Tecnología del marfil: herramientas, técnicas y modos de producción en la Edad del Cobre de la península ibérica. Valencina de la Concepción (Sevilla) como caso de estudio

The use of ivory in the Mediterranean region dates to the Palaeolithic period, with a significant increase taking place during the Copper Age in southern Europe. This article explores, in-depth, the exploitation of elephant tusks and the processes behind manufacturing ivory objects during the Copper Age on the Iberian Peninsula. For this purpose, the mega-site of Valencina in southern Spain is used as a case study because of the abundant and varied collection of ivories it has yielded. The technological, morphological, and contextual dimensions of Copper Age ivory will be examined here. Standardised exploitation was observed, oriented towards the manufacture of specific types of blanks, based on the knowledge and use of different parts of the tusk (hollow and compact) in a differential and very specific manner. The main form of exploitation is longitudinal, that is, to produce plates, allowing for more efficient exploitation of this raw material. Furthermore, this study has revealed the only case so far in the Iberian Peninsula of a sawing process by abrasion, and not with a saw (“sciage au fil sablé”), extending our knowledge of the craftsmanship of Prehistoric societies.El uso del marfil en el Mediterráneo se remonta al Paleolítico, con un importante desarrollo durante la Edad del Cobre en el sur de Europa. Este artículo profundiza en la forma de explotación de los colmillos de elefante y en el proceso de fabricación de objetos de marfil durante la Edad del Cobre en la península ibérica. Se utiliza como muestra de estudio el mega-sitio de Valencina, en el sur de España, por la abundante y variada colección de marfiles que ha proporcionado. Este estudio examina en profundidad las dimensiones tecnológicas, morfológicas y contextuales del marfil de la Edad del Cobre. Como resultado, se observa una explotación estandarizada, orientada a la fabricación de soportes específicos, basada en el conocimiento y uso de las distintas partes del colmillo (huecas y compactas) de manera diferencial y muy específica. La principal forma de explotación es la longitudinal, es decir, la producción de placas, que permitía un mayor rendimiento de la materia prima. Además, este estudio ha revelado el único caso hasta ahora en la península ibérica de un procedimiento de aserrado por abrasión, y no con sierra (sciage au fil sablé), ampliando nuestro conocimiento sobre la artesanía de las sociedades prehistóricas

Crafting Idiosyncrasies. Early Social Complexity, Ivory and Identity-Making in Copper Age Iberia

As a raw material, ivory has been used to manufacture a wide range of objects, normally associated with sumptuous material culture. In this article we explore the role played by ivory and ivory artefacts among early complex societies, and particularly its importance in the definition of identities among emergent elites. To this end, we make a thorough examination of the evidence from Copper Age Iberia, focusing on the mega-site of Valencina, in southern Spain. This site has provided what to date is the largest assemblage of prehistoric ivory in western Europe, with an estimated total of 8.8 kg, including finely crafted artefacts of unrivalled beauty and sophistication. Our study looks carefully at the technological, morphological and contextual dimensions of Copper Age ivory. As a result, we contend that the broad morphological variability together with the technological uniformity of this assemblage suggest that, while belonging to a common technological tradition, objects were deliberately crafted as unique and unrepeatable so that they could be used to create and maintain socio-cultural idiosyncrasies and ideological legitimation.This research has been carried out thanks to two research grants—grant numbers BFI-2012-261 (Predoc) and POS-2018-1-0074 (Postdoc)—funded by the Basque Government awarded to M. Luciañez-Triviño, and has been developed within the Prehistoric Research Consolidated Group of the Basque Country University UPV/EHU (IT1223-19). We thank the staff of the Museums of Seville and Valencina, as well as all the archaeologists who have provided material and support for the study. Many thanks also to Professor Timothy Earle and Dr Marta Díaz-Guardamino Uribe for their feedback on earlier drafts of this paper

Ivory craftsmanship, trade and social significance in the southern Iberian Copper Age: the evidence from the PP4? Montelirio sector of Valencina de la Concepción (Seville, Spain)

