Samuel Nión-Álvarez | CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Spanish National Research Council) (original) (raw)
Papers by Samuel Nión-Álvarez
Post-Medieval Archaeology, 2023
(PostPrint) The following paper explores the funerary epigraphy of contemporary Galician rural s... more (PostPrint)
The following paper explores the funerary epigraphy of contemporary Galician rural societies to contextualise it within social, historical, and linguistic dynamics. This hypothesis suggests an apparently contradictory record, with diverse primary sources offering apparently conflicting versions of the same process: while funerary memorials show an absolute predominance of Castilian as the vehicular language, sociolinguistic and historical studies suggest an absolute predominance of Galician. Considering these contextual discordances, different questions arise: how are these ambiguous contexts generated? Is it a methodological problem or are they real representations of ambivalent social dynamics? How can we identify them and in what kind of social processes?
Accordingly, this work develops a twofold approach: firstly, an analytical methodology that collects relevant data from epigraphic evidence is provided, aiming to expose the funerary record and identify possible contextual ambiguities in relation to other available sources. All analytical procedures will be described, and the results obtained will be presented. Moreover, a broad historical and sociolinguistic perspective is presented, with the aim of contextualising what dynamics define and explain this apparently contradictory phenomenon.
Secondly, a discussion about the problems of these discordances, their relationship with the discourses of power, and their analysis from the material register has been considered. Different theoretical and methodological approaches are explored to study these ambiguous records, considering their role in different power relations. The main objective is to reflect on how we approach ambiguous records in order to provide terminological tools to understand material and social contexts entangled in power dynamics.
Arqueología
El siguiente trabajo propone una aproximación a las formas sociales de la Edad del Hierro del Nor... more El siguiente trabajo propone una aproximación a las formas sociales de la Edad del Hierro del Noroeste de la península ibérica desde el estudio de su ámbito doméstico. Se expone una revisión arqueológica de las estrategias de estructuración del espacio doméstico, con el objetivo de analizar las dinámicas sociales en las que se inserta. Se plantea un análisis de distintas características de los espacios domésticos, explorando distintas perspectivas fundamentadas en el análisis social a través del estudio del área de habitación y las relaciones intrafamiliares, identificando su estructuración interna, morfología, registro arqueológico o integración en la planificación constructiva del poblado. Atendiendo al actual estado de la investigación de Edad del Hierro del Noroeste, estos datos se emplean para contrastar la existencia de dos dinámicas sociales aparentemente divergentes identificadas en el área de estudio elegida. En consecuencia, los resultados se articulan en estas dos regione...
Revista Galega de Educación, 2024
Journal of Ancient History and Archeology, 2024
This paper presents a study of epigraphy as a cultural practice in a case study focused on the no... more This paper presents a study of epigraphy as a cultural practice in a case study focused on the northwestern Iberian Peninsula. The main goal is to identify the emergence of divergent dynamics in the adoption and dissemination of epigraphy as a practice, establishing a relationship between the epigraph and its social and territorial context. Therefore, we propose an analysis focused on the study of anthroponymy and theonymy, aiming to find out what practices were carried out, in what environments, and what was the origin of those who practiced them. This information on names and gods will be used to discover the origin of dedicators and divinities, and then related to different attributes, introducing a geospatial and statistical study of the epigraphic record. Accordingly, different trends to approach epigraphic records will be explored, the final step contrasting differences between rural and urban environments and whether that reflects in cultural expressions.
Documenta Praehistorica, 2024
The excavation of the settlement of Punta de Muros was a breakthrough in our knowledge of the Ear... more The excavation of the settlement of Punta de Muros was a breakthrough in our knowledge of the Early Iron Age of the Iberian Peninsula. The development of new multidisciplinary research has broadened our understanding of the site and clarified several facts about the emergence of fortified landscapes. This paper synthesizes these advances and focuses on the development of social inequality trends within a non-hierarchical society between the 6th and the 4th centuries BC. The reflection of these changes in the archaeological record will be addressed, focusing on what forces triggered these internal transformations and to what extent we can define the emergence of social inequality.
Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 2024
This paper presents an approach to the study of European Iron Age ethnicity, a core topic for sev... more This paper presents an approach to the study of European Iron Age ethnicity, a core topic for several decades which has begun to lose interest in the last years. A review of some of the uncertainties involved in the archaeology of ethnicity, focused on several key issues, is proposed. Moreover, some relevant topics that are usually undermined are suggested in order to address new challenges in the discipline: the introduction of political identity as a major focus of study, the reassessment of the etic perspective as an inner part of processes of collective differentiation, or the need for a holistic approach to join and combine different forms of expression. Finally, these approaches will be explored in a case study based on the northwest of the Iberian peninsula. This region has been chosen because of the feasibility of combining the results of different studies about social and political organizsation with relevant textual evidence to extract information about their ethnic dynamics.
