- Archaeology, Ceramics (Archaeology), Celtic Archaeology, Iron Age Iberian Peninsula (Archaeology), Iron Age Gaul (Archaeology), Celtic Art, and 35 moreIron Age Brittany, Atlantic Iron Age, Material Culture Studies, Archaeological Method & Theory, Experimental Archaeology, Ethnoarchaeology, Celtic Studies, Theoretical Archaeology, Late Iron Age (Archaeology), Mechanical Properties of Ceramics, Pottery consumption, La Tene culture, Late Hallstatt - Early LT period transition, La Tene Period in Middle Europe, Iron Age pottery, European Iron Age especially early Celtic art, Archaeology of food, Celtic Iberia, Iron Age Weapon Deposits, Pottery (Archaeology), Archaeology of Religion, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Archaeology of Ritual, Conflict Archaeology, Prehistoric weapons, European stamped pottery (Archaeology), Iron Age Metal Hoards, Arte Celta, Textile Archaeology, Spindle Whorls, Loom Weights, Iron Age, Iron Age Germany (Archaeology), Frühlatènezeit, and Gender Archaeologyedit
- PhD (France-Spain) - Iron Age stamped pottery in western La Tène Europe and the Iberian Peninsulaedit
The aim of this work is to analyse the decorative systems of the main stamped pottery production areas in western Europe in order to investigate the factors explaining its simultaneous adoption in several distant regions. The first part... more
The aim of this work is to analyse the decorative systems of the main stamped pottery production areas in western Europe in order to investigate the factors explaining its simultaneous adoption in several distant regions. The first part of the thesis consists of an analysis of Iron Age stamped decoration in the Armorican peninsula, the Middle
Rhine and the south- and north-western Iberian Peninsula. Regional inventories and typochronologies of the decorations are presented. The inclusion of context studies and the use of statistical analyses bring new insights to the body of work which has previously engaged with this subject. In the second part, the data are interpreted in order to put forward hypotheses on the distribution, evolution and social function of stamped decoration. The comparison of decorative elements and structures, pottery shapes and practical functions of stamped items in each region suggests three axes of coherence: Atlantic, Continental and Iberian. Stamped styles are interpreted as regional systems connected to multipolar networks reaching far beyond the study area. Their evolution is linked to social changes visible through other material evidence - settlement patterns, funerary customs, other art items – between the 5th and 2nd c. BC. Between codification and variability, stamped decorations owe their success to their inclusion in networks
where each object references and stands for its users’ overlapping social identifications.
Rhine and the south- and north-western Iberian Peninsula. Regional inventories and typochronologies of the decorations are presented. The inclusion of context studies and the use of statistical analyses bring new insights to the body of work which has previously engaged with this subject. In the second part, the data are interpreted in order to put forward hypotheses on the distribution, evolution and social function of stamped decoration. The comparison of decorative elements and structures, pottery shapes and practical functions of stamped items in each region suggests three axes of coherence: Atlantic, Continental and Iberian. Stamped styles are interpreted as regional systems connected to multipolar networks reaching far beyond the study area. Their evolution is linked to social changes visible through other material evidence - settlement patterns, funerary customs, other art items – between the 5th and 2nd c. BC. Between codification and variability, stamped decorations owe their success to their inclusion in networks
where each object references and stands for its users’ overlapping social identifications.
Research Interests:
L’objectif de la thèse est d’analyser les décors des foyers de création de céramique estampée en Europe occidentale à l’âge du Fer, afin de déterminer quels facteurs sont intervenus dans l’adoption simultanée de ce type de décor dans... more
L’objectif de la thèse est d’analyser les décors des foyers de création de céramique estampée en Europe occidentale à l’âge du Fer, afin de déterminer quels facteurs sont intervenus dans l’adoption simultanée de ce type de décor dans plusieurs régions éloignées entre elles. La première partie de la thèse consiste dans l’étude des décors estampés de l’âge du Fer dans la péninsule armoricaine, le Rhin moyen, le Sud-Ouest et le Nord-Ouest de la péninsule Ibérique. Pour chaque région, un inventaire et une typochronologie des décors ont été élaborés. L’étude des contextes et l’application de méthodes d’analyse statistique introduisent des nouveautés par rapport aux travaux antérieurs. Dans la deuxième partie, ces données sont exploitées pour construire des hypothèses sur la distribution, l’évolution et les fonctions sociales des décors estampés. La comparaison des répertoires décoratifs, morphologiques et des fonctions pratiques de l’estampage dans chaque région aboutit à la proposition de trois axes de convergences : atlantique, continental et ibérique. Les styles estampés fonctionnent comme des systèmes régionaux connectés par des réseaux multipolaires qui relient aussi la zone d’étude à d’autres espaces. Leur évolution est liée aux changements sociaux perceptibles à travers d’autres indices matériels (habitat, funéraire, autres supports artistiques) entre le Vème et le IIème s. av. J.-C. Entre codification et variabilité, ces décors doivent leur succès à leur fonctionnement dans des réseaux où chaque objet sert de référence aux autres et de métaphore à l’emboîtement des appartenances sociales de ses utilisateurs.