Because of its great potential to provide data on contacts and overseas trade, ivory has aroused a great deal of interest since the very start of research into Iberian late prehistory. Research recently undertaken by the German Archaeological Institute in Madrid in collaboration with a number of other institutions has provided valuable contributions to the study of ivory in the Iberian Copper Age and Early Bronze Age. One of the archaeological sites that is contributing the most data for analysing ivory from the Copper Age in southern Iberia is Valencina de la Concepcion (Seville), which is currently the focus of several debates on the development of social complexity. This article contributes to this line of research by providing new, unpublished evidence and by examining the significance of ivory craftsmanship in commercial, social, and ideological terms. It also assesses in greater detail the prominent part played by luxury ivory items as an expression of social status and power.<br/

CATALOGACIÓN Y ESTUDIO DEL BROCADO APLICADO EN LOS RETABLOS DEL TERRITORIO HISTÓRICO ALAVÉS

Con el fin de estudiar en mayor profundidad el brocado aplicado en Álava, se propuso y se llevo a cabo una metodología de trabajo concreta que nos llevó a la caracterización y clasificación tipológica, técnica y material de los brocados de los retablos de la provincia, antes de que éstos pudieran sufrir mayores deterioros o pérdida total.Luciañez Triviño, M. (2009). CATALOGACIÓN Y ESTUDIO DEL BROCADO APLICADO EN LOS RETABLOS DEL TERRITORIO HISTÓRICO ALAVÉS. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/13690Archivo delegad

Ivory, Elites, and Lineages in Copper Age Iberia. Exploring the Wider Significance of the Montelirio Tomb

In den letzten zehn Jahren hat die Forschung in der kupferzeitlichen ›Mega-Site‹ von Valencina (Sevilla, Spanien) große Fortschritte gemacht. Von besonderer Bedeutung ist die Ausgrabung und wissenschaftliche Erforschung des großen Megalithgrabes von Montelirio, das neue und genaue Daten über verschiedene Aspekte der Lebensweise dieser Zeit geliefert hat. Das Ziel unserer Studie ist es, die Bedeutung von Montelirio im Kontext der Prozesse der sozialen Hierarchisierung zu untersuchen, die zu Beginn des 3. Jahrtausends im südlichen Iberien stattfanden, ein Problem, das bis vor kurzem aufgrund des Fehlens von Informationen in anderen Referenzstandorten (hauptsächlich Zambujal und Los Millares) nur sehr schwer zu untersuchen war. Zu diesem Zweck führen wir eine detaillierte vergleichende Analyse derChronologie, der materiellen Kultur und der Bioarchäologie einiger der in Montelirio bestatteten Personen durch. Die Struktur 10.042–10.049, ein weiteres majestätisches Megalithgrab, befindet sich nur 200 m entfernt im südöstlichen Quadranten der Fundstätte von Valencina. Als Ergebnis schlagen wir vor, dass in der ersten Hälfte des 3. Jahrtausends cal B. C. E. diese Gräber von den entstehenden Eliten eines sozialen Systems verwendet wurden, das auf einer Hierarchisierung von Abstammungsgruppen basierte, innerhalb derer Elfenbein eine wichtige Rolle als Prestige- und Prunkobjekt spielte.During the last 10 years, research on the Valencina (Seville, Spain) Copper Age megasite has seen major advances. Of special relevance is the excavation and scientific study of the great megalithic tomb at Montelirio, which has provided new and accurate data about multiple aspects of the way of life during this period. The aim of our study is to explore the significance of Montelirio within the context of the processes of social hierarchisation that took place in southern Iberia at the beginning of the third millennium B. C. E., a problem that until very recently had been very difficult to examine due to the absence of information from the main reference sites (especially Zambujal and Los Millares). To this end, we carry out a detailed comparative analysis of the temporality, material culture, and bioarchaeology of some of the subjects buried at Montelirio and in Structure 10.042–10.049, another major megalithic tomb located just 200 m away in the southeast quadrant of Valencina. As a result we propose that during the first half of the third millennium cal B. C. E. these tombs wereused by the incipient elites of a social system based on a ranking of lineages, within which ivory played an important role as an element of prestige and ostentation.En los últimos diez años, la investigación del mega-sitio de la Edad del Cobre de Valencina (Sevilla, España) ha experimentado importantes avances. De especial relevancia es la excavación y estudio científico de la gran tumba megalítica de Montelirio, que ha proporcionado nuevos y precisos datos acerca de multiples aspectos de la forma de vida de este periodo. Nuestro análisis persigue explorar la significación de Montelirio en el contexto de los procesos de jerarquización social que tuvieron lugar en el sur de Iberia a principios del 3er milenio ANE, un problema que hasta muy recientemente había sido muy difícil de tratar debido a la ausencia de información en los principales sitios de referencia (especialmente Zambujal y Los Millares). Para ello nos basamos en un detallado análisis comparativo de la temporalidad,la cultura material y la bioarqueología de varios de los sujetos inhumados en Montelirio y en la Estructura 10.042–10–049, otra importante tumba megalítica ubicada a escasos 200 m de distancia dentro del cuadrante suroriental del Valencina. Como resultado proponemos que en la primera mitad del 3er milenio ANE estas tumbas fueron usadas por las incipientes élites de un sistema social basado en la jerarquización de linajes, dentro del cual el marfil jugó un importante papel como elemento de prestigio y ostentación