Lucentum, 2024
El presente trabajo realiza una aproximación arqueológica a una pieza singular de la Edad del Hie... more El presente trabajo realiza una aproximación arqueológica a una pieza singular de la Edad del Hierro del Noroeste: el tablero cerámico de Castro Curbín (Arzúa). Este insólito objeto se define por una base plana realizada en cerámica, con numerosas oquedades y vinculada a varias fichas de forma circular, que encajan en los huecos. La pieza, muy fragmentada, fue recuperada en un depósito estructurada en el entorno del sistema defensivo del asentamiento.
Dada la extraña factura del objeto, se propone una aproximación integral al yacimiento que permita establecer una base sólida para el análisis. Así, se definen, en primer lugar, las características más relevantes del poblado, las condiciones del paisaje habitado y su secuencia ocupacional, contextualizando el asentamiento con relación a las dinámicas sociales, territoriales y arqueológicas del interior de la edad del Hierro del noroeste.
A continuación, el trabajo se focaliza en las características del depósito en el que se integra el tablero, una acumulación de materiales estructurada y de probable orientación votiva. Se analizarán las características generales de este tipo de expresiones en otros asentamientos fortificados del Noroeste, señalando su reiteración en otros poblados del interior y su habitual vínculo con el entorno de las murallas. Finalmente, se sugiere un análisis funcional e interpretativo del tablero, considerando su orientación lúdica como la más acorde a sus características. Estas consideraciones se relacionarán con otras expresiones lúdicas documentadas en distintos ámbitos, procurando establecer un marco comparativo de análisis que permita realizar una primera aproximación a este posible juego de mesa en el Hierro del noroeste.
Post-Medieval Archaeology, 2023
If you are interested in the full paper, to not hesitate to ask. Se tes interese en ler o ar... more If you are interested in the full paper, to not hesitate to ask.
Se tes interese en ler o artigo completo, non dubides en preguntar.
Si te interesa leer el artículo completo, no dudes en preguntar.
Oxford Journal of Archaeology, 2024
The following paper presents an analysis of the term 'oppidum', discussing its value for understa... more The following paper presents an analysis of the term 'oppidum', discussing its value for understanding social complexity in Iron Age Europe. Throughout this paper, the most relevant debates regarding the oppida and their value are synthesized from a semiotic point of view. Key features such as urban planning, social hierarchies and political centralization are analysed to frame research in terms of Iron Age mentalities and cultural diversity. Accordingly, the 'oppidum' is assessed as a conceptual tool, weighing its appropriateness as a wide-ranging concept in the European Iron Age. Several criteria, such as urban planning, the role of memory or religion, and the creation of large public and assembly places, among others, are explored as proxies of social legitimation. These key aspects aim to define some traits to set the oppidum as a useful and organic archaeological term without undermining cultural specificities.
Spal, 2023
El presente trabajo realiza una aproximación arqueológica al Edificio de los Betilos (Castro de E... more El presente trabajo realiza una aproximación arqueológica al Edificio de los Betilos (Castro de Elviña, A Coruña), una construcción de carácter cultual identificada en el año 2017. Con escasos ejemplos equiparables en el Noroeste de la Península, su estudio permite comprender el valor de las interacciones culturales con otros pueblos del sur peninsular como un elemento clave para el desarrollo de Elviña como asentamiento de gran complejidad interna. Este trabajo afronta un análisis arqueológico y arquitectónico, explorando cuestiones relativas a sus fases de ocupación, las actividades realizadas en cada área o su orientación funcional. Los resultados permiten comprender la dimensión simbólica del edificio, valorando las influencias endógenas y exógenas en su estructuración interna y comprendiéndolo como un elemento central para la sanción y legitimación de relaciones transculturales a larga distancia. Finalmente, se sugiere un análisis a escala macro, comprendiendo su génesis y desarrollo en el contexto de las relaciones atlánticas entre Gades, Roma y el Noroeste galaico
Cuadernos de Estudios Gallegos, 2023
El siguiente artículo expone una revisión del registro arqueológico de la necrópolis de Cadabarco... more El siguiente artículo expone una revisión del registro arqueológico de la necrópolis de Cadabarcos (Mañón, A Coruña). Este yacimiento, excavado en la década de los 40 por Federico Maciñeira e identificado como una necrópolis “galaicorromana”, podría presentar una cronología bastante más tardía respecto a lo habitual en los enterramientos con fosas de cremación. En el siguiente trabajo, se expone una profunda revisión de las características de este yacimiento, explorando su contexto de intervención, las dinámicas históricas de la región, los hallazgos documentados y las características de la zona intervenida, con la intención de verificar su adscripción funcional, cronológica y cultural. Atendiendo a los resultados, se realiza un análisis contextual del yacimiento, relacionándolo con las principales dinámicas de enterramiento del Noroeste penisular. Se analizan las prácticas y tradiciones funerarias desde el Alto Imperio hasta los inicios de la Antigüedad Tardía, estableciendo una comparativa entre distintas dinámicas regionales, y se propone una revisión cronológica y territorial de la cremación como práctica funeraria.
