of Europe and the Mediterranean around the year 1600 BC and then discuss the changes observed during the... more
Based on recent evidence from both archaeological and natural sciences, in this paper we would like to sketch a historical geography of Europe and the Mediterranean around the year 1600 BC and then discuss the changes observed during the 16th century BC in relation to a possible correspondence with the Thera eruption. Our point of departure will be the sequence of events that took place during the months and years just before, during, and immediately after the Thera eruption. The available archaeological evidence permits us to explore the response of the local and regional communities, the logistics that were mobilised, and the political decisions adopted in light of these events. From this local and regional scenario we will move on to discuss the changes occurring in Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Near East during the 16th century BC. At least four different socio-economic and political scenarios can be sketched, showing that the responses of Bronze Age societies were highly variable.
At that point, we can ask how different political structures existing at the time reacted or were affected by the
ecological and/or social dynamics. Basically, our itinerary concludes that the Thera eruption did not cause a
severe climatic or environmental change, but touched the ideological realm particularly of those socio-political
entities which were more dependent on complex ideological superstructures in order to legitimate extreme
economic exploitation.
At that point, we can ask how different political structures existing at the time reacted or were affected by the
ecological and/or social dynamics. Basically, our itinerary concludes that the Thera eruption did not cause a
severe climatic or environmental change, but touched the ideological realm particularly of those socio-political
entities which were more dependent on complex ideological superstructures in order to legitimate extreme
economic exploitation.
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Anlässlich der Ausstellung "Krieg – eine archäologische Spurensuche" des Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte Halle (Saale) und des dazugehörigen Ausstellungkataloges (Theiss) behandelt dieser Beitrag die Entwicklung der vorgeschichtlichen... more
Anlässlich der Ausstellung "Krieg – eine archäologische Spurensuche" des Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte Halle (Saale) und des dazugehörigen Ausstellungkataloges (Theiss) behandelt dieser Beitrag die Entwicklung der vorgeschichtlichen Befestigungen in Europa und dem Vorderen Orient vom 6. bis ins 3. Jahrtausend v.Chr.
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The aim of this article is to bring to light a serious problem affecting radiocarbon dates produced at least from 2009 onwards by the AMS Leibniz laboratory at the Christian-Albrechts-Universität (Kiel, Germany). Archaeological... more
The aim of this article is to bring to light a serious problem affecting radiocarbon dates produced at least from 2009 onwards by the AMS Leibniz laboratory at the Christian-Albrechts-Universität (Kiel, Germany). Archaeological observations and cross-checkings between several laboratories confirm that in a significant number of dates, clear deviations of the results from chronological schemes based on stratigraphical sequences and hundreds of measurements have occurred, which usually implies an aging of the 14C values.
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Combined archaeological and archaeogenetic analyses of ten individuals buried in the Early Bronze Age settlement of Schiepzig provide new insights into the relation between the typical Únětice longhouses and the communities that... more
Combined archaeological and archaeogenetic analyses of ten individuals buried in the Early Bronze Age settlement of Schiepzig provide new insights into the relation between the typical Únětice longhouses and the communities that constructed and occupied them. Genetic relatedness analyses associated with one of the longhouses have revealed a pedigree of more than 15 individuals spanning over four generations. The integration of archaeological and anthropological evidence allowed us to address long-debated issues in prehistoric archaeology, such as community size, house duration, and the practice of inhumation burials versus other, albeit undetected, funerary practices. Zusammenfassung Leben und arbeiten-Eine mögliche »Hausgemeinschaft« in der frühbronzezeitlichen Siedlung von Schiepzig in Mitteldeutschland Die gemeinsame archäologische und archäogenetische Analyse von zehn Individuen, die in der frühbronzezeitlichen Siedlung von Schiepzig begraben wurden, liefert neue Einblicke in die Beziehung zwischen den typischen Langhäusern der Aunjetitzer Kultur und den Menschen, die sie errichteten und bewohnten. Genetische Verwandtschaftsanalysen ergaben einen Stammbaum, der mindestens 15 Individuen umfasst, sich über vier Generationen erstreckt, und zudem in Verbindung mit einem der Langhäuser steht. Die Integration archäologischer und anthropologischer Ergebnisse ermöglicht es uns, intensiv diskutierte Themen in der prähistorischen Archäologie anzusprechen, wie z. B. die Größe einer Gemeinschaft, die Belegungsdauer der Häuser und die Praxis der Körperbestattung im Vergleich zu anderen, weniger sichtbaren Bestattungsformen.
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The transition from the Late Bronze to the Iron Age on the Iberian Peninsula saw a shift in mortuary customs from mainly inhumation to cremation of the deceased. The poor preservation characteristic of cremated skeletal remains has... more
The transition from the Late Bronze to the Iron Age on the Iberian Peninsula saw a shift in mortuary customs from mainly inhumation to cremation of the deceased. The poor preservation characteristic of cremated skeletal remains has hindered molecular analyses (isotope analyses, ancient DNA) of the Iberian Final Bronze and Iron Age communities of Iberia. Incidentally, a limited number of young children, often newborns, were exempt from the predominant cremation ritual, in favour of intramural inhumations inside buildings at certain settlements. The discourse surrounding the mean- ing and interpretation of this particular burial rite has developed over a long time in Iberian archaeology but has always been hampered by the limited anthropological, archaeological, and molecular data from these intramural inhumations. Here, we study the genomes of 37 intramurally buried children found in three Early Iron Age settlements, dated between c. 800–450 BC. Population genetic analyses on the newly reported individuals extend our understanding of ancient Iberia by revealing previously unsampled genetic diversity as well as showing a lesser influence of Mediterranean ancestry than on previously published Iron Age individuals from northern Spain. We also provide insights into the sex and biological relatedness of the children, and in so doing, elucidate differ- ent aspects of the intramural burial ritual and building use in settlements. More broadly, the genetic data from these individuals fill an important gap in the archaeogenetic record of northern Spain and offer a unique opportunity to study the genetic makeup and population changes from the Bronze Age to Antiquity.
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Agriculture first reached the Iberian Peninsula around 5700 BCE. However, little is known about the genetic structure and changes of prehistoric populations in different geographic areas of Iberia. In our study, we focused on the maternal... more
Agriculture first reached the Iberian Peninsula around 5700 BCE. However, little is known about the genetic structure and changes of prehistoric populations in different geographic areas of Iberia. In our study, we focused on the maternal genetic make-up of the Neolithic (~ 5500-3000 BCE), Chalcolithic (~ 3000-2200 BCE) and Early Bronze Age (~ 2200-1500 BCE). We report ancient mitochondrial DNA results of 213 individuals (151 HVS-I sequences) from the northeast, middle Ebro Valley, central, southeast and southwest regions and thus on the largest archaeogenetic dataset from the Peninsula to date. Similar to other parts of Europe, we observe a discontinuity between hunter-gatherers and the first farmers of the Neolithic, however the genetic contribution of hunter-gatherers is generally higher and varies regionally, being most pronounced in the inland middle Ebro Valley and in southwest Iberia. During the subsequent periods, we detect regional continuity of Early Neolithic lineages across Iberia, parallel to an increase of hunter-gatherer genetic ancestry. In contrast to ancient DNA findings from Central Europe, we do not observe a major turnover in the mtDNA record of the Iberian Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, suggesting that the population history of the Iberian Peninsula is distinct in character.
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The 15th Archaeological Conference of Central Germany was dedicated to the archaeological and natural-scientific possibilities of evaluating family relations in pre- and protohistoric times. The goal was to cast a critical focus on a... more
The 15th Archaeological Conference of Central Germany was dedicated to the archaeological and natural-scientific possibilities of evaluating family relations in pre- and protohistoric times. The goal was to cast a critical focus on a quickly advancing natural-scientific development of archaeogenetics and on the increasing number of archaeogenetic studies of biological kinship in human history. The aim of the conference was to discuss and clarify the theoretical and methodological fundamentals of this relatively young field of research, which combines genetics, social anthropology, physical anthropology, and archaeology. Uncovering the diversity of various approaches primarily in regard to the understanding of kinship and promoting the discussion between disciplines and approaches were therefore at the centre of attention. This plurality of concepts and interpretations has not been restricted or standardised in the present conference volume, reflecting the wide range of socio-cultural, genetic, archaeological, and historical research approaches and contributions.
No claim to be exhaustive in the sense of a textbook can be made if for no other reason than because this field of research, which is still young, has not ceased to evolve dynamically. Another aim of the conference was to examine the heuristic possibilities of this debate and the transferability of various approaches using various case studies (Fig. 1). Ultimately, the studies that make previously invisible areas of interpersonal relationships and organisation accessible through the analysis of ancient DNA will lead to the most promising results.
No claim to be exhaustive in the sense of a textbook can be made if for no other reason than because this field of research, which is still young, has not ceased to evolve dynamically. Another aim of the conference was to examine the heuristic possibilities of this debate and the transferability of various approaches using various case studies (Fig. 1). Ultimately, the studies that make previously invisible areas of interpersonal relationships and organisation accessible through the analysis of ancient DNA will lead to the most promising results.
