Ana Mercedes Herrero-Corral | Austrian Archaeological Institute (original) (raw)
Non-adult individuals by Ana Mercedes Herrero-Corral
Paperback Edition: ISBN 978-1-78297-935-7 Digital Edition: ISBN 978-1-78297-936-4 an offprint fro... more Paperback Edition: ISBN 978-1-78297-935-7 Digital Edition: ISBN 978-1-78297-936-4 an offprint from Published in the United Kingdom in 2015 by OXBOW BOOKS 10 Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford OX1 2EW and in the United States by OXBOW BOOKS 908 Darby Road, Havertown, PA 19083 © Oxbow Books and the individual contributors 2015 Paperback Edition: ISBN 978-1-78297-935-7 Digital Edition: ISBN 978-1-78297-936-4 A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
A general analysis of the grave goods accompanying children in burials from the Early Neolithic t... more A general analysis of the grave goods accompanying children in burials from the Early Neolithic to the Bell Beaker in the Iberian Peninsula is presented. Both the presence and the absence of these objects of great symbolic value would provide some keys to understand the role that children had in those communities, and how these elements were used in the construction of their social identity trough funeral ceremonies. It would be analysed whether children received or not the same funerary treatment than adults or if it is possible to detect differences between some individuals. This particular aspect is studied from a diachronic perspective to detect both changes and disruptions, such as continuity of burials practices, and especially the accompanying grave goods. The chosen time frame includes the Neolithic and Chalcolithic, two crucial periods in which major changes occur both in the social and the economical atmosphere.
It appears particularly relevant to analyze how objects placed next to these individuals in the graves were specifically selected or even fabricated to accompany them, as in the case, for example, of the Bell Beaker (ceramic miniatures). Finally, we would like to reflect on the role of children individuals in the social structure (heritage status), through a study of the burial treatment they received in different chronological phases of this period, as it is a very important sector of the society, so often absent from the explanations of the major processes of change that characterize these stages of the Prehistory.
In the last years research about funerary behaviour in Bronze age in the Duero Valley has increas... more In the last years research about funerary behaviour in Bronze age in the Duero Valley has increased, however not many works have focused on infantile individuals who, as well as adults, were part of the society. In this paper, most of the funerary evidences from non-adult individuals from the IInd Millennia cal BC are presented to reflect the evolution of the funerary treatment received by children and try to explain this behaviour in relation to social, economic and ritual frameworks.
Key words: children, tombs, Bronze Age, Duero Valley.
Culture apprenticeship is one of the most important aspects for social reproduction of any human ... more Culture apprenticeship is one of the most important aspects for social reproduction of any human group. The transmission of cultural patterns to new generations ensures their perpetuation and at the same time the economic, social, political and ideological order which originated them. If we focus on the particular case of pottery, it is easy to check in numerous ethnographic testimonials that the learning process of this complex technology takes place at a very early age. It is possible to trace the development of these processes through some material indicators such as the characteristics of the ceramic productions (modelling, symmetry, size) fingerprints identification, etc. This paper remarks the interest of investigating such issues in the archaeological record of the peninsular societies from the III and II Millennia cal BC through the analysis of some examples documented in several archaeological sites of inner Iberia.
Resumen: En este trabajo se presentan diversos indicadores de la dieta que se pueden identificar ... more Resumen: En este trabajo se presentan diversos indicadores de la dieta que se pueden identificar en restos óseos infantiles de la prehistoria. Estos indicadores, tales como la cribra orbitalia o las líneas de hipoplasia del esmalte, nos estarían mostrando estados carenciales sufridos durante el proceso de crecimiento y desarrollo de estos individuos.
The analysis of children skeletal remains has some problems due to their fragili- ty and complica... more The analysis of children skeletal remains has some problems due to their fragili- ty and complicated preservation. However, the study of these remains may offer very precious information about the funerary treatment received by this part of the society and, at the same time, to understand its social role inside the group. The aim of this paper is to discuss which are the problems and limits when studying skeletal remains from immature individuals, and to analyse the available data of children recovered at the main Copper Age sites from the Inner Iberia and the Duero Basin.
