The earliest Baltic amber in Western Europe

This study has been supported by the R&D Project 'Metal y Ámbar II: Circulación de bronce y ámbar en el Sureste peninsular durante la Edad del Bronce' (PID2019-108289GB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and the R&D Project ‘Social and Exchange Networks in the Argaric Society’ (PID2022-137494NB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. The contribution of M.M.T. was supported by funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement No. 101021480, Project REVERSEACTION). We want to thank D. Pérez L’Huiller for editing Fig. , and M. Vilar Welter for editing Fig. . We are also grateful to J.F. Gibaja Bao, M.E. Subirà and M. Fontanals-Colls, who kindly shared the AMS radiocarbon dates funded by their respective projects. Date CF-X30-C4-134 was obtained in the framework of the R&D Project ‘Aproximación a las primeras comunidades neolíticas del NE peninsular a través de sus prácticas funerarias’ (HAR2011-23149) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, IP: J. Gibaja and M.E. Subirà. Date CF-S19-C4R-56 was obtained in the framework of the R&D Project ‘NEOMEDIS: Neolithic Mediterranean diet through stable Isotope analysis’, funded in the framework of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship (ID: 792130), IP: M. Fontanals.The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi. org/10.1038/s41598-023-41293-0The occurrence of Baltic amber through Europe has traditionally been associated to the spread of the Bell Beaker culture during the 3rd millennium BC. In Iberia, this phenomenon is particularly noticeable in the southern half. Here we present an amber bead recovered in a Late Neolithic funerary cave (3634–3363 cal BC) from northeastern Iberia where more than 12 individuals had been buried. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results of four samples revealed their complete resemblance with Baltic succinite reference spectra. Despite being a single bead, this finding provides the earliest evidence for the arrival of Baltic amber to the Mediterranean and Western Europe, before the Bell Beaker phenomenon and more than a millennium earlier than traditionally thought. This finding has implications for our understanding of early exchange networks of exotic materials, and their associated social structures.Social and Exchange Networks in the Argaric Society PID2022-137494NB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033Horizon 2020 Framework Programme 101021480, 792130, HAR2011-23149 H2020European Research Council ERCMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación MICIN

Re-thinking Chalcolithic landscapes in southeast Iberia: the case of the Middle Antas river (Almeria, Spain)

Our understanding of Chalcolithic settlements in southern Iberia (c. 3200–2200 bce) has changed dramatically in recent decades. Instead of clearly bounded and dense settlements, archaeology is establishing a range of site types, some sparsely settled, some quite large. Such varied settlement typology is now understood as being part of a thriving period of development, which included monumental tombs, high-quality craft organisation and highly dynamic exchange networks. This article presents recent work around the River Antas in Almeria, Spain, which has revealed a complex settlement network along the river for the period in question. This new evidence challenges our understanding of prehistoric habitation in the area and poses new questions about major settlement pattern changes in the prehistory of the region.British Academy/Leverhulme Trust Small Research Grant (SRG18R1\181131)Rust Family Foundation GrantAyuntamiento de Anta

The earliest basketry in southern Europe: Hunter- gatherer and farmer plant-based technology in Cueva de los Murciélagos (Albuñol)

This work was supported by the project “De los museos al territorio: actualizando el estudio de la Cueva de los Murciélagos de Albuñol (Granada)” (MUTERMUR) (Referencia CM/JIN/2021-009) financed by the program of Young Researchers of Comunidad de Madrid (directed by F.M.-S. as the principal investigator). J.S. is funded by Ramon y Cajal fellowship (RYC2019-028346) by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN). M.C. is funded by a Ramón y Cajal fellowship (RYC2019-026697-I) and by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN). R.P.H., M.H.-O., and A.P.P. are members of the research group 2021-SGR 00190 funded by the AGAUR. R.P.H. is an ICREA academia researcher. M.M.-S. was funded by the Beatriz Galindo program as Junior Distinguished Researcher (BG20/00076).Supplementary TextPlant material culture can offer unique insights into the ways of life of prehistoric societies; however, its perishable nature has prevented a thorough understanding of its diverse and complex uses. Sites with exceptional preservation of organic materials provide a unique opportunity for further research. The burial site of Cueva de los Murciélagos in southern Iberia, uncovered during 19th-century mining activities, contained the best-preserved hunter-gatherer basketry in southern Europe, together with other unique organic artifacts associated with the first farming communities, such as sandals and a wooden hammer. We present 14 14C dates for the perishable artifacts (N = 76), situating the assemblage between the Early and Middle Holocene (c. 7500 to 4200 cal BCE). Our integrated analysis includes raw material determination and technological and chrono-cultural contextualization of this unique and important set of materials.Comunidad de Madrid CM/JIN/2021-009MCIN Ramon y Cajal fellowship RYC2019-028346, RYC2019-026697-IAGAUR. R.P.H. 2021-SGR 00190Junior Distinguished Researcher BG20/0007