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The emerging Bronze Age (BA) of southeastern Iberia saw marked social changes. Late Copper Age (CA) settlements were abandoned in favor of hilltop sites, and collective graves were largely replaced by single or double burials with often... more
The emerging Bronze Age (BA) of southeastern Iberia saw marked social changes. Late Copper Age (CA) settlements were abandoned in favor of hilltop sites, and collective graves were largely replaced by single or double burials with often distinctive grave goods indirectly reflecting a hierarchical social organization, as exemplified by the BA El Argar group. We explored this transition from a genomic viewpoint by tripling the amount of data available for this period. Concomitant with the rise of El Argar starting ~2200 cal BCE, we observe a complete turnover of Y-chromosome lineages along with the arrival of steppe-related ancestry. This pattern is consistent with a founder effect in male lineages, supported by our finding that males shared more relatives at sites than females. However, simple two-source models do not find support in some El Argar groups, suggesting additional genetic contributions from the Mediterranean that could predate the BA.
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We generated genome-wide data from 69 Europeans who lived between 8,000–3,000 years ago by enriching ancient DNA libraries for a target set of almost 400,000 polymorphisms. Enrichment of these positions decreases the sequencing required... more
We generated genome-wide data from 69 Europeans who lived between 8,000–3,000 years ago by enriching ancient DNA libraries for a target set of almost 400,000 polymorphisms. Enrichment of these positions decreases the sequencing required for genome-wide ancient DNA analysis by a median of around 250-fold, allowing us to study an order of magnitude more individuals than previous studies and to obtain new insights about the past. We show that the populations ofWestern and Far Eastern Europe followed opposite trajectories between 8,000–5,000 years ago. At the beginning of the Neolithic period in Europe, 8,000–7,000 years ago, closely related groups of early farmers appeared in Germany, Hungary and Spain, different from indigenous hunter-gatherers,whereas Russiawas inhabited by a distinctive population of hunter-gathererswith high affinity to a 24,000-year-old Siberian. By 6,000–5,000 years ago, farmers throughout much of Europe had more hunter-gatherer ancestry than their predecessors, but in Russia, the Yamnaya steppe herders of this time were descended not only from the preceding eastern European
hunter-gatherers, but also from a population of Near Eastern ancestry.
Western and Eastern Europe came into contact 4,500 years ago, as the Late Neolithic Corded Ware people from Germany traced 75% of their ancestry to the Yamnaya, documenting a massive migration into the heartland of Europe from its eastern periphery.
This steppe ancestry persisted in all sampled central Europeans until at least 3,000 years ago, and is ubiquitous in present-day Europeans.
These results provide support for a steppe origin of at least some of the Indo-European languages of Europe.
hunter-gatherers, but also from a population of Near Eastern ancestry.
Western and Eastern Europe came into contact 4,500 years ago, as the Late Neolithic Corded Ware people from Germany traced 75% of their ancestry to the Yamnaya, documenting a massive migration into the heartland of Europe from its eastern periphery.
This steppe ancestry persisted in all sampled central Europeans until at least 3,000 years ago, and is ubiquitous in present-day Europeans.
These results provide support for a steppe origin of at least some of the Indo-European languages of Europe.
Bell Beaker pottery spread across western and central Europe beginning around 2750 BCE before disappearing between 2200-1800 BCE. The mechanism of its expansion is a topic of long-standing debate, with support for both cultural diffusion... more
Bell Beaker pottery spread across western and central Europe beginning around 2750 BCE before disappearing between 2200-1800 BCE. The mechanism of its expansion is a topic of long-standing debate, with support for both cultural diffusion and human migration. We present new genome-wide ancient DNA data from 170 Neolithic, Copper Age and Bronze Age Europeans, including 100 Beaker-associated individuals. In contrast to the Corded Ware Complex, which has previously been identified as arriving in central Europe following migration from the east, we observe limited genetic affinity between Iberian and central European Beaker Complex-associated individuals, and thus exclude migration as a significant mechanism of spread between these two regions. However, human migration did have an important role in the further dissemination of the Beaker Complex, which we document most clearly in Britain using data from 80 newly reported individuals dating to 3900-1200 BCE. British Neolithic farmers were genetically similar to contemporary populations in continental Europe and in particular to Neolithic Iberians, suggesting that a portion of the farmer ancestry in Britain came from the Mediterranean rather than the Danubian route of farming expansion. Beginning with the Beaker period, and continuing through the Bronze Age, all British individuals harboured high proportions of Steppe ancestry and were genetically closely related to Beaker-associated individuals from the Lower Rhine area. We use these observations to show that the spread of the Beaker Complex to Britain was mediated by migration from the continent that replaced >90% of Britain's Neolithic gene pool within a few hundred years, continuing the process that brought Steppe ancestry into central and northern Europe 400 years earlier.
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The emerging Bronze Age (BA) of southeastern Iberia saw marked social changes. Late Copper Age (CA) settlements were abandoned in favor of hilltop sites, and collective graves were largely replaced by single or double burials with often... more
The emerging Bronze Age (BA) of southeastern Iberia saw marked social changes. Late Copper Age (CA) settlements were abandoned in favor of hilltop sites, and collective graves were largely replaced by single or double burials with often distinctive grave goods indirectly reflecting a hierarchical social organization, as exemplified by the BA El Argar group. We explored this transition from a genomic viewpoint by tripling the amount of data available for this period. Concomitant with the rise of El Argar starting ~2200 cal BCE, we observe a complete turnover of Y-chromosome lineages along with the arrival of steppe-related ancestry. This pattern is consistent with a founder effect in male lineages, supported by our finding that males shared more relatives at sites than females. However, simple two-source models do not find support in some El Argar groups, suggesting additional genetic contributions from the Mediterranean that could predate the BA.
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Agriculture first reached the Iberian Peninsula around 5700 BCE. However, little is known about the genetic structure and changes of prehistoric populations in different geographic areas of Iberia. In our study, we focused on the maternal... more
Agriculture first reached the Iberian Peninsula around 5700 BCE. However, little is known about the genetic structure and changes of prehistoric populations in different geographic areas of Iberia. In our study, we focused on the maternal genetic make-up of the Neolithic (~ 5500-3000 BCE), Chalcolithic (~ 3000-2200 BCE) and Early Bronze Age (~ 2200-1500 BCE). We report ancient mitochondrial DNA results of 213 individuals (151 HVS-I sequences) from the northeast, middle Ebro Valley, central, southeast and southwest regions and thus on the largest archaeogenetic dataset from the Peninsula to date. Similar to other parts of Europe, we observe a discontinuity between hunter-gatherers and the first farmers of the Neolithic, however the genetic contribution of hunter-gatherers is generally higher and varies regionally, being most pronounced in the inland middle Ebro Valley and in southwest Iberia. During the subsequent periods, we detect regional continuity of Early Neolithic lineages across Iberia, parallel to an increase of hunter-gatherer genetic ancestry. In contrast to ancient DNA findings from Central Europe, we do not observe a major turnover in the mtDNA record of the Iberian Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, suggesting that the population history of the Iberian Peninsula is distinct in character.
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Any approach to the economic organization of a society depends on our knowledge of the productive forces and relations of production involved. In archaeology, this line of research requires an analysis of the technical quality and... more
Any approach to the economic organization of a society depends on our knowledge of the productive forces and relations of production involved. In archaeology, this line of research requires an analysis of the technical quality and quantity of the means of production, as well as their spatial distribution and contextualisation. Macrolithic artefacts constituted the means of production in many of the productive processes of past communities, from the Neolithic period to the end of prehistory. This article seeks to utilize macrolithic data to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the economic organisation of the Chalcolithic communities in the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula between c. 3100 and 2200 cal BC. These communities produced one of the most outstanding, but at the same time puzzling archaeological records known in later prehistory. The main aim of this exploratory approach, the first of its kind, is to determine if the different forms of occupation of the Chalcolithic, namely monumental, ditched enclosures, fortified and unfortified hill-top settlements, and simple, open settlements were distinguished by specific modes of production. This issue is crucial to the on-going debate about the meaning and relevance of the notion of social complexity in the context of Chalcolithic societies and their political organisation. Our study describes the productive forces of the Chalcolithic settlements as highly variable, both in the type of productive tasks performed and in their intensity, and such variability is not explained by aspects like geographic location, form of occupation, or monumentality. The observed wealth and productive diversity, without signs of marked social hierarchies, emerge as a characteristic feature of what can be defined as cooperative affluent societies.
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During the Early Bronze Age (EBA), a relatively small number of European societies developed into highly centralised and hierarchical political entities. In contrast to the intensive research focused on these groups, little attention has... more
During the Early Bronze Age (EBA), a relatively small number of European societies developed into highly centralised and hierarchical political entities. In contrast to the intensive research focused on these groups, little attention has been paid to their relationship with neighbouring populations, which had a much more egalitarian structure. In the southeast quadrant of the Iberian Peninsula, over a century of research on the EBA (ca. 2200-1550 BC) communities has failed to identify distinctive traits leading to the definition of archaeological entities beyond the El Argar group, which according to many authors reached the form of an early state organisation around 1750 BC. This study aims to go beyond previous culturalist approaches and to focus on how communities with very different social organisations interacted in this macro-region as well as in a border region between El Argar and La Mancha. To that effect, we analyse primarily settlement size as an expression of the demographic and economic strength of a community, and 'enrockment' (enrocamiento), a concept that defines the degree of protection and spatial distancing of a settlement from its surrounding land and neighbouring communities. This large-scale comparative approach reveals the distinctiveness of highly dispersed and well-protected communities settling in the belt immediately north of El Argar and shows how this cost-intensive strategy changes with increasing distance from El Argar, when flat land and often larger settlements become dominant. The combination of settlement patterns and economic organisation also highlights the marked differences between El Argar and all the other communities living in the Iberian Peninsula.