Los lugares de la Historia. Colección Temas y Perspectivas de la Historia, núm. 3, Oct 2013
Los textos publicados en el presente volumen han sido evaluados mediante el sistema de pares cieg... more Los textos publicados en el presente volumen han sido evaluados mediante el sistema de pares ciegos. © Los autores © AJHIS © De la presente edición: Los editores I.S.B.N.: 978-84-616-5755-1 Depósito legal: S. 380-2013 Maquetación y cubierta:
Humanejos (Parla, Madrid) by Ana Mercedes Herrero-Corral
This monograph shows the results of the investigation of the nine Bell Beaker graves uncovered in... more This monograph shows the results of the investigation of the nine Bell Beaker graves uncovered in the site of Humanejos (Parla, Madrid, Spain). They are 5 single tombs, two double and one multiple (5 individuals). 13 of them are adults (6 males and 3 females) and 3 non-adults. Those graves contained a very important amount of grave goods: 56 complete ceramic vessels (31 decorated in both Maritime and Late Beaker Ciempozuelos styles), 34 metallic objects (18 gold plaquettes and 16 copper elements: 7 Palmela points, 4 tanged daggers, 3 awls, one flat axe and one atlantic halberd), 4 stone wrist-guards, 8 ivory V-perforated buttons and 62 ivory necklace beads.
Andrés Carretero & Concha Papí (coords): ACTUALIDAD DE LA INVESTIGACIÓN ARQUEOLÓGICA EN ESPAÑA II (2019-2020) CONFERENCIAS IMPARTIDAS EN EL MUSEO ARQUEOLÓGICO NACIONAL, 2020
Humanejos es un extenso yacimiento prehistórico con más de 1700 estructuras arqueológicas, en su ... more Humanejos es un extenso yacimiento prehistórico con más de 1700 estructuras arqueológicas, en su mayoría domésticas, pero también funerarias, situado en el municipio de Parla, al sur de Madrid. Más de 100 tumbas excavadas en él han ofrecido una información muy valiosa sobre la transformación de las sociedades que habitaron el interior de la península ibérica desde fines del IV a fines del II milenio cal AC. Se analizan los cambios producidos en los rituales funerarios durante este periodo, no solo mediante el estudio de los ajuares funerarios, sino también de los restos humanos recuperados en las tumbas. Todo ello nos permite ofrecer nuevos datos sobre los procesos de jerarquización y los cambios en la organización social y el mundo simbólico, a lo largo de 2000 años de ocupación de este asentamiento y cementerio. Partiendo de incipientes diferencias detectadas en la fase precampaniforme, que ha ofrecido una inusual riqueza de ajuares, sobre todo cerámicos y metálicos, estas alcanzan su cenit durante el Campaniforme. A este último periodo pertenece una necrópolis de 9 tumbas, con uno de los conjuntos más ricos y espectaculares de ofrendas funerarias documentados en Europa. La trayectoria de creciente jerarquización social parece truncarse a comienzos del II milenio cal AC, cuando tanto el hábitat como la necrópolis concentran sus hallazgos espacialmente.
Humanejos is an extensive prehistoric site with more than 1700 archaeological structures, mainly domestic but also funerary in the town of Parla, south of Madrid (Spain). In fact, more than 100 burials offered significant information about the transformation of the societies living in the interior of Iberia from the late IVth millennium cal BC to the late IInd.
Those changes in the burial rituals during that period are analysed, not only through the study of the grave goods but also of the human remains discovered with them. They both give significant data about the processes of social hierarchisation and the transformations in the social organization and the symbolic world through 2000 years of occupation of this habitat and cemetery. After the first testimonies of initial differences documented in the pre-Beaker phase, where unusually rich grave goods were discovered (mainly pottery and copper tools), the zenith is reached during the Bell Beaker period. To this phase belong nine tombs who offered one of the richest and most spectacular assemblages of grave goods documented in Europe. This trajectory towards social ranking seems to abruptly end at the beginning of the IInd millennium cal BC, when both the settlement and the tombs appear spatially concentrated in the site.
