From local groups to early states: the development of complexity in protohistoric Catalonia

La recerca sobre la protohistoria de Catalunya s'ha fonamentat tradicionalment en la historia cultural, però el treball dels darrers vint-i-cinc anys ha començat a donar llum sobre aspectes crucials com el canvi social i la formació de l'Estat arcaic. Aquest article és una visió general sobre aquests temes. S'hi analitza particularment el paper del creixement demogràfic com a element crucial del canvi social, però també s'hi té en compte el paper que eventualment hi hagin pogut tenir els moviments de població i el comerç colonial.While research on Catalan Proto-history had traditionally been rooted in Culture History, the work in the last twenty-five years has begun to throw sorne light on the crucial matters of social change and early state formation. This paper is an overview of the present state of research on these issues. Particular attention is paid to demographic growth as a crucial cause of social change, but the possible roles of migration and colonial trade are also considered.While research on Catalan Proto-history had traditionally been rooted in Culture History, the work in the last twenty-five years has begun to throw sorne light on the crucial matters of social change and early state formation. This paper is an overview of the present state of research on these issues. Particular attention is paid to demographic growth as a crucial cause of social change, but the possible roles of migration and colonial trade are also considered

From the archaic states to romanization: a historical and evolutionary perspective on the Iberians

In the middle of the first millennium BC small-scale societies (local or even family level communities) on the Eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula were rapidly transformed, socially and culturally, into complex ones of at least tens of thousands of people and endowed with centralised forms of political organization that controlled vast territories, often of several thousand square kilometres. From the beginning of the 4th century BC, the rapid expansion of writing suggests the establishment of an administrative system and the development of the institutional complexity particular to the archaic states. These states were governed by kings who emerged from the aristocratic ranks that dominated the diverse communities forming the bulk of the population. We know from Greco-Latin sources that the inhabitants of these territories were known by the name of Iberians, and that this ethnic group was divided into different peoples that in some cases corresponded to the afore mentioned political entities, whereas in other cases several of them must have been included. Epigraphy shows that the same language was used in the whole of this region, although perhaps not exclusively; in modern times it is known as ‘Iberian’, and cannot be deciphered. Incorporation into the Roman world around 200 BC meant a gradual integration into Latin culture, that was completed a little before the change of era

From the archaic states to romanization: a historical and evolutionary perspective on the Iberians

In the middle of the first millennium BC small-scale societies (local or even family level communities) on the Eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula were rapidly transformed, socially and culturally, into complex ones of at least tens of thousands of people and endowed with centralised forms of political organization that controlled vast territories, often of several thousand square kilometres. From the beginning of the 4th century BC, the rapid expansion of writing suggests the establishment of an administrative system and the development of the institutional complexity particular to the archaic states. These states were governed by kings who emerged from the aristocratic ranks that dominated the diverse communities forming the bulk of the population. We know from Greco-Latin sources that the inhabitants of these territories were known by the name of Iberians, and that this ethnic group was divided into different peoples that in some cases corresponded to the afore mentioned political entities, whereas in other cases several of them must have been included. Epigraphy shows that the same language was used in the whole of this region, although perhaps not exclusively; in modern times it is known as Iberian, and cannot be deciphered. Incorporation into the Roman world around 200 BC meant a gradual integration into Latin culture, that was completed a little before the change of era

Dels estats arcaics a la romanització: una perspectiva històrica i evolutiva sobre els ibers