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Scrutiny of more than 100 years of archaeological research in the central-eastern part of the Iberian peninsula has made it possible to document 1.445 settlements belonging to the Early Bronze Age (c. 2200-1550 BCE). The present work uses... more
Scrutiny of more than 100 years of archaeological research in the central-eastern part of the Iberian peninsula has made it possible to document 1.445 settlements belonging to the Early Bronze Age (c. 2200-1550 BCE). The present work uses the information on the location, extension, duration and geographic distribution of these settlements to identify the population dynamics in force in an area of 177.444 km2 over approximately seven centuries. This analysis shows that the distribution and location of the settlements were the result of social strategies that involved the “castling” and atomization of communities, surely in a context of more or less latent conflicts and violence. The causes of this socio-political situation ‒ which is exceptional in the context of the Early Bronze Age of Europe and the Mediterranean ‒ are examined in the light of the profound environmental and social changes identified around the 23rd and 16th centuries BCE in many regions of Europe and the Near East, as well as in relation to the expansive and disruptive development of El Argar in the southeast of the Iberian peninsula.
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The time around 22oo BC was marked in the Iberian Peninsula, and particularly in its southern regions, by profound social, political, and ideological changes. A substantial number of 14C dates confirms that most, if not all, of the... more
The time around 22oo BC was marked in the Iberian Peninsula,
and particularly in its southern regions, by profound
social, political, and ideological changes. A substantial
number
of 14C dates confirms that most, if not all, of the Chalcolithic
fortified settlements, as well as the Late Neolithic–Chalcolithic
monumental ditched enclosures, had been abandoned
by that time. Also, an charged production of often highly symbolically
axes made of exotic rocks, flint, ivory, and decorated
schist plaques, Bell Beaker pottery, etc., and the exchange network
through which these were circulated, must have collapsed
rather abruptly or been reorganised at a much more
local scale. In the funerary sphere, the end of the Chalcolithic
is expressed by the abandonment of a collective burial rite.
Bayesian analysis of the absolute dates highlights the fact
that the transition from the final Chalcolithic to the earliest El
Argar period was a matter of a few years, rather than several
decades, in south-east Iberia. New results from a set of early
El Argar settlement layers are helping to define, for the first
time, the social and economic structures that emerged during
the 22nd century BC at the north-eastern margins of the former
»Los Millares« core region. The recent discovery of a
monumental fortification system at La Bastida, structurally
unrelated to any Chalcolithic
construction, opens new questions
on the political dimension of the beginning of El Argar.
The detailed study of these early El Argar settlements and
their corresponding burials provides a better understanding
of the social and political processes responsible for the
changes around 22oo BC in the Iberian Peninsula.
and particularly in its southern regions, by profound
social, political, and ideological changes. A substantial
number
of 14C dates confirms that most, if not all, of the Chalcolithic
fortified settlements, as well as the Late Neolithic–Chalcolithic
monumental ditched enclosures, had been abandoned
by that time. Also, an charged production of often highly symbolically
axes made of exotic rocks, flint, ivory, and decorated
schist plaques, Bell Beaker pottery, etc., and the exchange network
through which these were circulated, must have collapsed
rather abruptly or been reorganised at a much more
local scale. In the funerary sphere, the end of the Chalcolithic
is expressed by the abandonment of a collective burial rite.
Bayesian analysis of the absolute dates highlights the fact
that the transition from the final Chalcolithic to the earliest El
Argar period was a matter of a few years, rather than several
decades, in south-east Iberia. New results from a set of early
El Argar settlement layers are helping to define, for the first
time, the social and economic structures that emerged during
the 22nd century BC at the north-eastern margins of the former
»Los Millares« core region. The recent discovery of a
monumental fortification system at La Bastida, structurally
unrelated to any Chalcolithic
construction, opens new questions
on the political dimension of the beginning of El Argar.
The detailed study of these early El Argar settlements and
their corresponding burials provides a better understanding
of the social and political processes responsible for the
changes around 22oo BC in the Iberian Peninsula.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Recent excavations at La Bastida in south-eastern Spain have revealed an impressive stone-built fortification system dating to 2200–2100 cal BC that protected one of the main economic and political centres of Argaric Early Bronze Age... more
Recent excavations at La Bastida in south-eastern Spain have revealed an impressive stone-built fortification system dating to 2200–2100 cal BC that protected one of the main economic and political centres of Argaric Early Bronze Age society. It consists of parallel walls with projecting towers flanking a narrow entrance passage. The defensive character of these structures appears beyond question and their design suggests they were a response to significant changes in warfare and weaponry in this period. This sophisticated fortification system raises once again the question of possible Mediterranean contacts, along with social change and the role of physical violence in the rise of Argaric society.
Research Interests: History, Ancient History, Archaeology, Mediterranean prehistory, Politics, and 12 moreIberian Prehistory (Archaeology), Fortified Settlements (Archaeology), Mediterranean archaeology, Antiquity, Iron Age, Bronze Age, Early Bronze Age Archaeology, Bronze, Fortification, Excavation, El Argar, and Prehistoric Fortification Archaeology
During the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE, crucial changes took place in the way communities lived and organized production in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula. The relatively mobile and permeable communities of the Copper Age with a... more
During the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE, crucial changes took place in the way communities lived and organized production in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula. The relatively mobile and permeable communities of the Copper Age with a highly productive economy were subjected to state organisation
during the Early Bronze Age, known as the El Argar society. This entity collapsed around 1550 BCE and gave way to a social reorganisation of the productive forces during the Late Bronze Age. One sphere, where the effects of these changes are more clearly evidenced, is subsistence production, as consumption habits and food processing technologies are deeply rooted in the economic, social and ideological structure of society.
This comparative study aims to investigate the consumed and stored food remains that reach the archaeological record, concentrating on the means of production and consumption
used to process and to serve food during each prehistoric period. Botanical data are evaluated against the technological
information obtained through the analysis of several thousand macrolithic artefacts that have been studied during the last two decades. This interdisciplinary approach is developed
in order to assess questions about quantity, quality and intensity of subsistence strategies and the way food resources were managed in markedly different social and political structures. The correspondence between qualitative
and quantitative results, supported by analytical procedures (i.e. use wear analysis, tribology, spatial analysis, etc.) is used to
characterize the different modes of production (and consumption) that developed during Iberian recent prehistory. Ultimately, the question is addressed how economic exploitation and social asymmetries become reproduced
through specific subsistence habits and technologies.
during the Early Bronze Age, known as the El Argar society. This entity collapsed around 1550 BCE and gave way to a social reorganisation of the productive forces during the Late Bronze Age. One sphere, where the effects of these changes are more clearly evidenced, is subsistence production, as consumption habits and food processing technologies are deeply rooted in the economic, social and ideological structure of society.
This comparative study aims to investigate the consumed and stored food remains that reach the archaeological record, concentrating on the means of production and consumption
used to process and to serve food during each prehistoric period. Botanical data are evaluated against the technological
information obtained through the analysis of several thousand macrolithic artefacts that have been studied during the last two decades. This interdisciplinary approach is developed
in order to assess questions about quantity, quality and intensity of subsistence strategies and the way food resources were managed in markedly different social and political structures. The correspondence between qualitative
and quantitative results, supported by analytical procedures (i.e. use wear analysis, tribology, spatial analysis, etc.) is used to
characterize the different modes of production (and consumption) that developed during Iberian recent prehistory. Ultimately, the question is addressed how economic exploitation and social asymmetries become reproduced
through specific subsistence habits and technologies.
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Información del artículo El Argar: la formación de una sociedad de clases.
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Between ca. 3100 and 2200 BCE two forms of monumental settlement structures dominated the social landscape of large parts of the Iberian Peninsula: stone fortifications and ditched enclosures. Although they differ sharply in terms of... more
Between ca. 3100 and 2200 BCE two forms of monumental settlement structures dominated the social landscape of large parts of the Iberian Peninsula: stone fortifications and ditched enclosures. Although they differ sharply in terms of topographic placement, extension and architecture, their inhabitants nevertheless shared the same artefactual and symbolic universe. After discussing the spatial and the chronological relations between both types of monuments, we turn to their economic differences, an aspect which so far has deserved much less attention. The distribution of metallurgical remains and cereal processing tools among a limited number of ditched, fortified and unfortified settlements, where this information is available, is explored in order to highlight eventual productive differences. Moreover, grinding tools can be used to estimate the amount of cereal ground and, hence of population fed, by applying a specific paleo-demographic formula. This leads finally to a discussion of the circulation or, rather, the dilution of surplus in the Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic societies of the Iberian Peninsula.
