Ciudades vettonas

The emergence of large fortified settlements, known as oppida, in “Celtic” Iberia during the Late Iron Age, is a process which begins to be known with more accuracy. As in other areas of temperate Europe, there were probably substantial differences between them, in terms of geographical setting, size, form, function and chronology. We know when some small settlements were founded, but the evolution of these communities into other ones that were somewhat larger and more complex is not clear. A basic question is whether the city grew in response to an internal process of evolution or to a changed model of society imposed by Rome. The exploration of the relationships between oppida, material culture and ethnicity is considered in this paper for the Vettones, one of the pre-Roman peoples in Western Spain. It is argued that the sociological interpretation of the cemeteries and the regional patterns of settlement offer interesting insights into the model of social organization of the indigenous societies between the fourth and first centuries BC.La emergencia de grandes centros fortificados conocidos como oppida, a finales de la Edad del Hierro en la Iberia Céltica, es un fenómeno que empieza a ser mejor conocido. Como en otras regiones de la Europa Templada, probablemente existían diferencias muy sustanciales entre ellos, y diferían en tamaño, forma, función y cronología. De algunos pequeños asentamientos se conocen los primeros momentos de instalación, pero la evolución de estas comunidades en otras más grandes y complejas no está clara. Una cuestión básica es la de si la ciudad responde a un proceso de evolución interna o a un cambio en el modelo de sociedad impuesto por Roma. En este trabajo se abordan las relaciones entre oppida, cultura material y etnicidad en el ámbito de los vettones, una de las poblaciones prerromanas del oeste peninsular. La interpretación sociológica de los cementerios y los patrones de asentamiento regional ofrecen una visión interesante sobre el modelo de organización social de estas comunidades entre los siglos IV y I a.C

En busca del verraco perdido. Aportaciones a la escultura zoomorfa de la Edad del Hierro en la Meseta.

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Oppida and Celtic society in western Spain

The emergence of large fortified settlements, known as oppida, in Celtic Iberia during the Late Iron Age is a process which we are just beginning to understand. As in other areas of temperate Europe, there were probably substantial differences between these settlements in terms of their geographical setting, size, form, function and chronology. The exploration of the relationships between oppida, material culture and ethnicity is considered for the Vettones, one of the most famous pre-Roman peoples of western Spain. It is argued that the configuration of the settlements and communities, the sociological interpretation of the cemeteries and the regional patterns of settlement offer interesting insights into social organization of the indigenous world in Iberia between the fourth and first centuries BC

La prehistoria enseñada y los manuales escolares españoles

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Ancient cultural landscapes in the valleys of Tormes and Corneja (Ávila)

El presente trabajo pretende ofrecer una visión diacrónica de la antigua ocupación humana en los valles del Tormes y del Corneja (Ávila), abarcando cronológicamente los momentos culturales incluidos entre la II Edad del Hierro y la Alta Edad Media (ss. ii a. C. - x d. C.). La información sobre los yacimientos procede tanto de prospecciones sistemáticas extensivas e intensivas, así como de algunas excavaciones arqueológicas. Se presenta así por primera vez un análisis de conjunto, diacrónico y comparativo, del poblamiento antiguo en esta zona serrana y de las dinámicas que marcaron su transformación durante la época romana y tardoantigua. Mediante el recurso a las Técnicas de Información Geográfica (TIG), se ha recopilado e incluido toda la información arqueológica relativa a los yacimientos documentados en esta zona, analizándola de forma combinada junto con aquella relativa a su contexto espacial (vías de comunicación, toponimia, recursos naturales, medio físico, etc.). Todo ello nos permite, por un lado, trazar la evolución del poblamiento en este territorio, ofreciendo una visión de largo alcance y, por otro, insertar este sector serrano en los procesos que definen este periodo en otras áreas próximas, en especial, en las vecinas tierras salmantinas y madrileñasThis paper offers a diachronic interpretation of the ancient human occupation of the Tormes and Corneja valleys (Ávila), chronologically including the cultural times between the II Iron Age to the High Middle Ages (2nd century BC - 10th century AD). The information on the deposits comes from extensive and intensive systematic surveys as well as some archaeological excavations. For the first time it is presented a diachronic and comparative analysis of the old settlement in this mountain area and of the dynamics that marked its transformation during the Roman period and Late Antiquity. By using Geographic Information Techniques (GIS), all the archaeological information related to the sites documented in this area has been compiled and analyzed together with that relating to its spatial context (ways of communication, toponymy, natural resources, physical environment, etc.). All this allows us to, on the one hand, trace the evolution of the settlement in this territory, offering a vision of long reach and, on the other hand, insert this sector serrano in the processes that define this period in other nearby areas, especially in the neighboring lands in Salamanca and Madri

Geometric Morphometrics and Machine Learning Models Applied to the Study of Late Iron Age Cut Marks from Central Spain

Recently the incorporation of artificial intelligence has allowed the development of valuable methodological advances in taphonomy. Some studies have achieved great precision in identifying the carnivore that produced tooth marks. Additionally, other works focused on human activity have managed to specify what type of tool or raw material was used in the filleting processes identified at the sites. Through the use of geometric morphometrics and machine learning techniques, the present study intends to analyze the cut marks of the Ulaca oppidum (Solosancho, Ávila, Spain) in order to identify the type of tools used during carcass modification. Although the Ulaca oppidum is an Iron Age site, the results suggest that most of the cut marks were produced with flint tools.During the development of the present work J.A. was funded by the Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea [ESPDOC21/05]. This work has been partially funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (project PID2021-123721OB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, UE) and Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (FCT-21-17318). M.Á.M.-G. and C.S.B. acknowledges the grant RYC2021-034813-I and RYC2021-034720-I respectively, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by European Union “NextGenerationEU”/PRTR

Zooarchaeology of the Iron Age in Western Iberia: new insights from the Celtic oppidum of Ulaca

The Vettones were one of the most important Celtic peoples of the Late Iron Age in Western Iberia (between the Duero and Tagus Rivers). It is a period recognised from the spread of the cremation ritual in the cemeteries, the development of iron metallurgy, and the emergence of large fortified settlements—the characteristic oppida—that would finally be abandoned with the conquest of Hispania by Rome. Different types of evidence suggest that the Vetton economy was based on livestock. Palaeobotanical and carpological analyses reveal a major deforestation of the landscape, the conversion of large areas into pastures and cultivated fields, and the use of enclosures as cattle pens. The stone sculptures of bulls and pigs found throughout the mountainous areas of the region—the famous verracos—also reflect the value the Vettones placed on livestock. However, there have been very few studies devoted to the identification of faunal remains. In this text, we offer previously unpublished data on the animals found in the oppidum of Ulaca (Solosancho, Ávila, Spain), one of the largest in Celtic Iberia (third–first centuries BC), which we relate to other evidence from neighbouring sites. Thus, the state of the research into Vetton zooarchaeology is offered in the broader context of the Iberian Peninsula