- Robert.Risch@uab.cat
Roberto Risch
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Departament de Prehistòria, Faculty Member
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.