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The recent discovery of an exceptionally rich grave at La Almoloya in south-eastern Spain illuminates the political context of Early Bronze Age El Argar society. The quantity, variety and opulence of the grave goods emphasise the... more
The recent discovery of an exceptionally rich grave at La Almoloya in south-eastern Spain illuminates the political context of Early Bronze Age El Argar society. The quantity, variety and opulence of the grave goods emphasise the technological, economic and social dimensions of this unique culture. The assemblage includes politically and ideologically emblematic objects, among which a silver diadem stands out. Of equally exceptional character is the building under which the grave was found—possibly one of the first Bronze Age palaces identified in Western Europe. The architecture and artefacts from La Almoloya provide new insight into emblematic individuals and the exercise of power in societies of marked economic asymmetry.
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We present the results of an extensive dating programme of Argaric burials containing halberds. In Southeast Iberia elite males were buried with this weapon during the first two centuries of the second millennium BCE. After discussing... more
We present the results of an extensive dating programme of Argaric burials containing halberds. In Southeast Iberia elite males were buried with this weapon during the first two centuries of the second millennium BCE. After discussing what does this chronology involve for the typological development of the Argaric halberds and their funerary contexts, a general overview is provided on the origin and expansion of western and central European halberds, taking into account all the absolute dates currently available. Finally, we return to the Iberian Peninsula, placing the appearance of the metal halberds within the general social and political changes that took place during the second half of the third millennium BCE and at the beginning of the Argaric state.
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Resumen Un profundo estudio de ciertos elementos materiales y de la conexión entre ellos, incrementa nuestros conocimientos sobre los aspectos socio-políticos de la Cultura del Argar. El análisis del material se centra en los... more
Resumen Un profundo estudio de ciertos elementos materiales y de la conexión entre ellos, incrementa nuestros conocimientos sobre los aspectos socio-políticos de la Cultura del Argar. El análisis del material se centra en los enterramientos, contextos cerrados, de ...
The detailed, rich and diverse Argaric funerary record offers an opportunity to explore social dimensions that usually remain elusive for prehistoric research, such us social rules on kinship rights and obligations, sexual tolerance and... more
The detailed, rich and diverse Argaric funerary record offers an opportunity to explore social dimensions that usually remain elusive for prehistoric research, such us social rules on kinship rights and obligations, sexual tolerance and the role of funerary practices in preserving the economic and political organization. This paper addresses these topics through an analysis of the social meaning of Argaric double tombs by looking at body treatment and composition of grave goods assemblages according to gender and class affiliation. The Argaric seems to have been a conservative society, scarcely tolerant regarding homosexuality, and willing to celebrate ancestry associated to certain places as a means of asserting residence and property rights.
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Research Interests:
The “Bastida Project” has been led by an interdisciplinary team of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona since 2008. La Bastida, the archaeological site after which it is named, has a long research history that has made it one of the... more
The “Bastida Project” has been led by an interdisciplinary team of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona since 2008. La Bastida, the archaeological site after which it is named, has a long research history that has made it one of the benchmarks for knowledge on Europe’s Bronze Age. The excavations carried out at various sectors of the site, as well as the specialized investigations of the last ten years have enabled the identification of three major occupation phases. The results confirm the importance of the settlement in its historical context.
Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Fortified Settlements (Archaeology), Fortifications, Early Bronze Age, Arqueologia, and 13 moreEdad Del Bronce, Argar Culture, Cultura argárica, Recent Prehistory, UAB, Prehistoria, Edad del Bronce, Prehistoria Reciente, El Argar Culture, El Argar, Argaric Culture, Edad Del Bronce En La Península Ibérica, Prehistoria reciente del sureste ibérico, and asome
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La Almoloya es uno de los yacimientos arqueológicos más importantes de la sociedad de “El Argar”, que habitó el sureste de la península Ibérica a inicios de la Edad del Bronce (entre 2200 y 1550 antes de nuestra era). Desde los trabajos... more
La Almoloya es uno de los yacimientos arqueológicos más importantes de la sociedad de “El Argar”, que habitó el sureste de la península Ibérica a inicios de
la Edad del Bronce (entre 2200 y 1550 antes de nuestra era). Desde los trabajos pioneros de los hermanos Siret (1890), la arqueología argárica ocupa un lugar protagonista en el estudio de las primeras sociedades clasistas en Europa occidental.
En pocas regiones se tiene la oportunidad de investigar un abundante y variado registro arqueológico en el que destacan asentamientos permanentes y densamente poblados, formados por sólidos recintos en piedra de carácter doméstico o colectivo;
extensas necrópolis de tumbas individuales y dobles excavadas en el subsuelo de las áreas habitadas, y un amplísimo elenco de artefactos metálicos, líticos, cerámicos y óseos, buena parte de los cuales responden a productos estandarizados a cargo de especialistas. El análisis de estas evidencias configura una sociedad marcada por antagonismos económicos y políticos, en la que los poderosos ejercían la violencia para mantener sus privilegios y para fijar las fronteras de un territorio que, en su época de apogeo, se extendía por casi 35.000 km2.
Algunos de los principales y más antiguos asentamientos argáricos se encuentran en las llanuras litorales y prelitorales de Almería y Murcia (El Argar, Fuente Álamo, Gatas, El Oficio, Zapata, Lorca, La Bastida, Monteagudo). Por esta razón, una de las investigaciones actuales más interesantes se centra en averiguar las rutas, los ritmos y las razones de la expansión hacia el interior peninsular, que en poco más de dos siglos se tradujo en la presencia argárica en la Vega de Granada, el Alto Guadalquivir y las estribaciones septentrionales de sierra Morena. La posibilidad de responder a estos interrogantes fue uno de los motivos que impulsaron las excavaciones recientes en La Almoloya, aunque, como veremos, los primeros resultados están favoreciendo el conocimiento general de las comunidades argáricas. Sin temor a equivocarnos, la relevancia del asentamiento llegó a trascender los ámbitos local y comarcal, convirtiéndose en un auténtico centro de gobierno regional.
la Edad del Bronce (entre 2200 y 1550 antes de nuestra era). Desde los trabajos pioneros de los hermanos Siret (1890), la arqueología argárica ocupa un lugar protagonista en el estudio de las primeras sociedades clasistas en Europa occidental.
En pocas regiones se tiene la oportunidad de investigar un abundante y variado registro arqueológico en el que destacan asentamientos permanentes y densamente poblados, formados por sólidos recintos en piedra de carácter doméstico o colectivo;
extensas necrópolis de tumbas individuales y dobles excavadas en el subsuelo de las áreas habitadas, y un amplísimo elenco de artefactos metálicos, líticos, cerámicos y óseos, buena parte de los cuales responden a productos estandarizados a cargo de especialistas. El análisis de estas evidencias configura una sociedad marcada por antagonismos económicos y políticos, en la que los poderosos ejercían la violencia para mantener sus privilegios y para fijar las fronteras de un territorio que, en su época de apogeo, se extendía por casi 35.000 km2.
Algunos de los principales y más antiguos asentamientos argáricos se encuentran en las llanuras litorales y prelitorales de Almería y Murcia (El Argar, Fuente Álamo, Gatas, El Oficio, Zapata, Lorca, La Bastida, Monteagudo). Por esta razón, una de las investigaciones actuales más interesantes se centra en averiguar las rutas, los ritmos y las razones de la expansión hacia el interior peninsular, que en poco más de dos siglos se tradujo en la presencia argárica en la Vega de Granada, el Alto Guadalquivir y las estribaciones septentrionales de sierra Morena. La posibilidad de responder a estos interrogantes fue uno de los motivos que impulsaron las excavaciones recientes en La Almoloya, aunque, como veremos, los primeros resultados están favoreciendo el conocimiento general de las comunidades argáricas. Sin temor a equivocarnos, la relevancia del asentamiento llegó a trascender los ámbitos local y comarcal, convirtiéndose en un auténtico centro de gobierno regional.
Research Interests: Mediterranean prehistory, State Formation, History of Elites, Iberian Prehistory (Archaeology), Archaeology of the Iberian Peninsula, and 14 moreEarly Bronze Age (Archaeology), European Prehistory (Archaeology), Arqueología, Prehistoric Archeology, Argar Culture, Sociedades complejas, Cultura argárica, El Argar Culture, El Argar, Argaric Culture, Bronce Antiguo, Bronce Inicial, Prehistoria reciente del sureste ibérico, and Origins of Politics
The aim of this paper is to discuss issues of precision and accuracy of radiocarbon dates when testing a specific archaeological hypothesis. Our case study is framed in the Argaric “marriage versus descent” debate (Bronze Age of southeast... more
The aim of this paper is to discuss issues of precision and accuracy of radiocarbon dates when testing a specific archaeological hypothesis. Our case study is framed in the Argaric “marriage versus descent” debate (Bronze Age of southeast Spain), where a high chronological resolution is needed in order to interpret the time gap between the deaths of the two adults of opposite sex usually found in double burials. We have dated the time of death of an Argaric male by means of six different skeletal samples. The results of this multiple dating of a single event support the precision of the method but raises questions over the limits of its accuracy when the human life span is on the same scale as the chronological resolution.