Complutum, 2023
Abstract The following works examines the most difficult phenomenon to identify and characterise ... more Abstract
The following works examines the most difficult phenomenon to identify and characterise in the NW Iberia Iron Age: funerary and burial activities. The main goal is to outline a brief review of the current state of research, synthesising all the evidence available and trying to draw some common lines between them. Thus, an archaeological analysis of all the settlements with Iron Age chronologies and in which funerary practices may have been undertaken is proposed. This review seeks to define their characteristics, analyse their chronologies, and assess, as far as possible, their functionality. The presented data will be synthesised and correlated, attempting to draw some of their characteristics and to define, on a preliminary basis, a first approximation to the funerary practices of NW Iberia Iron Age.
Resumen
El presente trabajo analiza uno de los fenómenos de la Edad del Hierro del Noroeste peninsular que más dificultades ha ofrecido para su identificación y caracterización: el mundo funerario. El principal objetivo de esta publicación es exponer una breve revisión del actual estado de la investigación, sintetizando todas aquellas evidencias disponibles e intentando trazar algunas líneas comunes entre ellas. De esta forma, se expone un análisis arqueológico de todos los yacimientos en los que puedan haberse realizado prácticas relacionadas con la gestión de la muerte y que puedan encuadrarse en la Edad del Hierro, con la intención de definir sus características, analizar sus cronologías y verificar, en la medida de lo posible, su orientación funcional. Los datos expuestos serán sintetizados y correlacionados entre sí, analizando conjuntamente algunas de sus principales características y esbozando una aproximación preliminar a las prácticas funerarias de la Edad del Hierro del Noroeste.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2023
The following work is focused on the identification of internal transformations in the fortified ... more The following work is focused on the identification of internal transformations in the fortified settlement of Punta de Muros (Galicia, Spain), one of the hillforts with more information available for the Early Iron Age in the Iberian Peninsula. In this paper, a set of 24 radiocarbon dates is presented to characterise the complete sequence of occupation of the site. This research proposes a correlation between a chronostatistical model through a Bayesian analysis and a morphostructural study of the domestic environment of the settlement. Thus, the results obtained provide a link between several transformations occurring in Punta de Muros and certain temporal and historical dynamics, which allows for a more reliable approach to the establishment and development of the settlement. Hence, a chronological and a structural contextualisation of the constructive transformations of the settlement will be drawn up, enabling us to understand the settlement during the onset, the development and decay of the fortified habitat in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Open access at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352409X23000871
Arqueología, 2023
El siguiente trabajo propone una aproximación a las formas sociales de la Edad del Hierro del Nor... more El siguiente trabajo propone una aproximación a las formas sociales de la Edad del Hierro del Noroeste de la península ibérica desde el estudio de su ámbito doméstico. Se expone una revisión arqueológica de las estrategias de estructuración del espacio doméstico, con el objetivo de analizar las dinámicas sociales en las que se inserta. Se plantea un análisis de distintas características de los espacios domésticos, explorando distintas perspectivas fundamentadas en el análisis social a través del estudio del área de habitación y las relaciones intrafamiliares, identificando su estructuración interna, morfología, registro arqueológico o integración en la planificación constructiva del poblado. Atendiendo al actual estado de la investigación de Edad del Hierro del Noroeste, estos datos se emplean para contrastar la existencia de dos dinámicas sociales aparentemente divergentes identificadas en el área de estudio elegida. En consecuencia, los resultados se articulan en estas dos regiones, con el objetivo de verificar hasta qué punto tienen su reflejo en la estructuración del espacio doméstico. Finalmente, los resultados serán sintetizados, con el objetivo de definir algunas de las principales características de cada espacio doméstico, además de evaluar su valor como elemento representativo de las dinámicas sociales del territorio.
Abstract
The following paper presents an approach to the social aspects of the Iron Age in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula through the study of their households. An archaeological review of strategies for structuring the domestic space is proposed, to analyze the social dynamics in which it is embedded. An analysis of different characteristics of domestic spaces is proposed, exploring a social analysis based on the study of household and kinship relations, studying their internal structure, morphology, the archaeological record, or integration in the constructive planning of the settlement. According to the current state of NW Iberia Iron Age research, these data were used to assess the existence of two apparently different social dynamics identified in the study area. Therefore, results are presented according to these two areas, to verify the extent to which they are reflected in the structuring of the domestic space. Finally, the results are synthesized, to define some of the main characteristics of each domestic space, as well as to assess its value as a representative element of the social dynamics of the territory.
Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology, 2023
This paper presents a study of Iron Age (IA) societies through the analysis of architecture and b... more This paper presents a study of Iron Age (IA) societies through the analysis of architecture and built space. The approach is focused on a small area in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, and constructs a small-scale narrative that seeks to identify different social dynamics concerning the onset, development and decline of the fortified habitat (between the ninth and first centuries bc). Three main spheres of human habitation are assessed: the environment of the household, the construction of collective and non-domestic buildings and the development of settlement planning. The main characteristics of these spheres are discussed and summarised, and they are understood as part of the same dynamic that reflects how the IA communities of northwest Iberia were structured. The main objective of the paper is to employ this methodology to study social dynamics at different scales and thus build a multi-scale historical and archaeological narrative about the development of heterogeneous processes in IA societies.