Journal of Archaeological Science: reports , 2020
Seated positions are extraordinarily exceptional in prehistoric graves and despite the increasing... more Seated positions are extraordinarily exceptional in prehistoric graves and despite the increasing number of new cases its social meaning remains uncertain. This paper presents a new finding of a Bronze Age seated burial discovered in the prehistoric cemetery of Humanejos (Parla). Such a unique burial is carefully analyzed in the context of the IInd millennium cal BC burial rituals. Firstly, the different phases of the inhumation were de- scribed through an archaeothanatological approach, which showed that the body was originally bound in a sitting position and then the upper part, which was exposed, naturally collapsed after the decomposition process. Furthermore, the biological features of this young man were studied by the osteological examination of the body and C/N isotopes analyses. Finally, the only object found within the human remains, a flint arrowhead, was examined through use-wear analyses. Different hypothesis are proposed about the possible social meaning be- hind this strange burial ritual in the context of the Late Prehistory mortuary dataset, from the “bad death” (execution?, public punishment?) to other parallels pointing to the burial ritual of someone special within the community (elite/Shaman).
Beyond Use-Wear Traces: Going from tools to people by means of archaeological wear and residue analyses, 2021
This paper presents a use-wear analysis of the lithic and metallic grave goods deposited in the p... more This paper presents a use-wear analysis of the lithic and metallic grave goods deposited in the pre-Beaker Chalcolithic burials of the Humanejos site.
It is located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, in Parla, Madrid. It is currently one of the most important sites for the investigation of the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age societies of the interior of the Iberian Peninsula between the 3rd-2nd millennia BC. This is so because of its large extension of around 20 hectares, the number of structures located within it (more than 2500 belonging to the Chalcolithic), in particular 106 burials, and the large number of grave goods recovered. This study is only a small part of a bigger project, focused on the functional analysis of the lithic and metallic objects discovered in the tombs belonging to the pre-Beaker Chalcolithic phase of the site. We have studied a total number of 12 tombs, in which 26 metallic and 18 lithic objects were found. Traces indicating their use prior to their deposition as offerings were detected. Regarding the association of individuals of a certain age or sex with specific grave goods, no significant differences were identified.
Sex/Gender system by Ana Mercedes Herrero-Corral
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2020
In the last few decades, archaeology has undergone a profound transformation. The inclusion of te... more In the last few decades, archaeology has undergone a profound transformation. The inclusion of techniques from a wide range of other sciences, as well as the specific contribution of physical anthropology, genetics, and paleodemography using the analyses of human remains, has enabled the reconstruction of some key aspects of past populations such as mobility, diet, physical activities, and health status. In addition, the emergence of gender archaeology has led to a great renewal in how societies in the past are conceptualized and approached. Although the gender approach completely relies on the accuracy of the method used for estimating the sex of individuals, the increasing number of publications on this issue rarely focuses on the criteria on which these results are based. The aim of this paper is, firstly, to present the anthropological data available for the Iberian Mesolithic, the Neolithic, and the Copper Age (8th-3rd millennia B.C.) and the analysis of this from the perspective of the "sex ratio." This demographical indicator has allowed us to detect a higher proportion of male individuals than female ones in most of the sites analyzed. Secondly, the different causes of this systematic disproportion (cultural, methodological, and biological) are discussed, concluding that the methodological bias in favor of males presented in research over 40 years ago still exists.
Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2021
Queer theory has always questioned the uncritical transposition into the past of the categories l... more Queer theory has always questioned the uncritical transposition into the past of the categories linked with the heteronormative sex/gender system of the contemporary Western society. The binary and opposed division into two sexes and genders, the heterosexuality as a naturalized ideal or the nuclear family, are just some examples. The Bell Beaker phenomenon, despite being one of the most discussed topics in archaeology, has never been approached from this perspective. Therefore, in this study, 70 individuals with associated Bell Beaker grave-goods buried in 37 tombs from the main territories of Iberia have been analysed. Through an exhaustive statistical analysis of the archaeological and osteological data set, the existence of some clear differences among social adults (>16 years old) can be identified in terms of social ranking and sex/gender markers, within a complex and non-binary structure. Additionally, a fluid or non-existing sex/gender attribution is the most likely for non-adults younger than 15 years old.