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Sampling a series of Glycymeris species shells from an age transect in the well-dated Gatas excavation site, we found δ18O isotope ratios that indicate a small gradual decrease in mean sea surface temperatures between 27oo BC and 12oo BC.... more
Sampling a series of Glycymeris species shells from an age
transect in the well-dated Gatas excavation site, we found
δ18O isotope ratios that indicate a small gradual decrease in
mean sea surface temperatures between 27oo BC and
12oo BC. The sea surface temperature seasonality recorded in
the mollusk shells during this period was 7.o °C. While the
absolute temperatures are subject to the quality of the calibration
used for converting Glycymeris species isotope data
to temperatures, the signal itself and its relative magnitude
seem to be robust. Samples from 275o BC show mean temperatures
above 19.o °C decreasing to recent values around
17.5 °C in the youngest samples from the record at 12oo BC.
While we find indications for a transition from a warmer
phase before 25oo BC to a colder Holocene after 15oo BC, the
marine clams do not show a temperature peak around
22oo BC as it was recorded in high-resolution samples from
the North Greenland Ice Core Project (NGRIP).
transect in the well-dated Gatas excavation site, we found
δ18O isotope ratios that indicate a small gradual decrease in
mean sea surface temperatures between 27oo BC and
12oo BC. The sea surface temperature seasonality recorded in
the mollusk shells during this period was 7.o °C. While the
absolute temperatures are subject to the quality of the calibration
used for converting Glycymeris species isotope data
to temperatures, the signal itself and its relative magnitude
seem to be robust. Samples from 275o BC show mean temperatures
above 19.o °C decreasing to recent values around
17.5 °C in the youngest samples from the record at 12oo BC.
While we find indications for a transition from a warmer
phase before 25oo BC to a colder Holocene after 15oo BC, the
marine clams do not show a temperature peak around
22oo BC as it was recorded in high-resolution samples from
the North Greenland Ice Core Project (NGRIP).
Research Interests:
Am Beginn des 2. Jts. v. Chr. fanden im Südosten der Iberischen Halbinsel einschneidende soziale und politische Veränderungen statt. Die Entstehung tiefgreifender ökonomischer Ungleichheiten innerhalb der Gemeinschaften basierte offenbar... more
Am Beginn des 2. Jts. v. Chr. fanden im Südosten der Iberischen
Halbinsel einschneidende soziale und politische Veränderungen
statt. Die Entstehung tiefgreifender ökonomischer Ungleichheiten innerhalb der Gemeinschaften basierte offenbar
zu einem großen Teil auf der Kontrolle über die sekundäre
Metallurgie, das heißt Produktionsprozessen wie beispielsweise
dem Schmieden. Diesbezüglich stellt der unlängst ausgegrabene architektonische Komplex von einer El Argar
Fundstelle bei Tira del Lienzo (Totana, Prov. Murcia) einen
außergewöhnlichen Befund dar. Hier wurde eine Serie makrolithischer Artefakte aufgenommen, die mit dem Schmieden und Schleifen von Metallen in Verbindung gebracht werden können und, wie es technologische und funktionale Studien zeigen, speziell mit der Verarbeitung von Silber.
Halbinsel einschneidende soziale und politische Veränderungen
statt. Die Entstehung tiefgreifender ökonomischer Ungleichheiten innerhalb der Gemeinschaften basierte offenbar
zu einem großen Teil auf der Kontrolle über die sekundäre
Metallurgie, das heißt Produktionsprozessen wie beispielsweise
dem Schmieden. Diesbezüglich stellt der unlängst ausgegrabene architektonische Komplex von einer El Argar
Fundstelle bei Tira del Lienzo (Totana, Prov. Murcia) einen
außergewöhnlichen Befund dar. Hier wurde eine Serie makrolithischer Artefakte aufgenommen, die mit dem Schmieden und Schleifen von Metallen in Verbindung gebracht werden können und, wie es technologische und funktionale Studien zeigen, speziell mit der Verarbeitung von Silber.
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Toda sociedad se define mediante la organización concreta de sus fuerzas de producción. Con El Argar surge en la Península Ibérica un sistema económico completamente nuevo, en el que la distancia entre productores y consumidores aumenta y... more
Toda sociedad se define mediante la organización concreta de sus fuerzas de producción. Con El Argar surge en la Península Ibérica un sistema económico completamente nuevo, en el que la distancia entre productores y consumidores aumenta y se reestructura a lo largo de sus casi 700 años de desarrollo hasta requerir una organización política que puede ser definida como un Estado. Las propiedades y la distribución espacial y temporal de la materialidad social argárica parecen encontrar su sentido en una serie de relaciones económicas y políticas que implican la producción de plusvalía, su apropiación y transformación centralizada y la propia institucionalización de las prácticas económicas.
Palabras clave: El Argar, Economía, Estado.
Every society defines itself through a specific organisation of its production forces. With El Argar, a completely new economic system emerged on the Iberian Peninsula. During its nearly 700 years of development, the distances between producers and consumers steadily increased and were restructured until a political organisation, which can be defined as a state, was required. The properties and spatial and temporal distribution of the Argaric social materiality seem to make sense in a series of economic and political relations, which imply the production of surplus value, its appropriation and centralised transformation, and the institutionalisation of the economic practices themselves.
Keywords: El Argar, Economy, State.
Palabras clave: El Argar, Economía, Estado.
Every society defines itself through a specific organisation of its production forces. With El Argar, a completely new economic system emerged on the Iberian Peninsula. During its nearly 700 years of development, the distances between producers and consumers steadily increased and were restructured until a political organisation, which can be defined as a state, was required. The properties and spatial and temporal distribution of the Argaric social materiality seem to make sense in a series of economic and political relations, which imply the production of surplus value, its appropriation and centralised transformation, and the institutionalisation of the economic practices themselves.
Keywords: El Argar, Economy, State.
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Les fouilles conduites au cours de l’été 2014 par une équipe d’archéologues de l’Université Autonome de Barcelone à La Almoloya, dans la province de Murcia, ont mis au jour l’un des plus anciens palais européens ainsi qu’une somptueuse... more
Les fouilles conduites au cours de l’été 2014 par une équipe
d’archéologues de l’Université Autonome de Barcelone à La
Almoloya, dans la province de Murcia, ont mis au jour l’un des
plus anciens palais européens ainsi qu’une somptueuse tombe
princière. Le site s’avère l’un des principaux centres politiques
et urbains de la société d’El Argar, qui s’est épanouie dans
l’ouest du bassin méditerranéen au cours de l’âge du Bronze,
entre 2200 et 1550 av. J.-C.
d’archéologues de l’Université Autonome de Barcelone à La
Almoloya, dans la province de Murcia, ont mis au jour l’un des
plus anciens palais européens ainsi qu’une somptueuse tombe
princière. Le site s’avère l’un des principaux centres politiques
et urbains de la société d’El Argar, qui s’est épanouie dans
l’ouest du bassin méditerranéen au cours de l’âge du Bronze,
entre 2200 et 1550 av. J.-C.
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Research Interests: C14 Dating and El Argar
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The exploitation of cobble stones was part of the socio-economic organisation of Neolithic inhabitants of the Middle Morava Valley (c. 6100 – 4650/4600 cal BC). This area displays a large variety of raw materials, which are transported by... more
The exploitation of cobble stones was part of the socio-economic organisation of Neolithic inhabitants of the Middle Morava Valley (c. 6100 – 4650/4600 cal BC). This area displays a large variety of raw materials, which are transported by different river courses. However, a variation in the content of fluvial rock deposits and the quality of their rocks, as well as economic changes and an increase in population shaped the social accessibility to raw materials, procurement strategies, and the development of exchange networks between the Neolithic communities of the central Balkans. The present study sets a specific geo-archaeological method to clarify these socio-economic relations. Although no standarisation in the procurement and the use of raw materials is observed among the Neolithic settlements, suggesting that economic intensification was not the primary goal of their economies, a three-tier organisation is revealed at the local, regional and supra-regional level, implying a notable degree of social cooperation, especially between the Late Neolithic Vinča communities.
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Estudio del material macrolítico de asentamiento de Cerro del Morrón situado en la frontera de El Argar con el Bronce Machego. Sus primera fase de ocupación se pueden fechar entre 2100-1900 cal ANE, el asentamiento argárico estaría... more
Estudio del material macrolítico de asentamiento de Cerro del Morrón situado en la frontera de El Argar con el Bronce Machego. Sus primera fase de ocupación se pueden fechar entre 2100-1900 cal ANE, el asentamiento argárico estaría ocupado entre 1850-1650 cal ANE.
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Use-wear analysis has been a well-established aspect of the study of artefact biography for decades, and it has recently developed along two different, though complementary methodological paths. While the classical or qualitative approach... more
Use-wear analysis has been a well-established aspect of the study of artefact biography for decades, and it has recently developed along two different, though complementary methodological paths. While the classical or qualitative approach still relies largely on the experience gained from the combination of experimental tests, tribological principles and visual observation, new attempts try to define quantitative surface signatures. Surface topography and roughness analyses should allow one to associate surfaces to specific uses and warrant comparability and reproducibility of obtained datasets beyond textual descriptions and images. This approach is highly relevant to use-wear studies of macrolithic tools, where different techniques have made use of the available high-resolution devices. However, no systematic approach has been published yet with the aim of evaluating the operating capacity of the different systems and techniques. Consequently, the precision as well as the resolution of the data obtained and the comparability between results is questionable because of the complexity of the available technical options. The present study offers a method for surface roughness quantification of macrolithic tools and compares the results achieved with different 3D modeling devices.