Durant els segles centrals del primer mil·lennari aC es va produir a la costa oriental de la península Ibèrica un ràpid desenvolupament sociocultural que va suposar la transformació de les societats de petita escala (nivell de comunitats locals, o fins i tot familiars), en societats complexes, compostes per desenes de milers de persones, com a mínim, i dotades de formes d'organització política centralitzades, que controlaven territoris extensos, sovint de diversos milers de quilòmetres quadrats. Des de començament del segle iv aC, la ràpida expansió de l'escriptura suggereix l'establiment d'un sistema administratiu i el desenvolupament de la complexitat institucional pròpia dels estats arcaics. Aquests estats eren dirigits per monarques eixits d'estaments aristocràtics que dominaven les diverses comunitats que constituïen el gruix de la població. Sabem per les fonts grecollatines que els pobladors d'aquest territori eren coneguts amb el nom d'ibers, i que aquest grup ètnic estava dividit en pobles diversos, que en alguns casos corresponien a les entitats polítiques abans esmentades, mentre que en d'altres en devien englobar diverses. L'epigrafia mostra que en tot aquest territori es va utilitzar -però potser no de forma exclusiva una mateixa llengua, coneguda modernament com a ibèrica, que no pot ser interpretada. La incorporació al món romà, entorn de 200 aC, va suposar una paulatina integració en la cultura llatina, que va culminar poc abans del canvi d'era

L'Estat del coneixement sobre la cultura ibèrica a Catalunya

La cultura ibèrica compta amb una llarga tradició d'estudi dins la historiografia i l'arqueologia catalanes, amb figures tan destacades com P. Bosch-Gimpera i Joan Maluquer de Motes. Des de la dècada dels vuitanta aquesta recerca ha experimentat un impuls notable des del punt de vista teòric i metodològic, i, a la vegada, s'ha multiplicat el volum de dades disponibles. Tot això ha permès elaborar un discurs històric sòlid i en contínua transformació, que transcendeix la mera descripció de la cultura material i els plantejaments propis de la història cultural. La cultura ibèrica ocupa també un lloc destacat en els programes de divulgació cultural de Catalunya, a través de mitjans diversos.Research on Iberian culture has a long tradition in Catalan historiography and archaeology, with such outstanding figures as P. Bosch-Gimpera or J. Maluquer de Motes. Since the eighties, this research has undergone a major boost from both the theoretical and methodological points of view, and it has also benefited from an increasing volume of data. The outcome is a solid and continuously shifting historical discourse that transcends mere description of thematerial culture and culture-historically based interpretations of the archaeological record. The Iberian culture also has an important place, through various means, in the Catalan programs of cultural diffusion

From the archaic states to romanization: a historical and evolutionary perspective on the Iberians

In the middle of the first millennium BC small-scale societies (local or even family level communities) on the Eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula were rapidly transformed, socially and culturally, into complex ones of at least tens of thousands of people and endowed with centralised forms of political organization that controlled vast territories, often of several thousand square kilometres. From the beginning of the 4th century BC, the rapid expansion of writing suggests the establishment of an administrative system and the development of the institutional complexity particular to the archaic states. These states were governed by kings who emerged from the aristocratic ranks that dominated the diverse communities forming the bulk of the population. We know from Greco-Latin sources that the inhabitants of these territories were known by the name of Iberians, and that this ethnic group was divided into different peoples that in some cases corresponded to the afore mentioned political entities, whereas in other cases several of them must have been included. Epigraphy shows that the same language was used in the whole of this region, although perhaps not exclusively; in modern times it is known as Iberian, and cannot be deciphered. Incorporation into the Roman world around 200 BC meant a gradual integration into Latin culture, that was completed a little before the change of era

La ceràmica grega fina de l'assentament ibèric d'Alorda Park (Calafell, Baix Penedès, Tarragona). Segles VI-IV a.C

Les ceràmiques gregues, sobretot àtiques, s'estudien des del punt de vista tipològic i decoratiu, pero també atenent a les categories funcionals i a la posició d'aquests materials dins el conjunt de cerarruques fines i dins del conjunt de ceràmiques d'importació. Es conclou l'existència d'una facies original, pero vinculada, per diferents raons, amb la de la Iberia centre-meridional i amb la de l'area hel·lenitzant del golf del Lleó. ______________________________________________ Les céramiques grecques, surtout attiques, sont étudiées du point de vue typologique et décoratif, mais on tient compte aussi des catégories fonctionnelles, ainsi que de la position de ces matériaux dans l'ensemble des céramiques fines et des poteries d'importation. On en tire cornme conclusion l'existence d'un facies original, mais relationné, par de différentes raisons, avec celui de l'Ibérie centrale et méridionale et celui de l'aire hellénisante du golfe du Lion