Ivory, Elites, and Lineages in Copper Age Iberia. Exploring the Wider Significance of the Montelirio Tomb

In den letzten zehn Jahren hat die Forschung in der kupferzeitlichen ›Mega-Site‹ von Valencina (Sevilla, Spanien) große Fortschritte gemacht. Von besonderer Bedeutung ist die Ausgrabung und wissenschaftliche Erforschung des großen Megalithgrabes von Montelirio, das neue und genaue Daten über verschiedene Aspekte der Lebensweise dieser Zeit geliefert hat. Das Ziel unserer Studie ist es, die Bedeutung von Montelirio im Kontext der Prozesse der sozialen Hierarchisierung zu untersuchen, die zu Beginn des 3. Jahrtausends im südlichen Iberien stattfanden, ein Problem, das bis vor kurzem aufgrund des Fehlens von Informationen in anderen Referenzstandorten (hauptsächlich Zambujal und Los Millares) nur sehr schwer zu untersuchen war. Zu diesem Zweck führen wir eine detaillierte vergleichende Analyse derChronologie, der materiellen Kultur und der Bioarchäologie einiger der in Montelirio bestatteten Personen durch. Die Struktur 10.042–10.049, ein weiteres majestätisches Megalithgrab, befindet sich nur 200 m entfernt im südöstlichen Quadranten der Fundstätte von Valencina. Als Ergebnis schlagen wir vor, dass in der ersten Hälfte des 3. Jahrtausends cal B. C. E. diese Gräber von den entstehenden Eliten eines sozialen Systems verwendet wurden, das auf einer Hierarchisierung von Abstammungsgruppen basierte, innerhalb derer Elfenbein eine wichtige Rolle als Prestige- und Prunkobjekt spielte.During the last 10 years, research on the Valencina (Seville, Spain) Copper Age megasite has seen major advances. Of special relevance is the excavation and scientific study of the great megalithic tomb at Montelirio, which has provided new and accurate data about multiple aspects of the way of life during this period. The aim of our study is to explore the significance of Montelirio within the context of the processes of social hierarchisation that took place in southern Iberia at the beginning of the third millennium B. C. E., a problem that until very recently had been very difficult to examine due to the absence of information from the main reference sites (especially Zambujal and Los Millares). To this end, we carry out a detailed comparative analysis of the temporality, material culture, and bioarchaeology of some of the subjects buried at Montelirio and in Structure 10.042–10.049, another major megalithic tomb located just 200 m away in the southeast quadrant of Valencina. As a result we propose that during the first half of the third millennium cal B. C. E. these tombs wereused by the incipient elites of a social system based on a ranking of lineages, within which ivory played an important role as an element of prestige and ostentation.En los últimos diez años, la investigación del mega-sitio de la Edad del Cobre de Valencina (Sevilla, España) ha experimentado importantes avances. De especial relevancia es la excavación y estudio científico de la gran tumba megalítica de Montelirio, que ha proporcionado nuevos y precisos datos acerca de multiples aspectos de la forma de vida de este periodo. Nuestro análisis persigue explorar la significación de Montelirio en el contexto de los procesos de jerarquización social que tuvieron lugar en el sur de Iberia a principios del 3er milenio ANE, un problema que hasta muy recientemente había sido muy difícil de tratar debido a la ausencia de información en los principales sitios de referencia (especialmente Zambujal y Los Millares). Para ello nos basamos en un detallado análisis comparativo de la temporalidad,la cultura material y la bioarqueología de varios de los sujetos inhumados en Montelirio y en la Estructura 10.042–10–049, otra importante tumba megalítica ubicada a escasos 200 m de distancia dentro del cuadrante suroriental del Valencina. Como resultado proponemos que en la primera mitad del 3er milenio ANE estas tumbas fueron usadas por las incipientes élites de un sistema social basado en la jerarquización de linajes, dentro del cual el marfil jugó un importante papel como elemento de prestigio y ostentación