Research Interests:
The existence of pre- and protohistoric ritual structures in highland locations is a characteristic phenomenon in several areas of the Cantabrian region. This paper analyses the evidence from Mata del Fraile, a group of tumuli located in... more
The existence of pre- and protohistoric ritual structures in highland locations is a characteristic phenomenon in several areas of the Cantabrian region. This paper analyses the evidence from Mata del Fraile, a group of tumuli located in the hinterland of the oppidum of Monte Bernorio. The recent excavation of two barrows has provided one stele as the only archaeological evidence associated with the structures. Taking these results as a starting point, an interpretation of these structures as ritual spaces that differ from burials strictly speaking is suggested.
Research Interests:
Abstract: This paper offers the first results about the findings of handmade pottery production from Monte Bernorio oppidum. This kind of Iron Age production developed from final Bronze Age to Second Iron Age. The production of this... more
Abstract: This paper offers the first results about the findings of handmade pottery production from Monte Bernorio oppidum. This kind of Iron Age production developed from final Bronze Age to Second Iron Age. The production of this pottery coexisted with the production of celtiberian truned pottery style from north of Spain Final Iron Age.
Keywords: Monte Bernorio oppidum, pottery production, handmade pottery, Final Bronze Age, Iron Age.
Keywords: Monte Bernorio oppidum, pottery production, handmade pottery, Final Bronze Age, Iron Age.
Research Interests: Celtic Studies, Pottery (Archaeology), Ancient economies (Archaeology), Iron Age (Archaeology) (Archaeology), Celtic History, and 19 moreCeltic Archaeology, Iron Age Iberian Peninsula (Archaeology), Late Iron Age (Archaeology), Iron Age (Archaeology), Ancient economy, Iron Age, Oppida, Early Iron Age, Iron Age archaeology, Late Bronze Age, Early Iron Age, Pottery technology and function, Pottery Production, Archaeology Iberian Prehistory Iron Age, Prehistoric and Protohistoric Pottery, Hillforts and oppida, Hand Made Pottery, Iron Age Hillforts, Hand made pottery of the Bronze Age, and Irona Age
The fortification systems of Iron Age sites in the northern Iberian Peninsula present many similarities with thos from other Western European protohistoric settlements. In the last decades, significant advances have been made in the... more
The fortification systems of Iron Age sites in the northern Iberian Peninsula present many similarities with thos from other Western European protohistoric settlements. In the last decades, significant advances have been made in the identification of these structures, as much in the oppida as in hillforts and other smaller sites. Together with different typologies of stone walls with ditches, in the last years complex systems of multivallate that enclose enormous areas have also been identified. In this paper we propose a classification of the protohistoric fortifications of the Cantabrian region and compare them with nearby territories of the Atlantic façade. As a concrete case-study, we analyse the defensive systems of the oppidum of Monte Bernorio. Finally, we carry out an economic, social and symbolic interpretation of Iron Age fortifications.
Keywords: Cantabrian region, Iron Age, Defensive systems, Social investment, Symbolic projection.
Keywords: Cantabrian region, Iron Age, Defensive systems, Social investment, Symbolic projection.