Lucentum, 2023
El presente artículo propone una aproximación al registro material del yacimiento de Castelo da ... more El presente artículo propone una aproximación al registro material
del yacimiento de Castelo da Veiga (Culleredo, A Coruña),
una fortificación de pequeñas dimensiones datada en el siglo
X y ubicada en un emplazamiento conspicuo con gran control
visual a larga distancia. El valor de su registro arqueológico
radica en dos aspectos principales: en primer lugar, la (relativa)
cantidad de materiales documentados, en contraposición a la
habitual ausencia de evidencias materiales en el resto de los
castillos roqueros excavados en el Noroeste. Este hecho permite,
por primera vez, explorar las formas de ocupación de este tipo
de fortificaciones con un mayor nivel de detalle. En segundo
lugar, este registro cerámico proporciona una cantidad notable
de formas cerámicas representativas del mundo altomedieval,
con contextos fiables y dataciones radiocarbónicas rigurosas
y coherentes, que permiten datar con mayor precisión algunas
de las formas paradigmáticas del repertorio cerámico del norte
peninsular, habitualmente identificadas bajo cronologías poco
fiables o dataciones relativas.
Este trabajo, por tanto, tiene como objetivo exponer una
interpretación detallada del Castelo da Veiga. Se establece una
secuencia cronológica fiable de su estratigrafía y su registro material, con datos relativos sobre las características del asentamiento,
sus estrategias de ocupación y su configuración interna,
para posteriomente contextualizarlo en el marco de las dinámicas
de fortificación del paisaje altomedieval gallego. Posteriormente,
se realiza una aproximación al registro material, especialmente el
cerámico, aprovechando la fiabilidad del contexto arqueológico
y la precisión de las dataciones para encuadrar determinadas
producciones y tipologías habituales en un marco cronológico
sólido, procurando proporcionar una base de estudio más sólida
para futuras investigaciones.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2023
This paper presents an approach to the paleodemography of the Iron Age in the northwest of the Ib... more This paper presents an approach to the paleodemography of the Iron Age in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, choosing a microspatial study focused on the settlement of Punta de Muros. This settlement provides an excellent context for paleodemographic analysis, given the extent of its archaeological record, the chronological studies of its occupational dynamics and its condition as a fully excavated settlement. This work aims to review several demographic techniques in order to assess their weaknesses and strengths and their applicability to the case of study. Thus, the data obtained will be analysed from the point of view of their appropriateness and precision for Early Iron Age societies of the northwest, relating the results by means of several demographic markers and the archaeological data known for the settlement.
Oxford Journal of Archaeology, 2023
This paper analyses social transformations in the Early Iron Age based on a holistic and longue d... more This paper analyses social transformations in the Early Iron Age based on a holistic and longue durée approach applied to the first fortified habitats in the Iberian northwest. Through a comprehensive review of two paradigmatic settlements of the EIA in the province of A Coruña (Galicia, northwest Iberia), Punta de Muros and A Graña, a comparison is drawn between the social and territorial dynamics of this period by means of an in-depth analysis of the main characteristics of both settlements. Accordingly, a greater level of social complexity during the phases of occupation of the settlement of Punta de Muros has been identified, in contrast to the resistance to change observed in A Graña. Based on these conclusions, the role of metalworking and its symbolic value in fostering and legitimizing these social and territorial transformations and in the development of Iron Age communities are analysed.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2022
The following article proposes a methodology for the identification of Roman roads applied to the... more The following article proposes a methodology for the identification of Roman roads applied to the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, focused mainly on the conventus lucensis. Therefore, a methodology based on two aspects is presented: on the one hand, on the description of remote-sensing techniques, their relevance, and their validity; on the other hand, on the strategies that allow not only to identify historical roads, but also to differentiate and catalog them according to their structural characteristics. Finally, a brief context of the state of research on historical roads in the Northwest of the Peninsula is explained in order to apply the proposed methods in two cases of studies on the XIX and XX routes of the Itinerarium Antonini Augusti.
Post-Medieval Archaeology, 2023
(PostPrint) The following paper explores the funerary epigraphy of contemporary Galician rural s... more (PostPrint)
The following paper explores the funerary epigraphy of contemporary Galician rural societies to contextualise it within social, historical, and linguistic dynamics. This hypothesis suggests an apparently contradictory record, with diverse primary sources offering apparently conflicting versions of the same process: while funerary memorials show an absolute predominance of Castilian as the vehicular language, sociolinguistic and historical studies suggest an absolute predominance of Galician. Considering these contextual discordances, different questions arise: how are these ambiguous contexts generated? Is it a methodological problem or are they real representations of ambivalent social dynamics? How can we identify them and in what kind of social processes?
Accordingly, this work develops a twofold approach: firstly, an analytical methodology that collects relevant data from epigraphic evidence is provided, aiming to expose the funerary record and identify possible contextual ambiguities in relation to other available sources. All analytical procedures will be described, and the results obtained will be presented. Moreover, a broad historical and sociolinguistic perspective is presented, with the aim of contextualising what dynamics define and explain this apparently contradictory phenomenon.