Archaeogenetics by Ana Mercedes Herrero-Corral
Nature. Scientific Reports, Oct 27, 2017
Agriculture first reached the Iberian Peninsula around 5700 BCE. However, little is known about t... more Agriculture first reached the Iberian Peninsula around 5700 BCE. However, little is known about the genetic structure and changes of prehistoric populations in different geographic areas of Iberia. In our study, we focused on the maternal genetic make-up of the Neolithic (~ 5500-3000 BCE), Chalcolithic (~ 3000-2200 BCE) and Early Bronze Age (~ 2200-1500 BCE). We report ancient mitochondrial DNA results of 213 individuals (151 HVS-I sequences) from the northeast, middle Ebro Valley, central, southeast and southwest regions and thus on the largest archaeogenetic dataset from the Peninsula to date. Similar to other parts of Europe, we observe a discontinuity between hunter-gatherers and the first farmers of the Neolithic, however the genetic contribution of hunter-gatherers is generally higher and varies regionally, being most pronounced in the inland middle Ebro Valley and in southwest Iberia. During the subsequent periods, we detect regional continuity of Early Neolithic lineages across Iberia, parallel to an increase of hunter-gatherer genetic ancestry. In contrast to ancient DNA findings from Central Europe, we do not observe a major turnover in the mtDNA record of the Iberian Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, suggesting that the population history of the Iberian Peninsula is distinct in character.
by Cristina Tejedor-Rodríguez, Íñigo García-Martínez de Lagrán, Héctor Arcusa Magallón, Stephanie Zesch, Eszter Banffy, Ana Mercedes Herrero-Corral, Raul Flores-Fernandez, Carmen Alonso Fernández, Javier Jiménez Echevarría, María Inés F Fregeiro Morador, Rafael Micó, Francisco Javier Jover Maestre, Anna Waterman, Juan Carlos Mejías-García, Rosario Cruz-Auñon, Ana Cristina Araújo, José Ignacio Royo Guillén, Marco Aurelio Esquembre, Elena Morán, Rafael Garrido-Pena, Manolo Rojo Guerra, and Victor S . GONÇALVES
Nature, Scientific Reports, 2017
Agriculture first reached the Iberian Peninsula around 5700 BCE. However, little is known about t... more Agriculture first reached the Iberian Peninsula around 5700 BCE. However, little is known about the genetic structure and changes of prehistoric populations in different geographic areas of Iberia. In our study, we focus on the maternal genetic makeup of the Neolithic (~ 5500–3000 BCE), Chalcolithic (~3000–2200 BCE) and Early Bronze Age (~ 2200–1500 BCE). We report ancient mitochondrial DNA results of 213 individuals (151 HVS-I sequences) from the northeast, central, southeast and southwest regions and thus on the largest archaeogenetic dataset from the Peninsula to date. Similar to other parts of Europe, we observe a discontinuity between hunter-gatherers and the first farmers of the Neolithic. During the subsequent periods, we detect regional continuity of Early Neolithic lineages across Iberia, however the genetic contribution of hunter-gatherers is generally higher than in other parts of Europe and varies regionally. In contrast to ancient DNA findings from Central Europe, we do not observe a major turnover in the mtDNA record of the Iberian Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, suggesting that the population history of the Iberian Peninsula is distinct in character.
by Olivier LEMERCIER, Rafael Garrido-Pena, Ken Massy, philippe Lefranc, Arnaud Lefebvre, Kathleen McSweeney, Andras Czene, Endrodi Anna, Tamás Hajdu, Olivia Cheronet, Ana Mercedes Herrero-Corral, and Elisa Guerra Doce