Research Interests: Atlantic World, Celtic Archaeology, Iron Age Iberian Peninsula (Archaeology), Prehistoric Fortification (Archaeology), Late Iron Age (Archaeology), and 8 moreAtlantic history, Iron Age (Archaeology), Iron Age, Early Iron Age, Fortifications, Iron Age archaeology, Late Bronze Age, Early Iron Age, and Archaeology Iberian Prehistory Iron Age
Research Interests:
Torres-Martínez, J.F., Hernández-Tórtoles, A., Cabanillas de la Torre, G., Vacas Madrid, D. y Martínez Velasco, A. (2017): "Cerámicas modeladas y decoradas de la Segunda Edad del Hierro. El oppidum de Monte Bernorio". Boletín Ex Officina... more
Torres-Martínez, J.F., Hernández-Tórtoles, A., Cabanillas de la
Torre, G., Vacas Madrid, D. y Martínez
Velasco, A. (2017): "Cerámicas modeladas y decoradas de la Segunda Edad del Hierro. El oppidum de Monte Bernorio". Boletín Ex Officina Hispana (8): 16-21.
Torre, G., Vacas Madrid, D. y Martínez
Velasco, A. (2017): "Cerámicas modeladas y decoradas de la Segunda Edad del Hierro. El oppidum de Monte Bernorio". Boletín Ex Officina Hispana (8): 16-21.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Pottery (Archaeology), Landscape Archaeology, Iron Age Iberian Peninsula (Archaeology), Archaeology of the Iberian Peninsula, and 13 moreProtohistoric Iberian Peninsula, Prehistoria, Second Iron Age Archaeology, Pre-Roman Iron Age, Roman Iron Age, Ceramica, Handmade Pottery, Oppidum, Museo De Arqueología Y Prehistoria De Cantabria, Arqueología Histórica Norte Península Ibérica, Protohistoria De La Península Ibérica, Edad Del Hierro II, and Segunda Edad Del Hierro
Los dispositivos defensivos de los núcleos fortificados de la Edad del Hierro del norte de la Península Ibérica presentan elementos comunes con los de otros núcleos protohistóricos del occidente de Europa. En las últimas décadas se ha... more
Los dispositivos defensivos de los núcleos fortificados de la Edad del Hierro del norte de la Península Ibérica presentan elementos comunes con los de otros núcleos protohistóricos del occidente de Europa. En las últimas décadas se ha avanzado en la identificación de este tipo de estructuras, tanto en oppida, como en castros y en otros hábitats de menor tamaño. Junto a distintas tipologías de murallas en piedra con foso, en los últimos años se han identificado también complejos sistemas de multivallado que llegan a englobar enormes superficies. En este trabajo se propone una clasificación elemental de las defensas protohistóricas del ámbito cantábrico y su comparación con otros territorios próximos de la fachada atlántica. Como caso concreto de estudio se profundiza en los dispositivos defensivos del oppidum de Monte Bernorio. Finalmente se realiza una lectura económica, social y
simbólica de las fortificaciones de la Edad del Hierro.
simbólica de las fortificaciones de la Edad del Hierro.
Research Interests:
Stamped pottery has been recognised as a continuous phenomenon in the whole La Tène Europe since Frank Schwappach’s work on the topic in the late 1960s and the 1970s (Schwappach 1969; 1977; 1979). By the same time, Brittany appears... more
Stamped pottery has been recognised as a continuous phenomenon in the whole La Tène Europe since Frank
Schwappach’s work on the topic in the late 1960s and the 1970s (Schwappach 1969; 1977; 1979). By the same
time, Brittany appears clearly not only as a part of the wider La Tène area, but also as a major production centre of
stamped pottery (Giot 1971). Forty years ago, Schwappach estimated the Breton corpus in some 44 sites (Schwappach
1969: 215), while nowadays, one year of PhD research has yielded a list of 120 relevant sites (fig. 1), showing
both the importance of the regional corpus and its quantitative increase since the last review on the topic. The
reassessment of the previous views on stamped pottery, based mainly on Schwappach’s 1969 reference paper, is then
justified, on the one hand by the amount of recent discoveries, and on the other hand by the need for a methodological
revision of the traditional art-historical approach. Rather than a catalogue of decorations, this paper aims to start
developing – further work should still broaden our view of this issue – an archaeological approach of the problem,
focusing on the social functions of stamped pottery and understanding it not as a regional, isolated problem, but as a
particular focus on a complex and a wider scope issue. Thus a quick overview of the data will be presented. Then, an
analysis of the contexts where stamped pottery appears during the whole Iron Age will allow us to discuss the social
issues raised by this particular expression of La Tène Art.