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Neolithic societies produced and circulated axeheads made out of different rock types over substantial distances. These tools were indispensable to their economic reproduc- tion, but they also demanded considerable manufacturing efforts.... more
Neolithic societies produced and circulated axeheads made out of different rock types over substantial distances. These tools were indispensable to their economic reproduc- tion, but they also demanded considerable manufacturing efforts. The material proper- ties of the raw materials chosen to produce axeheads had a direct effect on the grinding and polishing processes, as well as on the use life of these tools. However, surprisingly little is known about the criteria followed by these societies when it came to choosing adequate raw materials, or why certain rocks were exploited in greater volumes and circulated over larger distances than others. In order to determine the material param- eters ruling axe production, circulation, and use, a range of different rock types was submitted to mechanical tests. For the first time, comparative values relating to the resistance to friction and to breakage are presented for some of the most important rock types used for the manufacture of axeheads by the Neolithic communities of Western Europe. These mechanical parameters allow us to approach hypothetical production and use values, which are then correlated with the distances travelled and the volumes of rock in circulation. This combination of petrographic, mechanical, and paleo- economic information leads to new understandings of the principles ruling Neolithic supply and distribution networks and the economic rationale behind them. It reveals how deeply the economic and symbolic meanings of these outstanding Neolithic artefacts were rooted in their production and use values.
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Macro-lithic tools are among the most abundant artefact categories in the archaeological record. They are made from a wide range of rocks, worked through various techniques and served to carry out a large array of tasks, beginning in the... more
Macro-lithic tools are among the most abundant artefact categories in the archaeological record. They are made from a wide range of rocks, worked through various techniques and served to carry out a large array of tasks, beginning in the Palaeolithic and continuing to early historic times. Despite their relevance to the economic and social organisation of past societies, it is only recently that archaeologists have begun to develop specific research methodologies for the study of macro-lithic artefacts. One aspect that deserves increasing attention is the description and analysis of traces on stone surfaces specific to production, maintenance and use. The aim of this paper is to compare the different approaches to functional analyses of macro-lithic tools and to achieve a consensus about terms and analytical categories. Issues discussed include the factors governing the formation of wear traces, the manifestation of wear on surfaces of various rock types, comparisons between macroscopic and microscopic approaches and the possibilities for photographically documenting observations. The final objective is to standardize methods for functional analyses, thereby facilitating a better technological understanding of the means of production used by pre-industrial societies.
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Natural, technical and social factors led to the use of a wide range of rocks for the production of macrolithic artifacts during the later prehistory. In the case of some artifact types, such as the grinding stones, rocks with very... more
Natural, technical and social factors led to the use of a wide range of rocks for the production of macrolithic artifacts during the later prehistory. In the case of some artifact types, such as the grinding stones, rocks with very different petrographic qualities appear. Analysis of the material behavior, as developed by material sciences, provides a tool which allows the translation of these petrographic characteristics into mechanical properties. Experiments with a group of rocks subjected to different forms of abrasion in industrial machines allow an evaluation of the adjustment between the mechanical properties of the rock and the functions for which they were chosen by prehistoric societies. Finally, the understanding of the mechanical properties of the raw materials together with their forms of exploitation, distribution and use allows the designation of social and economic meaning to the production systems linked to the macrolithic tools.
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Metallurgy in southeast Iberia played a leading role in the development of the Los Millares and El Argar archaeological groups. However, to date little is known about one of the key aspects of prehistoric metal production: the mining... more
Metallurgy in southeast Iberia played a leading role in the development of the Los Millares and El Argar archaeological groups. However, to date little is known about one of the key aspects of prehistoric metal production: the mining process. The recent identification of prehistoric mining traces at Cerro Minado, in the northeast of the present day province of Almería, sheds new light on a long debated issue. After a geological and mineralogical characterisation of the ore deposit, a specific petrographic, morpho-technical and functional research programme has allowed the definition of a set of macro-lithic tools, which had remained unnoticed in the prehistoric archaeological record in Southeast Iberia.
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Since the Siret brothers excavated the Argaric settlements of South-eastern Iberia at the end of the 19th century a large volume of lithic artefacts has been recovered, which usually are referred to as “mining hammers” in the... more
Since the Siret brothers excavated the Argaric settlements of South-eastern Iberia at the end of the 19th century a large volume of lithic artefacts has been recovered, which usually are referred to as “mining hammers” in the bibliography. Taking into account the lack of specialized studies oriented to define the specific activities that were developed with these tools, the presence of hafting traces has become almost the only feature for their classification in the archaeological deposit.
This paper presents a full technological study, in which the petrographic nature of artefacts has been analyzed, as well as their mor- phometric features and the functional aspects of their active surfaces. The comparison between these artefacts and others directly coming from mining contexts allows to define the features that ruled the production of the so called “mining hammers”. The obtained results lead to the recognition of at least two types of artefacts, which have no functional relation with mining activities.
This paper presents a full technological study, in which the petrographic nature of artefacts has been analyzed, as well as their mor- phometric features and the functional aspects of their active surfaces. The comparison between these artefacts and others directly coming from mining contexts allows to define the features that ruled the production of the so called “mining hammers”. The obtained results lead to the recognition of at least two types of artefacts, which have no functional relation with mining activities.
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Excavaciones recientes en el yacimiento argárico de Tira del Lienzo, situado en la vega del Guadalentín y a tan sólo 7 km del asentamiento urbano de La Bastida, han puesto al descubierto un complejo arquitectónico singular, especializado... more
Excavaciones recientes en el yacimiento argárico de Tira del Lienzo, situado en la vega del Guadalentín y a tan sólo 7 km
del asentamiento urbano de La Bastida, han puesto al descubierto un complejo arquitectónico singular, especializado
en la producción y la gestión administrativa. Este trabajo constituye un avance del estudio que se está llevando a cabo
actualmente sobre el yacimiento. En el edificio central que corona el cerro se documentó una serie de artefactos
macrolíticos, cuyo estudio morfotécnico y funcional los vincula con la forja y, de forma más específica, con la forja y
el pulido/afilado de láminas de plata nativa. Los adornos de plata fueron utilizados como elementos de distinción por
la clase dominante argárica, de forma que el taller de Tira del Lienzo plantea nuevas cuestiones sobre el papel de los
metales en las relaciones de producción durante la primera mitad del II milenio ANE en el sudeste peninsular.
del asentamiento urbano de La Bastida, han puesto al descubierto un complejo arquitectónico singular, especializado
en la producción y la gestión administrativa. Este trabajo constituye un avance del estudio que se está llevando a cabo
actualmente sobre el yacimiento. En el edificio central que corona el cerro se documentó una serie de artefactos
macrolíticos, cuyo estudio morfotécnico y funcional los vincula con la forja y, de forma más específica, con la forja y
el pulido/afilado de láminas de plata nativa. Los adornos de plata fueron utilizados como elementos de distinción por
la clase dominante argárica, de forma que el taller de Tira del Lienzo plantea nuevas cuestiones sobre el papel de los
metales en las relaciones de producción durante la primera mitad del II milenio ANE en el sudeste peninsular.
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Abraders are one of the major types of macro-lithic artefacts found in Neolithic settlements in the Central Balkans (6200‑4600 BC). A systematic recording strategy suggests that they represent between 30 and 60% of the macro-lithic... more
Abraders are one of the major types of macro-lithic artefacts found in Neolithic settlements in the Central Balkans (6200‑4600 BC). A systematic recording strategy suggests that they represent between 30 and 60% of the macro-lithic assemblages, indicating their importance in the economy of these communities. Despite their good conservation and visibility throughout the archaeological record, they have rarely been analysed rigorously. Generally speaking, the examination of these small size artefacts with a variety of wear traces produced by friction continues to be problematic, regardless of the many attempts to define their functional diversity with a specific artefact type terminology. The aim of this paper is to overcome these problems, proposing an approach based on the mechanical properties of the rocks, on the morphometric characteristics of the working or active surfaces of the artefacts, on the analysis of use-wear traces, and on their archaeological context. This methodology will shed new light on the value of abraders in the life of Neolithic societies.
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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... 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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The study includes an overview of the so-called "archers wrist-guards" of the Balearic Islands. The functional and contextual analysis suggests that these macro-lithic stone tools were probably used as sharpening stones (whetstones), as... more
The study includes an overview of the so-called "archers wrist-guards" of the Balearic Islands. The functional and contextual analysis suggests that these macro-lithic stone tools were probably used as sharpening stones (whetstones), as has also been observed in other Mediterranean regions and had nothing to do with archery.
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Vatin pottery is a symbol of Vatin society (2000 – 1500 cal BCE), which can be regarded as a highly rated work of art due to its quality, shapes and decorations. So far, it was mainly approached by archaeology from a chronological and... more
Vatin pottery is a symbol of Vatin society (2000 – 1500 cal BCE), which can be regarded as a highly rated work of art due to its quality, shapes and decorations. So far, it was mainly approached by archaeology from a chronological and cultural perspective, while an examination of a technology is still missing. In this study, the first results of a petrographical analysis of the clays used by Vatin potters are presented. Five pots from the settlements of Zlatica, near the modern village of Omoljica, and another five from Najeva Ciglana, near the town of Pančevo, both located on the northern side of the Danube, near Belgrade, have been studied in terms of temper and clay composition. The petrographic analyses show that clays were prepared in slightly different ways in each settlement, but that all shapes, including coarse as well as fi ne ware vessels, were manufactured with fine-grained non-carbonate clays of local origin.