Iñigo Olalde, Selina Brace, Morten E. Allentoft, Ian Armit, Kristian Kristiansen, Thomas Booth, N... more Iñigo Olalde, Selina Brace, Morten E. Allentoft, Ian Armit, Kristian Kristiansen, Thomas Booth, Nadin Rohland, Swapan Mallick, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Alissa Mittnik, Eveline Altena, Mark Lipson, Iosif Lazaridis, Thomas K. Harper, Nick Patterson, Nasreen Broomandkhoshbacht, Yoan Diekmann, Zuzana Faltyskova, Daniel Fernandes, Matthew Ferry, Eadaoin Harney, Peter de Knijff, Megan Michel, Jonas Oppenheimer, Kristin Stewardson, Alistair Barclay, Kurt Werner Alt, Corina Liesau, Patricia Ríos, Concepción Blasco, Jorge Vega Miguel, Roberto Menduiña García, Azucena Avilés Fernández, Eszter Bánffy, Maria Bernabò-Brea, David Billoin, Clive Bonsall, Laura Bonsall, Tim Allen, Lindsey Büster, Sophie Carver, Laura Castells Navarro, Oliver E. Craig, Gordon T. Cook, Barry Cunliffe, Anthony Denaire, Kirsten Egging Dinwiddy, Natasha Dodwell, Michal Ernée, Christopher Evans, Milan Kuchařík, Joan Francès Farré, Chris Fowler, Michiel Gazenbeek, Rafael Garrido Pena, María Haber-Uriarte, Elżbieta Haduch, Gill Hey, Nick Jowett, Timothy Knowles, Ken Massy, Saskia Pfrengle, Philippe Lefranc, Olivier Lemercier, Arnaud Lefebvre, César Heras Martínez, Virginia Galera Olmo, Ana Bastida Ramírez, Joaquín Lomba Maurandi, Tona Majó, Jacqueline I. McKinley, Kathleen McSweeney, Balázs Gusztáv Mende, Alessandra Mod, Gabriella Kulcsár, Viktória Kiss, András Czene, Róbert Patay, Anna Endrődi, Kitti Köhler, Tamás Hajdu, Tamás Szeniczey, János Dani, Zsolt Bernert, Maya Hoole, Olivia Cheronet, Denise Keating, Petr Velemínský, Miroslav Dobeš, Francesca Candilio, Fraser Brown, Raúl Flores Fernández, Ana-Mercedes Herrero-Corral, Sebastiano Tusa, Emiliano Carnieri, Luigi Lentini, Antonella Valenti, Alessandro Zanini, Clive Waddington, Germán Delibes, Elisa Guerra-Doce, Benjamin Neil, Marcus Brittain, Mike Luke, Richard Mortimer, Jocelyne Desideri, Marie Besse, Günter Brücken, Mirosław Furmanek, Agata Hałuszko, Maksym Mackiewicz, Artur Rapiński, Stephany Leach, Ignacio Soriano, Katina T. Lillios, João Luís Cardoso, Michael Parker Pearson, Piotr Włodarczak, T. Douglas Price, Pilar Prieto, Pierre-Jérôme Rey, Roberto Risch, Manuel A. Rojo Guerra, Aurore Schmitt, Joël Serralongue, Ana Maria Silva, Václav Smrčka, Luc Vergnaud, João Zilhão, David Caramelli, Thomas Higham, Mark G. Thomas, Douglas J. Kennett, Harry Fokkens, Volker Heyd, Alison Sheridan, Karl-Göran Sjögren, Philipp W. Stockhammer, Johannes Krause, Ron Pinhasi, Wolfgang Haak, Ian Barnes, Carles Lalueza-Fox, David Reich (2018) – The Beaker phenomenon and the genomic transformation of northwest Europe, Nature, 21 february 2018, doi:10.1038/nature25738
Abstract
From around 2750 to 2500 BC, Bell Beaker pottery became widespread across western and central Europe, before it disappeared between 2200 and 1800 BC. The forces that propelled its expansion are a matter of long-standing debate, and there is support for both cultural diffusion and migration having a role in this process. Here we present genome-wide data from 400 Neolithic, Copper Age and Bronze Age Europeans, including 226 individuals associated with Beaker-complex artefacts. We detected limited genetic affinity between Beaker-complex-associated individuals from Iberia and central Europe, and thus exclude migration as an important mechanism of spread between these two regions. However, migration had a key role in the further dissemination of the Beaker complex. We document this phenomenon most clearly in Britain, where the spread of the Beaker complex introduced high levels of steppe-related ancestry and was associated with the replacement of approximately 90% of Britain’s gene pool within a few hundred years, continuing the east-to-west expansion that had brought steppe-related ancestry into central and northern Europe over the previous centuries.