Schwappach’s work on the topic in the late 1960s and the 1970s (Schwappach 1969; 1977; 1979). By the same
time, Brittany appears clearly not only as a part of the wider La Tène area, but also as a major production centre of
stamped pottery (Giot 1971). Forty years ago, Schwappach estimated the Breton corpus in some 44 sites (Schwappach
1969: 215), while nowadays, one year of PhD research has yielded a list of 120 relevant sites (fig. 1), showing
both the importance of the regional corpus and its quantitative increase since the last review on the topic. The
reassessment of the previous views on stamped pottery, based mainly on Schwappach’s 1969 reference paper, is then
justified, on the one hand by the amount of recent discoveries, and on the other hand by the need for a methodological
revision of the traditional art-historical approach. Rather than a catalogue of decorations, this paper aims to start
developing – further work should still broaden our view of this issue – an archaeological approach of the problem,
focusing on the social functions of stamped pottery and understanding it not as a regional, isolated problem, but as a
particular focus on a complex and a wider scope issue. Thus a quick overview of the data will be presented. Then, an
analysis of the contexts where stamped pottery appears during the whole Iron Age will allow us to discuss the social
issues raised by this particular expression of La Tène Art.
Research Interests:
La necesidad de superar las tipologías tradicionales se ha puesto de manifiesto en los últimos años a raíz del planteamiento de nuevas problemáticas arqueológicas que requieren analizar la cerámica como una herramienta. El estudio... more
La necesidad de superar las tipologías tradicionales se ha puesto de manifiesto en los últimos años a raíz del planteamiento de nuevas problemáticas arqueológicas que requieren analizar la cerámica como una herramienta. El estudio funcional de los conjuntos cerámicos, no obstante, debe resolver el problema de la relación entre formas cerámicas concretas y funciones precisas, y evaluar la posibilidad de determinar éstas a través de la arqueología. Hasta ahora, la falta de una metodología sistemática y de pautas para su aplicación a conjuntos reales han sido los principales escollos. El objetivo de este trabajo es responder a este desafío proponiendo una secuencia metodológica que implica un enfoque global de la funcionalidad de la cerámica protohistórica, capaz de ofrecer una alta potencialidad interpretativa.
Research Interests:
A diferencia de los santuarios de la Galia Bélgica, los lugares de culto de la mitad Sur de la Galia no han sido objeto de un estudio global. A partir de una delimitación historiográfica y de la elaboración de un catálogo de yacimientos,... more
A diferencia de los santuarios de la Galia Bélgica, los lugares de culto de la mitad Sur de la Galia no han sido objeto de un estudio global. A partir de una delimitación historiográfica y de la elaboración de un catálogo de yacimientos, el objetivo de este trabajo es reflexionar sobre los criterios de cantidad, calidad y funcionalidad de las armas en contextos rituales, como llave para comprender el trasfondo de los rituales de depósito de armamento en los santuarios galos.
On the contrary to the sanctuaries in Belgic Gaul, cult sites located in the southern half of Gaul have never been studied from a global perspective. Based on a historiographical demarcation and a list of sites, the aim of this paper is to discuss the criteria of quantity, quality and function of weapons in ritual contexts as a key to understanding the background of the rituals of weaponry deposition in gaulish sanctuaries.
On the contrary to the sanctuaries in Belgic Gaul, cult sites located in the southern half of Gaul have never been studied from a global perspective. Based on a historiographical demarcation and a list of sites, the aim of this paper is to discuss the criteria of quantity, quality and function of weapons in ritual contexts as a key to understanding the background of the rituals of weaponry deposition in gaulish sanctuaries.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Review of Manuel Fernández-Götz, Identity and power : the transformation of Iron Age : societies in Northeast Gaul, Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Press, 2014 [in French]. Revue Archéologique de l'Est 64, 2015.
Research Interests:
La tesis responde a la necesidad de una puesta a punto tanto al nivel de los nuevos datos recogidos en los últimos años como a las innovaciones metodológicas surgidas desde las últimas síntesis sobre la cuestión. El trabajo de... more
La tesis responde a la necesidad de una puesta a punto tanto al nivel de los nuevos datos recogidos en los últimos años como a las innovaciones metodológicas surgidas desde las últimas síntesis sobre la cuestión. El trabajo de investigación se centra, en primer lugar, en la puesta al día de corpus de cerámica estampillada de la Edad del Hierro en Bretaña (Francia). A través del estudio artístico, siguiendo una metodología derivada de la semiología, se estudian los elementos decorativos estampillados. Desde un punto de vista arqueológico, el análisis del contexto, el soporte y los paralelos de las piezas permite aportar un enfoque innovador al estudio de la cerámica ricamente decorada en las sociedades célticas y protohistóricas en general. El objetivo es que este análisis permita comparar los principales grupos de estampillada en la Europa céltica (Bretaña, el Suroeste y el Noroeste peninsulares, Alemania Bohemia, Moravia y Hungría) con el fin de determinar sus relaciones y su trascendencia cultural.