Beautiful, Magic, Lethal: a Social Perspective of Cinnabar Use and Mercury Exposure at the Valencina Copper Age Mega‐site (Spain)

Today, mercury is a matter of concern for health and environmental authorities across western countries, and legislation has been passed and programs have been implemented for its total elimination from human activity. But this was not always the case: mercury and its compounds have been highly appreciated and used since remote times all over the world with very diverse purposes ranging from decora- tive, medicinal, metallurgical and symbolic. In particular, cinnabar (HgS, mercury sulfide), a mineral of an intense red color, has been considered in many cultures as an exotic raw material, highly valued and associated with the elites and sacred practice. In this paper, we examine one such case, set almost 5000 years ago, in Copper Age Iberia, by investigating mercury exposure through human bone. The study presented here includes a total of 170 samples from 70 different human indi- viduals and 22 animals (plus one soil sample) from the Copper Age mega-site of Valencina, south-western Spain. It is the largest ever single-site study of exposure to mercury based on human bone in combination with cinnabar use. Abnormally high values are recorded in some individuals dating between 2900 and 2650 BC, especially in those buried in remarkable tombs belonging to the social elite of this period, but high levels of mercury are also recorded in the rest of the population. Three lines of interpretation are used to explain these results, including the manipu- lation of cinnabar (grinding it into powder, mixing it with other substances, using it for the decoration of objects, buildings and the human body), its direct consumption through ingestion or inhalation by a ‘special’ social group and the contribution of environmental factors. Based on the currently available evidence, which is carefully reviewed, Valencina represents the most intense and prolonged case of exposure to mercury recorded in human history, which makes it an important site to assess the long and complex history of use of this substance.Peer reviewe

Amelogenin peptide analyses reveal female leadership in Copper Age Iberia (c. 2900–2650 BC)

Abstract Given the absence of written records, the main source of information available to analyze gender inequalities in early complex societies is the human body itself. And yet, for decades, archaeologists have struggled with the sex estimation of poorly preserved human remains. Here we present an exceptional case study that shows how ground-breaking new scientific methods may address this problem. Through the analysis of sexually dimorphic amelogenin peptides in tooth enamel, we establish that the most socially prominent person of the Iberian Copper Age (c. 3200–2200 BC) was not male, as previously thought, but female. The analysis of this woman, discovered in 2008 at Valencina, Spain, reveals that she was a leading social figure at a time where no male attained a remotely comparable social position. Only other women buried a short time after in the Montelirio tholos, part of the same burial area, appear to have enjoyed a similarly high social position. Our results invite to reconsider established interpretations about the political role of women at the onset of early social complexity, and question traditionally held views of the past. Furthermore, this study anticipates the changes that newly developed scientific methods may bring to prehistoric archaeology and the study of human social evolution