Book Reviews by Ana Mercedes Herrero-Corral
Complutum 27(1), 2016
Study of Childhood in the past" que, desde enton-ces, organiza congresos anuales sobre la infanci... more Study of Childhood in the past" que, desde enton-ces, organiza congresos anuales sobre la infancia en el pasado y cuenta además con una revista propia de publicación bi-anual (https://sscip.wordpress. com/journal-cip/). también en españa se están pu-blicando recientemente trabajos sobre arqueología de la infancia; algunos de los más interesantes se recogen en el número monográfico de Complutum del año 2010 editado por la profª Sánchez romero. la monografía objeto de esta reseña, editada por la Dra. Coşkunsu, tiene su origen en un colo-quio interdisciplinar realizado en la universidad de Nueva York (SuNY) en 2009. tenía el doble objetivo de discutir cuáles eran las teorías y méto-dos más adecuados para el estudio de la infancia en arqueología y de presentar un estado de la cuestión con algunos de los últimos trabajos desarrollados dentro de esta línea de investigación. Participaron en él autores-sobre todo investigadoras como baxter, Sofaer y Kamp (2002)-cuya trayectoria se centra en el estudio de la infancia, y también hubo contribuciones de otros no tan relacionados con el tema, pero que en algún momento de sus investi-gaciones han topado con evidencias de la presencia de individuos infantiles en el registro arqueológico, como es el caso de la propia editora del libro. en buena medida, tanto en su diseño como en su estructura interna, la obra refleja las características de ese coloquio, lo cual afecta también a las refe-rencias bibliográficas manejadas, ya que, si bien en general recogen trabajos muy recientes, ninguna re-basa el año 2012, momento en el que debió cerrarse la entrega de los manuscritos y arrancó el largo y complejo proceso de edición que concluyó tres años después. ello explica que falten algunas aportacio-nes notables muy recientes como, por ejemplo, Tracing Childhood. Bioarchaeological Investigations of Early Lives in Antiquity (thompson et al. 2014) en el que se tratan cuestiones como la violencia o el trabajo infantil a partir de la arqueología fune-raria y la antropología Física, o Children, Spaces and Identity (Sánchez romero et al. 2015), donde se aborda desde una perspectiva multidisciplinar la articulación del espacio en torno a los niños en las poblaciones del pasado y se relaciona con la crea-ción o el mantenimiento de una identidad social. Como se indica en el propio título, la obra que comentamos tiene una clara vocación interdiscipli-nar. Si bien la mayoría de los capítulos son trabajos puramente arqueológicos, ya sean reflexiones teó-Nacida en el seno de los estudios de género para dar visibilidad y protagonismo a este grupo de la sociedad tan olvidado en los trabajos tradicionales, la arqueología de la Infancia constituye una línea de investigación que en los últimos años se encuen-tra en creciente expansión. Las escasas menciones a esta materia que aparecen en las obras generales sobre arqueología vienen de la mano de los estu-dios de género (renfrew y banh 2008: 65, 2011: 628), salvo algunas excepciones en las que es trata-da de forma independiente (menéndez et al. 2011). Sin embargo, la tónica general es que no se abor-de este tema ni siquiera de forma parcial (Gamble 2001; Cunliffe et al. 2009). una de las primeras in-vestigadoras que se ocupó de la cuestión de los in-dividuos infantiles en el registro arqueológico fue la noruega Grete lillehammer con su trabajo "a Child is born: the child's world in an archaeological perspective" (1989). Sin embargo, es sólo a par-tir de los años 2000 cuando empiezan a publicarse obras de referencia como las de Sofaer-derevenski (2000), baxter (2005) o lewis (2007). en ese mis-mo año 2007 es cuando se funda la "Society for the Coşkunsu, Güner. (Ed) (2015): The Archaeology of Childhood: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on an Archaeological Enigma. State University of New York Press. Albany, Nueva York. 320 pá-ginas. ISBN: 978-1-4384-5805-2.
Paperback Edition: ISBN 978-1-78297-935-7 Digital Edition: ISBN 978-1-78297-936-4 an offprint fro... more Paperback Edition: ISBN 978-1-78297-935-7 Digital Edition: ISBN 978-1-78297-936-4 an offprint from Published in the United Kingdom in 2015 by OXBOW BOOKS 10 Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford OX1 2EW and in the United States by OXBOW BOOKS 908 Darby Road, Havertown, PA 19083 © Oxbow Books and the individual contributors 2015 Paperback Edition: ISBN 978-1-78297-935-7 Digital Edition: ISBN 978-1-78297-936-4 A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
A general analysis of the grave goods accompanying children in burials from the Early Neolithic t... more A general analysis of the grave goods accompanying children in burials from the Early Neolithic to the Bell Beaker in the Iberian Peninsula is presented. Both the presence and the absence of these objects of great symbolic value would provide some keys to understand the role that children had in those communities, and how these elements were used in the construction of their social identity trough funeral ceremonies. It would be analysed whether children received or not the same funerary treatment than adults or if it is possible to detect differences between some individuals. This particular aspect is studied from a diachronic perspective to detect both changes and disruptions, such as continuity of burials practices, and especially the accompanying grave goods. The chosen time frame includes the Neolithic and Chalcolithic, two crucial periods in which major changes occur both in the social and the economical atmosphere.