Research Interests:
The basic theoretical framework for the functional analysis of pottery expects practical properties such as mechanical and thermal resistance, porosity, etc… to respond to technological choices made during the fabrication process.... more
The basic theoretical framework for the functional analysis of pottery expects practical properties such as mechanical and thermal resistance, porosity, etc… to respond to technological choices made during the fabrication process. Properties can thus be apprehended both as a means to achieve the functionality of the vessel and as an end, requiring its own technical solutions. However, technological and functional aspects of pottery making and using depend also on cultural factors. In this paper, the relationship between technological and cultural choices in the selection of a closed assemblage is discussed through the functional study of the pottery found in the Late Iron Age sanctuary of Castrejón de Capote (Badajoz, Spain), based on criteria such as shape, capacity, use wear, etc... Having a single occupation phase, the sanctuary presents a rich and varied assemblage of both local and imported vessels, where a wide range of technological choices are covered, but a homogeneous functional pattern is followed, focusing on culinary activities. By comparing technological aspects such as clay and temper types, forming techniques, surface finishing and firing conditions among different functional and cultural groups, some selection criteria are highlighted that may help understand technological choices at the consumers’ level.
Research Interests:
Although pottery remains the most common material in Iron Age settlements, decorated wares have often been underestimated in the study of La Tène art. “Celtic” art has long been a synonym for decorated metallic items, pottery being... more
Although pottery remains the most common material in Iron Age settlements, decorated wares have often been underestimated in the study of La Tène art. “Celtic” art has long been a synonym for decorated metallic items, pottery being considered as marginal, playing little role in artistic development through long-distance contacts. This paper presents an overview of this problem and explores the potential of decorated pottery as a source of information for the study of artistic expression, decorated items production and their social role in this period. Special emphasis is placed on the case of stamped pottery. Our starting point is the observation of its success in apparently disconnected areas. The approach, focussing on Brittany, is based on the study of decoration construction, shapes and contexts as tools for comparison. The interpretation of these data, taking into account the specificities of pottery as compared to other decorated items, questions models usually applied to “Celtic” art showing that its association to elites might not be exclusive, that ideas associated to pottery circulated through a wide range of dynamics and following different paths, making it an essential material to trace the role of regional developments in a wide phenomenon such as La Tène art.
The aim of this session is to discuss the very large body of items made of different materials considered as Iron Age art as a means of communicating identity in its broadest sense and therewith forming regional and social patterns. In... more
The aim of this session is to discuss the very large body of items made of different materials considered as Iron Age art as a means of communicating identity in its broadest sense and therewith forming regional and social patterns. In contrast to traditional, strictly object-oriented approaches, we would like to analyse Celtic art from a contextual and functional point of view, focusing on the people who used ornamented objects and their purposes for doing so. During the Iron Age, decorated items produced across Europe were certainly not purely aesthetic objects, but a means to negotiate, maintain and reproduce social patterns, belonging to an active, variable and dynamic phenomenon more than a static, linear and homogeneous one. The most puzzling aspect of the process that we would like to explore is how interrelated objects and images helped connecting people with similar social needs across the Continent. From a chronological point of view, the main focus is on the evolution of Celtic art from the late sixth to the first centuries BC and the parallel changes observed in the societies that produced it – falling into three broad periods: the late sixth and fifth centuries, the fourth and third centuries and the second and early first century BC. This approach is mainly focussed on the La Tène world, but papers from neighbouring areas (Iberian Peninsula, Eastern Europe) and close chronologies (Hallstatt and Roman periods) are also welcome. Contributions dealing with the following issues are expected, but not limited to: art and society in the Iron Age (production, consumption and deposition contexts); objects and image networks and circulation; Celtic art, social agency and performance; perception, manipulation and ‘technologies of enchantment’; styles and identities at regional and continental scales; Iron Age art in the La Tène world, its connections to ‘marginal’ and neighbouring regions.