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Archaeology is still in need of a theoretical and methodological framework for addressing migration movements from a historical perspective. In this study, we explore the possibility of identifying major migration episodes through a... more
Archaeology is still in need of a theoretical and methodological framework for addressing migration movements from a historical perspective. In this study, we explore the possibility of identifying major migration episodes through a palaeodemographic approach, which combines anthropological, radiometric, and settlement information. This methodology is illustrated in the context of Menorca, a small and relatively isolated island of approximately 7oo km2, located at the
easternmost point of the Balearic archipelago. The relatively abundant archaeological and anthropological information allows us to establish a detailed demographic sequence for Menorca over the last four thousand years and to recognise important immigration phases. GIS modelling reveals how the exceptional population growth of prehistoric Menorca
gradually led to the establishment of a sustainable settlement pattern and land-use strategy.
Given the defined limits of an island, our second question concerns how past communities reacted during phases of immigration and demographic growth. Islands are always exposed to migratory movements, while their local communities are usually aware that they were also once migrants. We therefore need to inquire into the political and ideological structures which emerged on the island as a result of encounters between populations from different geographical regions
and socio-political backgrounds. The Balearic Islands, and Menorca in particular, seem to manifest a clear distinction in their social organisation from contemporaneous societies on the continent and other western Mediterranean islands during the Bronze and Iron Ages, despite the uninterrupted contact and exchange relations between these regions.
easternmost point of the Balearic archipelago. The relatively abundant archaeological and anthropological information allows us to establish a detailed demographic sequence for Menorca over the last four thousand years and to recognise important immigration phases. GIS modelling reveals how the exceptional population growth of prehistoric Menorca
gradually led to the establishment of a sustainable settlement pattern and land-use strategy.
Given the defined limits of an island, our second question concerns how past communities reacted during phases of immigration and demographic growth. Islands are always exposed to migratory movements, while their local communities are usually aware that they were also once migrants. We therefore need to inquire into the political and ideological structures which emerged on the island as a result of encounters between populations from different geographical regions
and socio-political backgrounds. The Balearic Islands, and Menorca in particular, seem to manifest a clear distinction in their social organisation from contemporaneous societies on the continent and other western Mediterranean islands during the Bronze and Iron Ages, despite the uninterrupted contact and exchange relations between these regions.
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The Balearic islands were the last islands of the Mediterranean to be permanently settled. From ca. 23oo BC until the Roman colonisation they seem to have become a place of refuge, where the changes that occurred on the continent were... more
The Balearic islands were the last islands of the Mediterranean to be permanently settled. From ca. 23oo BC until the Roman colonisation they seem to have become a place of refuge, where the changes that occurred on the continent were mirrored. The Balearics were never isolated from their neighbouring territories, but they adapted technical, social or ideological changes from outside to their own ways of living and thinking. In February 1995 a sensational discovery was made on Menorca, when two speleologists entered the Cova des Càrritx, which had remained untouched by humans for more than two thousand years. Along the first 17o metres of this karst formation they observed remains of different ritual practices, which had taken place here between 16oo and 8oo BC. In an especially inaccessible room, one of most singular finds in Balearic prehistory was made: a hoard sealed by a stone slab, which contained hitherto unknown objects mostly made out of wood and human, red-dyed hair. After this discovery, several years of research began, which not only set the prehistory of the Balearics into a completely different perspective, but which also has further implications for the Bronze Age of the continent and, particularly, of the circum-
Alpine area.
Alpine area.
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Artículo incluido en el catálogo de la exposición "Àfriques – La mirada d'occident i Vistge a l'altra riba" del Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya y del Museu Etnològic de Barcelona, del 2 de julio al 9 de noviembre 2008.
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The earliest representation of physical violence in human history is probably found in the rock art of the Spanish Levant and the Sahara. Amongst thousands of depictions known from both areas, a few dozen show combat scenes between small... more
The earliest representation of physical violence in human history is probably found in the rock art of the Spanish Levant and the Sahara. Amongst thousands of depictions known from both areas, a few dozen show combat scenes between small groups of archers. Contrary to the first representations of violence in Egypt and Mesopotamia during the IVth and IIIrd millennium but also in Bronze Age Europe, these images do not express a glorification or celebration of violence. A comparison between the fighting scenes of the Sahara and the Spanish Levant and their chronology allows us to delve into the social background of this first evidence of human awareness concerning violence and its consequences.
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A 10–30 m wide dolerite dyke on the northernmost of the complex of granite hills in the Sanganakallu-Kupgal area became one of the main sources of raw material for the production of stone axes in southern India during the late prehistoric... more
A 10–30 m wide dolerite dyke on the northernmost of the complex of
granite hills in the Sanganakallu-Kupgal area became one of the main
sources of raw material for the production of stone axes in southern
India during the late prehistoric period. At least three large hill
settlements (several hectares each) were established in the hill
complex, and one of them appears to have gradually developed into
a large scale production centre. Quarrying and axe flaking started
around 1900 cal BCE, during the so-called Ash-mound period, and
reached its maximum development between 1400–1200 cal BCE, when
a large region of the south Deccan plateau might have been supplied
with finished and half-finished products from Sanganakallu.
Systematic archaeological excavation and survey carried out since
1997 in the Sanganakallu-Kupgal area, including the dyke quarry
itself, has yielded tens of thousands of production flakes, blanks and
macro-lithic tools related to the flaking, pecking and polishing of the
axes. The ongoing study of these materials permits us to gain insight
into the organisation of production in this area from a temporal
and spatial perspective.
In view of the social and economic transformations taking place
in the Deccan during the second half of the 2nd millennium BC,
some key questions concern the relationship between intensification
of production and the social division of labour between different
working areas and settlements.
granite hills in the Sanganakallu-Kupgal area became one of the main
sources of raw material for the production of stone axes in southern
India during the late prehistoric period. At least three large hill
settlements (several hectares each) were established in the hill
complex, and one of them appears to have gradually developed into
a large scale production centre. Quarrying and axe flaking started
around 1900 cal BCE, during the so-called Ash-mound period, and
reached its maximum development between 1400–1200 cal BCE, when
a large region of the south Deccan plateau might have been supplied
with finished and half-finished products from Sanganakallu.
Systematic archaeological excavation and survey carried out since
1997 in the Sanganakallu-Kupgal area, including the dyke quarry
itself, has yielded tens of thousands of production flakes, blanks and
macro-lithic tools related to the flaking, pecking and polishing of the
axes. The ongoing study of these materials permits us to gain insight
into the organisation of production in this area from a temporal
and spatial perspective.
In view of the social and economic transformations taking place
in the Deccan during the second half of the 2nd millennium BC,
some key questions concern the relationship between intensification
of production and the social division of labour between different
working areas and settlements.
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This paper explores the heuristic value of a palaeo-agrarian methodology and GIS modelling through the use of a well-studied archaeological landscape located in the western Mediterranean region. Taking the theoretical framework of the... more
This paper explores the heuristic value of a palaeo-agrarian methodology and GIS modelling through the use of a well-studied archaeological landscape located in the western Mediterranean region. Taking the theoretical framework of the Aguas Project as a reference, a research design is developed for this specific case study. In particular, we apply the new modelling procedure to the settlement site data of the island of Menorca (Balearic Islands, Spain), in combination with a substantial volume of palaeo-economic studies and historical information. The results of this study are presented in the form of territorial maps showing the hypothetical areas of dry land cultivation over a long-term chronology and across the entire island. This investigation aims to contribute to the discussion on the relevance of archaeological and palaeoecological data for our understanding of the present day landscapes and their sustainable development in the future.
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Menorca (Balearic Islands, Spain) offers exceptional geographical conditions for examining complex human development in the Mediterranean. This paper investigates the settlement development of Menorca over the last four thousand years,... more
Menorca (Balearic Islands, Spain) offers exceptional geographical conditions for examining complex
human development in the Mediterranean. This paper investigates the settlement development of Menorca
over the last four thousand years, beginning with the first occupation of the island. Using a well-established
deep chronological resolution, a GIS-based approach has been applied to archaeologically assembled
settlement data. The application of spatial analysis techniques provides significant results regarding site
density, settlement pattern, and site location preferences. The usage of a deep time-span converts this
research into the first long-term spatial analysis of the settlement record in a Menorcan framework.
human development in the Mediterranean. This paper investigates the settlement development of Menorca
over the last four thousand years, beginning with the first occupation of the island. Using a well-established
deep chronological resolution, a GIS-based approach has been applied to archaeologically assembled
settlement data. The application of spatial analysis techniques provides significant results regarding site
density, settlement pattern, and site location preferences. The usage of a deep time-span converts this
research into the first long-term spatial analysis of the settlement record in a Menorcan framework.