Secondly, a discussion about the problems of these discordances, their relationship with the discourses of power, and their analysis from the material register has been considered. Different theoretical and methodological approaches are explored to study these ambiguous records, considering their role in different power relations. The main objective is to reflect on how we approach ambiguous records in order to provide terminological tools to understand material and social contexts entangled in power dynamics.
Arqueología
El siguiente trabajo propone una aproximación a las formas sociales de la Edad del Hierro del Nor... more El siguiente trabajo propone una aproximación a las formas sociales de la Edad del Hierro del Noroeste de la península ibérica desde el estudio de su ámbito doméstico. Se expone una revisión arqueológica de las estrategias de estructuración del espacio doméstico, con el objetivo de analizar las dinámicas sociales en las que se inserta. Se plantea un análisis de distintas características de los espacios domésticos, explorando distintas perspectivas fundamentadas en el análisis social a través del estudio del área de habitación y las relaciones intrafamiliares, identificando su estructuración interna, morfología, registro arqueológico o integración en la planificación constructiva del poblado. Atendiendo al actual estado de la investigación de Edad del Hierro del Noroeste, estos datos se emplean para contrastar la existencia de dos dinámicas sociales aparentemente divergentes identificadas en el área de estudio elegida. En consecuencia, los resultados se articulan en estas dos regione...
Revista Galega de Educación, 2024
Journal of Ancient History and Archeology, 2024
This paper presents a study of epigraphy as a cultural practice in a case study focused on the no... more This paper presents a study of epigraphy as a cultural practice in a case study focused on the northwestern Iberian Peninsula. The main goal is to identify the emergence of divergent dynamics in the adoption and dissemination of epigraphy as a practice, establishing a relationship between the epigraph and its social and territorial context. Therefore, we propose an analysis focused on the study of anthroponymy and theonymy, aiming to find out what practices were carried out, in what environments, and what was the origin of those who practiced them. This information on names and gods will be used to discover the origin of dedicators and divinities, and then related to different attributes, introducing a geospatial and statistical study of the epigraphic record. Accordingly, different trends to approach epigraphic records will be explored, the final step contrasting differences between rural and urban environments and whether that reflects in cultural expressions.
Documenta Praehistorica, 2024
The excavation of the settlement of Punta de Muros was a breakthrough in our knowledge of the Ear... more The excavation of the settlement of Punta de Muros was a breakthrough in our knowledge of the Early Iron Age of the Iberian Peninsula. The development of new multidisciplinary research has broadened our understanding of the site and clarified several facts about the emergence of fortified landscapes. This paper synthesizes these advances and focuses on the development of social inequality trends within a non-hierarchical society between the 6th and the 4th centuries BC. The reflection of these changes in the archaeological record will be addressed, focusing on what forces triggered these internal transformations and to what extent we can define the emergence of social inequality.
Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 2024
This paper presents an approach to the study of European Iron Age ethnicity, a core topic for sev... more This paper presents an approach to the study of European Iron Age ethnicity, a core topic for several decades which has begun to lose interest in the last years. A review of some of the uncertainties involved in the archaeology of ethnicity, focused on several key issues, is proposed. Moreover, some relevant topics that are usually undermined are suggested in order to address new challenges in the discipline: the introduction of political identity as a major focus of study, the reassessment of the etic perspective as an inner part of processes of collective differentiation, or the need for a holistic approach to join and combine different forms of expression. Finally, these approaches will be explored in a case study based on the northwest of the Iberian peninsula. This region has been chosen because of the feasibility of combining the results of different studies about social and political organizsation with relevant textual evidence to extract information about their ethnic dynamics.
Lucentum, 2024
El presente trabajo realiza una aproximación arqueológica a una pieza singular de la Edad del Hie... more El presente trabajo realiza una aproximación arqueológica a una pieza singular de la Edad del Hierro del Noroeste: el tablero cerámico de Castro Curbín (Arzúa). Este insólito objeto se define por una base plana realizada en cerámica, con numerosas oquedades y vinculada a varias fichas de forma circular, que encajan en los huecos. La pieza, muy fragmentada, fue recuperada en un depósito estructurada en el entorno del sistema defensivo del asentamiento.
Dada la extraña factura del objeto, se propone una aproximación integral al yacimiento que permita establecer una base sólida para el análisis. Así, se definen, en primer lugar, las características más relevantes del poblado, las condiciones del paisaje habitado y su secuencia ocupacional, contextualizando el asentamiento con relación a las dinámicas sociales, territoriales y arqueológicas del interior de la edad del Hierro del noroeste.
A continuación, el trabajo se focaliza en las características del depósito en el que se integra el tablero, una acumulación de materiales estructurada y de probable orientación votiva. Se analizarán las características generales de este tipo de expresiones en otros asentamientos fortificados del Noroeste, señalando su reiteración en otros poblados del interior y su habitual vínculo con el entorno de las murallas. Finalmente, se sugiere un análisis funcional e interpretativo del tablero, considerando su orientación lúdica como la más acorde a sus características. Estas consideraciones se relacionarán con otras expresiones lúdicas documentadas en distintos ámbitos, procurando establecer un marco comparativo de análisis que permita realizar una primera aproximación a este posible juego de mesa en el Hierro del noroeste.
