Cultura argárica

This research tries to make an overview of culture The Argar from planning point of view. To perform this rapprochement has made a detailed study of the pattern of settlement, visualizing the structure of the towns, defense systems and buildings found within. From the point of view has been analyzed both territorial geographic features, such as scattering and the relationship with the average population. Finally, we propose a new hypothesis that attempts to justify why this culture has a predilection for their settlements Build defensive.

Las pruebas genéticas recién publicadas en la Revista Sciencie confirman la hipótesis del equipo de la 'Revista Argárica' de que entre los fundadores del Argar, además de los ya más que esperados esteparios, hubo gente procedente de las antiguas tierras de Canaán, concretamente gente con linaje paterno típico de ancestrías afroasiático-semíticas.

Este es un artículo divulgativo y de reflexión histórica. Se revisa la cultura de El Argar (2300/1500 aC), de la Edad del Bronce. Es la primera sociedad de Europa Occidental que entró en la vía del individualismo, no obstante, y paradójicamente, construir el primer aparato estatal de Occidente. La revisión incide en especial en la necrópolis de El Argar, con fotos realizadas por mi, y solo se citan de pasada los recintos amurallados, las capitales y los asentamientos palaciales

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.

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.

Estudio de los restos humanos pertenecientes a una inhumación perinatal, procedente del yacimiento argárico de Cabezo Pardo (Alicante España). Edad del Bronce. Study of human remains from a perinatal burial argárico from the site of Cabezo Pardo (Alicante Spain). Bronze Age

ABSTRACT: We publish the grave goods of an argaric tomb consisting of a short bronze sword, the first attested in the site, two silver spiral bracelets and a pottery cup, which are preserved in a private collection. Found in the site called Cerro de los Castellones (Laborcillas, Morelabor, Granada). These items would belong to a male of high social status and the grave could be dated within the Bronze Age, between 1800 and 1500 BC.

RESUMEN: Publicamos el ajuar de una sepultura argárica, conservado en una colección particular, compuesto por una espada corta de bronce con remaches, la primera documentada en este yacimiento, así como dos pulseras de plata en espiral y una copa cerámica fragmentada. Estos objetos, procedentes del yacimiento del Cerro de los Castellones en Laborcillas, término municipal de Morelábor (Granada), pertenecerían a un varón de elevado estatus social, pudiéndose datar a lo largo del Bronce Pleno, aproximadamente entre los años 1800 y 1500 a. C.

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.

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.

The faunal remains found in Argaric graves have been scarcely or poorly documented. In recent times, however, they have been gaining interest under the spotlight of the concept ‘commensality’. The aim of this paper is to review its application in current interpretations, and to explore new analytical avenues taking into account the archaeological records of La Almoloya and La Bastida (Murcia, Spain). Our results show that the deposition of faunal portions was a widespread social practice, from which only children were mostly excluded. Moreover, a trend towards increasing restrictions to faunal offerings in late Argaric times is also suggested. Rather than considering faunal grave goods as markers of economic asymmetries, they are better understood in the political domain: offering ‘food’ was crucial in the recognition of membership in the Argaric communities.

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.

Cuando ha pasado más de un siglo desde que los hermanos Luis y Enrique Siret visitaron por primera vez las tierras del sureste, el paisaje en el que se desenvolvieron, los caminos que vertebraron sus hallazgos, y los mismos yacimientos localizados por los investigadores belgas, han experimentado profundas transformaciones físicas, y los estudios posteriores sobre algu­nos de ellos han permitido contrastar, y a veces matizar, las primeras reflexiones que se hicie­ron sobre nuestra Prehistoria. Desde este planteamiento, se propuso una revisión de esos lugares visitados por los Siret, con el fin de actualizar la información a inicios del siglo XXI y contrastarla con aquella trabajo­samente recogida a finales del siglo XIX.

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.

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.

espanolEste trabajo presenta toda la informacion disponible sobre el yacimiento arqueologico de la Almoloya antes del inicio del programa de investigacion que emprendio nuestro equipo el ano 2013. EnglishThis paper is a collation of all the available information on the Argaric Bronze Age site of La Almoloya before the beginning of our research program, which started in 2013.

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.

espanolEste trabajo presenta toda la informacion disponible sobre el yacimiento arqueologico de la Almoloya antes del inicio del programa de investigacion que emprendio nuestro equipo el ano 2013. EnglishThis paper is a collation of all the available information on the Argaric Bronze Age site of La Almoloya before the beginning of our research program, which started in 2013.

Se presenta el yacimiento y se da la noticia de las primeras campañas de excavación arqueológica realizadas en Las Cabezuelas de Totana (Región de Murcia, España), en el sureste de la Península Ibérica. Sus fases de ocupación van desde el Bronce Final, pasando por un gran momento de esplendor durante el período ibérico (s. V-III a.C.) con transición hacia la República y el Alto Imperio Romano, y un último periodo de ocupación andalusí entre los siglos VIII-XI d.C.

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.

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.

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.

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.