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The Rio Aguas Project has been aiming to better understand the long-term ecological consequences of different economic and social strategies in the lower Rio Aguas valley (province of Almería, SE Spain). The area has a long history of... more
The Rio Aguas Project has been aiming to better understand the long-term ecological consequences of different economic and social strategies in the lower Rio Aguas valley (province of Almería, SE Spain). The area has a long history of human occupation, during which several periods of strong pressure on the environment have occurred. This pressure has however not always been generated by the same economic or social structures. Part of the work for the project was undertaken as a GIS modelling of the agricultural production landscape. The purpose of this modelling was two-fold: firstly, to gain insight into the potential of the Rio Aguas valley for different agricultural strategies. And secondly, to start reconstructing the possible production zones in the past, using palaeo-ecological and archaeological evidence on diet and population. The paper will discuss the methodology applied and the implications for the interpretation of the prehistory of the Rio Aguas valley.
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The time around 2200 BCE was marked in the western Mediterraean by profound social, political and ideological changes. A substan-tial number of 14C dates conḀrms that most, if not all of the Chalcolithic fortiḀed settlements as well as... more
The time around 2200 BCE was marked in the western Mediterraean by profound social, political and ideological changes. A substan-tial number of 14C dates conḀrms that most, if not all of the Chalcolithic fortiḀed settlements as well as the Late Neolithic–Chal-colithic monumental ditched enclosures, dominating the landscape during most of the 3rd millennium BCE, had been abandoned by that time. Precisely at that moment the Ḁrst urban centre of the western Mediterranean was founded in the highly protected loca-tion on the hill of La Bastida (Murcia, SE Iberia). This early El Argar centre was carefully planed and defended by a fortiḀcation system, which deploys new notions of poliorcetics and reminds the defensive architecture of the eastern Mediterranean. The position of La Bastida in a mountainous landscape with little agricultural potential and at a certain distance from the main communication routes, suggests a markedly political motivation behind its foundation, which needs to be understood in the context of the formation of the Ḁrst state or state-like organisation in western Europe. New investigations and excavations are revealing further aspects of this monumental architecture and its relevance to the political structures emerging during the Ḁrst centuries of El Argar, when different forms of violence seems to have been critical.
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https://youtu.be/nRQgrIMrW8o
Conferències Mineralògiques de Tardor – Grup Mineralògic Català
(25.11.2016).
Conferències Mineralògiques de Tardor – Grup Mineralògic Català
(25.11.2016).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij5QNWqXBZk El libro Primeras investigaciones en La Bastida (1869-2005) recoge una ingente cantidad de documentación en forma de textos, documentos y fotografías procedentes de las excavaciones y análisis... more
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij5QNWqXBZk
El libro Primeras investigaciones en La Bastida (1869-2005) recoge una ingente cantidad de documentación en forma de textos, documentos y fotografías procedentes de las excavaciones y análisis científicos centrados en este yacimiento clave de la Edad del Bronce Argárica.
El libro Primeras investigaciones en La Bastida (1869-2005) recoge una ingente cantidad de documentación en forma de textos, documentos y fotografías procedentes de las excavaciones y análisis científicos centrados en este yacimiento clave de la Edad del Bronce Argárica.
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Research Interests: Mediterranean prehistory, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), European Copper and Bronze Age – Archaeometallurgy – Prehistoric Metalworking in Social Context – Settlement Archaeology – Application of Geophysical Methods in Archaeology – Neolithic – Theory / Cultural Anthropology – Material Culture Studies, and El Argar
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As part of the La Bastida Project, archaeological mining surveys have been carried out in order to define the organization of copper mining during the 3rd and 2nd millennium BCE. This multidisciplinary study includes intensive survey... more
As part of the La Bastida Project, archaeological mining surveys have been carried out in order to define the organization of copper mining during the 3rd and 2nd millennium BCE. This multidisciplinary study includes intensive survey work, spatial analysis, charac-terization of ores, the study of metallurgical debris from settlements, as well as functional analysis of lithic tools associated to metallurgical and mining contexts.
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H. Meller, H. W. Arz, R. Jung und R. Risch (Hrsg.), 2200 BC – Ein Klimasturz als Ursache für den Zerfall der Alten Welt? 2200 BC – A climatic breakdown as a cause for the collapse of the old world? 7. Mitteldeutscher Archäologentag vom... more
H. Meller, H. W. Arz, R. Jung und R. Risch (Hrsg.), 2200 BC – Ein Klimasturz als Ursache für den Zerfall der Alten Welt? 2200 BC – A climatic breakdown as a cause for the collapse of the old world? 7. Mitteldeutscher Archäologentag vom 23. bis 26. Oktober 2014 in Halle (Saale). Tagungen des Landesmuseums für Vorgeschichte Halle 12 (Halle [Saale] 2015).
Research Interests: Near Eastern Archaeology, Climate Change, Environmental Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), and 5 moreNeolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Chalcolithic Archaeology, Early Bronze Age (Archaeology), Climate Change and Environmental Archaeology, and Neolithic, Eneolithic, Early Bronze Age
This year’s conference is devoted to the topic “Surplus without the State”. The conference aims to take a comparative approach on forms of socio-political organisation in Prehistory in a global perspective. These social structures of... more
This year’s conference is devoted to the topic “Surplus without the State”. The conference aims to take a comparative approach on forms of socio-political organisation in Prehistory in a global perspective. These social structures of prehistoric societies, which had reached exceptional economic, demographic, architectural and ceremonial achievements, would not match the “classic” definition of a state. Of course the topic been a recurrent implicit subject of prehistoric as a matter but has, up to now, never been in its direct focus.
In this sense, the conference also aims to address the reasons for growth and decline of certain forms of socio-political organisation. Case studies will be presented from Europe, Africa, as well as North and South America.
In this sense, the conference also aims to address the reasons for growth and decline of certain forms of socio-political organisation. Case studies will be presented from Europe, Africa, as well as North and South America.
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Ein Zusammenleben außerhalb einer staatlichen Organisationsform ist für die Menschen in der westlichen Welt nur schwer vorstellbar. Gleichwohl trifft man auf allen Kontinenten der Erde herausragende kulturelle Äußerungen an, die fernab... more
Ein Zusammenleben außerhalb einer staatlichen Organisationsform ist für die Menschen in der westlichen Welt nur schwer vorstellbar. Gleichwohl trifft man auf allen Kontinenten der Erde herausragende kulturelle Äußerungen an, die fernab von staatlichen oder staatsähnlichen Strukturen entstanden. Sie erscheinen dennoch nicht möglich ohne die Erwirtschaftung eines ökonomischen Überschusses und gelten daher als Ausdruck gesellschaftlicher und politischer Organisationsformen unterschiedlicher Komplexität. Der 10. Mitteldeutsche Archäologentag widmete sich solchen Gesellschaften, für die auf Grund monumentaler Bauten, künstlerischer und religiöser Äußerungen oder materieller Hinterlassenschaften komplexe gesellschaftliche Organisationsformen angenommen werden können, die aber nicht den geläufigen Vorstellungen eines Staates entsprechen. Die Beiträge im vorliegenden Band befassen sich mit Fallbeispielen aus unterschiedlichsten Regionen und Epochen, wodurch sich zahlreiche Organisationsformen und Mechanismen des Zusammenlebens in prähistorischer Zeit offenbaren.
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H. Meller/H. P. Hahn/R. Jung/R. Risch (Hrsg.), Arm und Reich – Zur Ressourcenverteilung in prähistorischen Gesellschaften. Rich and Poor - Competing for resources in prehistoric societies. 8. Mitteldeutscher Archäologentag vom 22. bis 24.... more
H. Meller/H. P. Hahn/R. Jung/R. Risch (Hrsg.), Arm und Reich – Zur Ressourcenverteilung in prähistorischen Gesellschaften. Rich and Poor - Competing for resources in prehistoric societies. 8. Mitteldeutscher Archäologentag vom 22. bis 24. Oktober 2015 in Halle (Saale). Tagungen des Landesmuseums für Vorgeschichte Halle 14 (Halle [Saale] 2016).
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Abstractfolder des 9. Mitteldeutschen Archäologentages / Abstract folder of the 9th Archaeological Conference of Central Germany
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The engagement with Hilllforts from the Bronze and early Iron Age is a long standing topic in European archaeology. Nevertheless most studies focus on the fortification itself and their function within war and conflict. As archaeologists... more
The engagement with Hilllforts from the Bronze and early Iron Age is a long standing topic in European archaeology. Nevertheless most studies focus on the fortification itself and their function within war and conflict. As archaeologists further engage with this topic it becomes clear that there are manifold relations between the Hillforts and their surroundings. Our approach has to take the social dimension of these sites into account, beyond their defensive function. Hillforts most likely have fulfilled a plenty of functions within the social and economic spheres they originated from. They furthermore serve as actors in networks that incorporate other fortified sites and might have been a structuring element in the political landscape of their times. In our session we want to shed light on the many reasons that might have lead to the erection of a hillfort and the various functions and incarnations that they take on during their existence. We aim at papers that discuss hillforts in terms of interactions between and within communities, whether they emphasize on a hierarchical network or a scale free approach. We are interested in the broader relations between the hillforts themselves as well as their connections to their individual hinterlands. Further we welcome papers that try to place them in models of social and economic activities and processes. The chronological focus of this session is on the Bronze and early Iron Age sites. However papers from different periods that fit or complement our subject are of interest too. To submit a 15 minute paper to our session please visit: eaa.klinkhamergroup.com/eaa2018/ Deadline for submissions: 15. February 2018