Post-Medieval Archaeology, 2023
If you are interested in the full paper, to not hesitate to ask. Se tes interese en ler o ar... more If you are interested in the full paper, to not hesitate to ask.
Se tes interese en ler o artigo completo, non dubides en preguntar.
Si te interesa leer el artículo completo, no dudes en preguntar.
Oxford Journal of Archaeology, 2024
The following paper presents an analysis of the term 'oppidum', discussing its value for understa... more The following paper presents an analysis of the term 'oppidum', discussing its value for understanding social complexity in Iron Age Europe. Throughout this paper, the most relevant debates regarding the oppida and their value are synthesized from a semiotic point of view. Key features such as urban planning, social hierarchies and political centralization are analysed to frame research in terms of Iron Age mentalities and cultural diversity. Accordingly, the 'oppidum' is assessed as a conceptual tool, weighing its appropriateness as a wide-ranging concept in the European Iron Age. Several criteria, such as urban planning, the role of memory or religion, and the creation of large public and assembly places, among others, are explored as proxies of social legitimation. These key aspects aim to define some traits to set the oppidum as a useful and organic archaeological term without undermining cultural specificities.
Spal, 2023
El presente trabajo realiza una aproximación arqueológica al Edificio de los Betilos (Castro de E... more El presente trabajo realiza una aproximación arqueológica al Edificio de los Betilos (Castro de Elviña, A Coruña), una construcción de carácter cultual identificada en el año 2017. Con escasos ejemplos equiparables en el Noroeste de la Península, su estudio permite comprender el valor de las interacciones culturales con otros pueblos del sur peninsular como un elemento clave para el desarrollo de Elviña como asentamiento de gran complejidad interna. Este trabajo afronta un análisis arqueológico y arquitectónico, explorando cuestiones relativas a sus fases de ocupación, las actividades realizadas en cada área o su orientación funcional. Los resultados permiten comprender la dimensión simbólica del edificio, valorando las influencias endógenas y exógenas en su estructuración interna y comprendiéndolo como un elemento central para la sanción y legitimación de relaciones transculturales a larga distancia. Finalmente, se sugiere un análisis a escala macro, comprendiendo su génesis y desarrollo en el contexto de las relaciones atlánticas entre Gades, Roma y el Noroeste galaico
Cuadernos de Estudios Gallegos, 2023
El siguiente artículo expone una revisión del registro arqueológico de la necrópolis de Cadabarco... more El siguiente artículo expone una revisión del registro arqueológico de la necrópolis de Cadabarcos (Mañón, A Coruña). Este yacimiento, excavado en la década de los 40 por Federico Maciñeira e identificado como una necrópolis “galaicorromana”, podría presentar una cronología bastante más tardía respecto a lo habitual en los enterramientos con fosas de cremación. En el siguiente trabajo, se expone una profunda revisión de las características de este yacimiento, explorando su contexto de intervención, las dinámicas históricas de la región, los hallazgos documentados y las características de la zona intervenida, con la intención de verificar su adscripción funcional, cronológica y cultural. Atendiendo a los resultados, se realiza un análisis contextual del yacimiento, relacionándolo con las principales dinámicas de enterramiento del Noroeste penisular. Se analizan las prácticas y tradiciones funerarias desde el Alto Imperio hasta los inicios de la Antigüedad Tardía, estableciendo una comparativa entre distintas dinámicas regionales, y se propone una revisión cronológica y territorial de la cremación como práctica funeraria.
Complutum, 2023
Abstract The following works examines the most difficult phenomenon to identify and characterise ... more Abstract
The following works examines the most difficult phenomenon to identify and characterise in the NW Iberia Iron Age: funerary and burial activities. The main goal is to outline a brief review of the current state of research, synthesising all the evidence available and trying to draw some common lines between them. Thus, an archaeological analysis of all the settlements with Iron Age chronologies and in which funerary practices may have been undertaken is proposed. This review seeks to define their characteristics, analyse their chronologies, and assess, as far as possible, their functionality. The presented data will be synthesised and correlated, attempting to draw some of their characteristics and to define, on a preliminary basis, a first approximation to the funerary practices of NW Iberia Iron Age.