The production and consumption of silver : a comparative analysis between the Argaric Society and the first orientalizing sites in Southern Iberia

Tesis Univ. Granada. Departamento de Prehistoria y ArqueologíaEste trabajo ha sido posible gracias al programa de Formacion del Personal Investigador (FPI) del Ministerio de Innovación y Ciencia (BES-2008-005870)

Archaeological, contextual and iconographic analysis of Roman amber pieces located in Augusta Emerita (Mérida, Badajoz)

La investigación presentada en este artículo se encuadra dentro de las actividades del proyecto del Plan Nacional subvencionado por el Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Programa estatal de investigación, desarrollo e innovación orientada a los retos de la sociedad (HAR2017–82685–R): “Metal y ámbar: modelos de circulación de materias primas en la Prehistoria Reciente de la península ibérica”.El ámbar fue un material altamente valorado por la sociedad romana, sobre todo en época Julio‑Claudia, según las fuentes escritas. No obstante, son pocas las piezas conocidas de este material en la Hispania romana. En el presente trabajo damos a conocer nueve objetos de ámbar de diverso tipo precedentes de dos lotes recuperados en la antigua Augusta Emerita. Además de su análisis iconográfico, morfológico, funcional y contextual, se presentan los resultados de su caracterización arqueométrica por Espectrometría de Infrarrojos por Transformada de Fourier (FTIR), que revelan su procedencia báltica. Se plantea también la posibilidad de que la officina de manufactura se localice en Aquitania, llegando a Hispania como objetos ya acabados.Amber was a highly valued material by Roman society, especially in the Julio‑Claudia era, according to written sources. However, there are few known pieces of this material in Roman Hispania. In the present work we present a group of nine amber objects of different types in two assemblages from the old Augusta Emerita. In addition to its iconographic, morphological, functional and contextual analysis, the results of its archaeometric characterization by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR), which reveal its Baltic origin, are presented. It also raises the possibility that the manufacturing office is located in Aquitaine, reaching Hispania as finished objects.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Programa estatal de investigación, desarrollo e innovación orientada a los retos de la sociedad (HAR2017–82685–R

Archaeometallurgical characterization of Late Antique personal adornments. The necropolis of Cortijo del Chopo (Granada, Spain)

Objects of personal adornment from Late Antiquity have been extensively studied in the Iberian Peninsula since the 19th century, when the first funerary contexts from that period began to come to light. However, only partial information was available with regard to their production process and chemical composition. This came from the archaeometallurgical studies carried out on funerary assemblages from central and northern Iberia. In order to obtain a more complete picture, a set of 80 copper-based alloy objects were analysed, most of ornaments and parts of them, from the necropolis of Cortijo del Chopo (Granada), in southeastern Spain. The results from the portable X-ray fluorescence reveal the presence of a wide variety of alloys and confirm the practice of recycling metals to make the items, a characteristic of the metallurgy of the period. Lead isotope analysis provide evidence of a local production of brass objects with a high Zn content, similar in appearance to gold.This paper has been supported by a University Teacher Training contract (FPU 2018) awarded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the R&D Group GEA Cultura material e identidad social en la Prehistoria Reciente en el sur de la Península Ibérica (HUM-064), and the R&D Project PID2022-137494NB-I00 funded by MICIU/SRA /10.13039/501100011033 and FEDER, UE. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Granada / CBUA