Resumen
El presente trabajo analiza uno de los fenómenos de la Edad del Hierro del Noroeste peninsular que más dificultades ha ofrecido para su identificación y caracterización: el mundo funerario. El principal objetivo de esta publicación es exponer una breve revisión del actual estado de la investigación, sintetizando todas aquellas evidencias disponibles e intentando trazar algunas líneas comunes entre ellas. De esta forma, se expone un análisis arqueológico de todos los yacimientos en los que puedan haberse realizado prácticas relacionadas con la gestión de la muerte y que puedan encuadrarse en la Edad del Hierro, con la intención de definir sus características, analizar sus cronologías y verificar, en la medida de lo posible, su orientación funcional. Los datos expuestos serán sintetizados y correlacionados entre sí, analizando conjuntamente algunas de sus principales características y esbozando una aproximación preliminar a las prácticas funerarias de la Edad del Hierro del Noroeste.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2023
The following work is focused on the identification of internal transformations in the fortified ... more The following work is focused on the identification of internal transformations in the fortified settlement of Punta de Muros (Galicia, Spain), one of the hillforts with more information available for the Early Iron Age in the Iberian Peninsula. In this paper, a set of 24 radiocarbon dates is presented to characterise the complete sequence of occupation of the site. This research proposes a correlation between a chronostatistical model through a Bayesian analysis and a morphostructural study of the domestic environment of the settlement. Thus, the results obtained provide a link between several transformations occurring in Punta de Muros and certain temporal and historical dynamics, which allows for a more reliable approach to the establishment and development of the settlement. Hence, a chronological and a structural contextualisation of the constructive transformations of the settlement will be drawn up, enabling us to understand the settlement during the onset, the development and decay of the fortified habitat in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Open access at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352409X23000871
Arqueología, 2023
El siguiente trabajo propone una aproximación a las formas sociales de la Edad del Hierro del Nor... more El siguiente trabajo propone una aproximación a las formas sociales de la Edad del Hierro del Noroeste de la península ibérica desde el estudio de su ámbito doméstico. Se expone una revisión arqueológica de las estrategias de estructuración del espacio doméstico, con el objetivo de analizar las dinámicas sociales en las que se inserta. Se plantea un análisis de distintas características de los espacios domésticos, explorando distintas perspectivas fundamentadas en el análisis social a través del estudio del área de habitación y las relaciones intrafamiliares, identificando su estructuración interna, morfología, registro arqueológico o integración en la planificación constructiva del poblado. Atendiendo al actual estado de la investigación de Edad del Hierro del Noroeste, estos datos se emplean para contrastar la existencia de dos dinámicas sociales aparentemente divergentes identificadas en el área de estudio elegida. En consecuencia, los resultados se articulan en estas dos regiones, con el objetivo de verificar hasta qué punto tienen su reflejo en la estructuración del espacio doméstico. Finalmente, los resultados serán sintetizados, con el objetivo de definir algunas de las principales características de cada espacio doméstico, además de evaluar su valor como elemento representativo de las dinámicas sociales del territorio.
Abstract
The following paper presents an approach to the social aspects of the Iron Age in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula through the study of their households. An archaeological review of strategies for structuring the domestic space is proposed, to analyze the social dynamics in which it is embedded. An analysis of different characteristics of domestic spaces is proposed, exploring a social analysis based on the study of household and kinship relations, studying their internal structure, morphology, the archaeological record, or integration in the constructive planning of the settlement. According to the current state of NW Iberia Iron Age research, these data were used to assess the existence of two apparently different social dynamics identified in the study area. Therefore, results are presented according to these two areas, to verify the extent to which they are reflected in the structuring of the domestic space. Finally, the results are synthesized, to define some of the main characteristics of each domestic space, as well as to assess its value as a representative element of the social dynamics of the territory.
Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology, 2023
This paper presents a study of Iron Age (IA) societies through the analysis of architecture and b... more This paper presents a study of Iron Age (IA) societies through the analysis of architecture and built space. The approach is focused on a small area in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, and constructs a small-scale narrative that seeks to identify different social dynamics concerning the onset, development and decline of the fortified habitat (between the ninth and first centuries bc). Three main spheres of human habitation are assessed: the environment of the household, the construction of collective and non-domestic buildings and the development of settlement planning. The main characteristics of these spheres are discussed and summarised, and they are understood as part of the same dynamic that reflects how the IA communities of northwest Iberia were structured. The main objective of the paper is to employ this methodology to study social dynamics at different scales and thus build a multi-scale historical and archaeological narrative about the development of heterogeneous processes in IA societies.
Lucentum, 2023
El presente artículo propone una aproximación al registro material del yacimiento de Castelo da ... more El presente artículo propone una aproximación al registro material
del yacimiento de Castelo da Veiga (Culleredo, A Coruña),
una fortificación de pequeñas dimensiones datada en el siglo
X y ubicada en un emplazamiento conspicuo con gran control
visual a larga distancia. El valor de su registro arqueológico
radica en dos aspectos principales: en primer lugar, la (relativa)
cantidad de materiales documentados, en contraposición a la
habitual ausencia de evidencias materiales en el resto de los
castillos roqueros excavados en el Noroeste. Este hecho permite,
por primera vez, explorar las formas de ocupación de este tipo
de fortificaciones con un mayor nivel de detalle. En segundo
lugar, este registro cerámico proporciona una cantidad notable
de formas cerámicas representativas del mundo altomedieval,
con contextos fiables y dataciones radiocarbónicas rigurosas
y coherentes, que permiten datar con mayor precisión algunas
de las formas paradigmáticas del repertorio cerámico del norte
peninsular, habitualmente identificadas bajo cronologías poco
fiables o dataciones relativas.
Este trabajo, por tanto, tiene como objetivo exponer una
interpretación detallada del Castelo da Veiga. Se establece una
secuencia cronológica fiable de su estratigrafía y su registro material, con datos relativos sobre las características del asentamiento,
sus estrategias de ocupación y su configuración interna,
para posteriomente contextualizarlo en el marco de las dinámicas
de fortificación del paisaje altomedieval gallego. Posteriormente,
se realiza una aproximación al registro material, especialmente el
cerámico, aprovechando la fiabilidad del contexto arqueológico
y la precisión de las dataciones para encuadrar determinadas
producciones y tipologías habituales en un marco cronológico
sólido, procurando proporcionar una base de estudio más sólida
para futuras investigaciones.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2023
This paper presents an approach to the paleodemography of the Iron Age in the northwest of the Ib... more This paper presents an approach to the paleodemography of the Iron Age in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, choosing a microspatial study focused on the settlement of Punta de Muros. This settlement provides an excellent context for paleodemographic analysis, given the extent of its archaeological record, the chronological studies of its occupational dynamics and its condition as a fully excavated settlement. This work aims to review several demographic techniques in order to assess their weaknesses and strengths and their applicability to the case of study. Thus, the data obtained will be analysed from the point of view of their appropriateness and precision for Early Iron Age societies of the northwest, relating the results by means of several demographic markers and the archaeological data known for the settlement.
Oxford Journal of Archaeology, 2023
This paper analyses social transformations in the Early Iron Age based on a holistic and longue d... more This paper analyses social transformations in the Early Iron Age based on a holistic and longue durée approach applied to the first fortified habitats in the Iberian northwest. Through a comprehensive review of two paradigmatic settlements of the EIA in the province of A Coruña (Galicia, northwest Iberia), Punta de Muros and A Graña, a comparison is drawn between the social and territorial dynamics of this period by means of an in-depth analysis of the main characteristics of both settlements. Accordingly, a greater level of social complexity during the phases of occupation of the settlement of Punta de Muros has been identified, in contrast to the resistance to change observed in A Graña. Based on these conclusions, the role of metalworking and its symbolic value in fostering and legitimizing these social and territorial transformations and in the development of Iron Age communities are analysed.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2022
The following article proposes a methodology for the identification of Roman roads applied to the... more The following article proposes a methodology for the identification of Roman roads applied to the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, focused mainly on the conventus lucensis. Therefore, a methodology based on two aspects is presented: on the one hand, on the description of remote-sensing techniques, their relevance, and their validity; on the other hand, on the strategies that allow not only to identify historical roads, but also to differentiate and catalog them according to their structural characteristics. Finally, a brief context of the state of research on historical roads in the Northwest of the Peninsula is explained in order to apply the proposed methods in two cases of studies on the XIX and XX routes of the Itinerarium Antonini Augusti.
Exposición temporal acollida na Facultade de Historia de Santiago de Compostela. Exposición temp... more Exposición temporal acollida na Facultade de Historia de Santiago de Compostela.
Exposición temporal realizada en la Facultad de Historia de Santiago de Compostela.
Temporary exposition hosted at the Faculty of History of the University of Santiago de Compostela.
Presented in "Where are you going? Reconsidering Migrations in the Metal Ages" (Metal Ages in Eur... more Presented in "Where are you going? Reconsidering Migrations in the Metal Ages" (Metal Ages in Euripe, UISPP, University of Edinburgh).
Conference given at workshop "New Approaches to Late Prehistoric and Roman Iberia", organized by ... more Conference given at workshop "New Approaches to Late Prehistoric and Roman Iberia", organized by Dr. Manuel Fernández-Götz (University of Edinburgh).
The interpretation of the archaeological record of the Later Prehistory in the north-western Iber... more The interpretation of the archaeological record of the Later Prehistory in the north-western Iberian Peninsula in terms of social and political complexity has witnessed a significant leap in the recent years. As has been the case in many other parts of Western Europe, two particular topics (among others) have been at the centre of the discussion: on the one hand, the relevance of the notions of social resistance and resilience as a key factor to understand the trajectories of the social groups in the area. On the other hand, the incorporation of a finer grained view about the different historical trajectories within the region.
In this paper we will explore these two issues together. Drawing on the hypothesis that the transition between the Later Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age can be interpreted in terms of a reaction against trends towards social division, we will explore to what extent this was a general process within the region. To do that, we will explore the extent to which the archaeological evidence used to propose that idea can be equally found in the whole area of the north-western Iberian Peninsula at the same, or similar, time. We will focus on temporal and regional variability in some dimensions of the archaeological record: circulation and deposition of metal objects, emergence of settlement fortification, long distance trade, and architectural structure of settlements. Our aim is to discuss and further refine the initial hypothesis, and to possibly get some insights into the subsequent trajectories of human communities in this region.
Abstract book from the international workshop "Cultural Interactions and Power in the Atlantic Eu... more Abstract book from the international workshop "Cultural Interactions and Power in the Atlantic European Landscapes. From the Iron Age to the Early Middle Ages", held at the University of Santiago de Compostela in October 27-28, 2022