It appears particularly relevant to analyze how objects placed next to these individuals in the graves were specifically selected or even fabricated to accompany them, as in the case, for example, of the Bell Beaker (ceramic miniatures). Finally, we would like to reflect on the role of children individuals in the social structure (heritage status), through a study of the burial treatment they received in different chronological phases of this period, as it is a very important sector of the society, so often absent from the explanations of the major processes of change that characterize these stages of the Prehistory.
In the last years research about funerary behaviour in Bronze age in the Duero Valley has increas... more In the last years research about funerary behaviour in Bronze age in the Duero Valley has increased, however not many works have focused on infantile individuals who, as well as adults, were part of the society. In this paper, most of the funerary evidences from non-adult individuals from the IInd Millennia cal BC are presented to reflect the evolution of the funerary treatment received by children and try to explain this behaviour in relation to social, economic and ritual frameworks.
Key words: children, tombs, Bronze Age, Duero Valley.
Culture apprenticeship is one of the most important aspects for social reproduction of any human ... more Culture apprenticeship is one of the most important aspects for social reproduction of any human group. The transmission of cultural patterns to new generations ensures their perpetuation and at the same time the economic, social, political and ideological order which originated them. If we focus on the particular case of pottery, it is easy to check in numerous ethnographic testimonials that the learning process of this complex technology takes place at a very early age. It is possible to trace the development of these processes through some material indicators such as the characteristics of the ceramic productions (modelling, symmetry, size) fingerprints identification, etc. This paper remarks the interest of investigating such issues in the archaeological record of the peninsular societies from the III and II Millennia cal BC through the analysis of some examples documented in several archaeological sites of inner Iberia.
Resumen: En este trabajo se presentan diversos indicadores de la dieta que se pueden identificar ... more Resumen: En este trabajo se presentan diversos indicadores de la dieta que se pueden identificar en restos óseos infantiles de la prehistoria. Estos indicadores, tales como la cribra orbitalia o las líneas de hipoplasia del esmalte, nos estarían mostrando estados carenciales sufridos durante el proceso de crecimiento y desarrollo de estos individuos.
The analysis of children skeletal remains has some problems due to their fragili- ty and complica... more The analysis of children skeletal remains has some problems due to their fragili- ty and complicated preservation. However, the study of these remains may offer very precious information about the funerary treatment received by this part of the society and, at the same time, to understand its social role inside the group. The aim of this paper is to discuss which are the problems and limits when studying skeletal remains from immature individuals, and to analyse the available data of children recovered at the main Copper Age sites from the Inner Iberia and the Duero Basin.
Los lugares de la Historia. Colección Temas y Perspectivas de la Historia, núm. 3, Oct 2013
Los textos publicados en el presente volumen han sido evaluados mediante el sistema de pares cieg... more Los textos publicados en el presente volumen han sido evaluados mediante el sistema de pares ciegos. © Los autores © AJHIS © De la presente edición: Los editores I.S.B.N.: 978-84-616-5755-1 Depósito legal: S. 380-2013 Maquetación y cubierta:
This monograph shows the results of the investigation of the nine Bell Beaker graves uncovered in... more This monograph shows the results of the investigation of the nine Bell Beaker graves uncovered in the site of Humanejos (Parla, Madrid, Spain). They are 5 single tombs, two double and one multiple (5 individuals). 13 of them are adults (6 males and 3 females) and 3 non-adults. Those graves contained a very important amount of grave goods: 56 complete ceramic vessels (31 decorated in both Maritime and Late Beaker Ciempozuelos styles), 34 metallic objects (18 gold plaquettes and 16 copper elements: 7 Palmela points, 4 tanged daggers, 3 awls, one flat axe and one atlantic halberd), 4 stone wrist-guards, 8 ivory V-perforated buttons and 62 ivory necklace beads.
Andrés Carretero & Concha Papí (coords): ACTUALIDAD DE LA INVESTIGACIÓN ARQUEOLÓGICA EN ESPAÑA II (2019-2020) CONFERENCIAS IMPARTIDAS EN EL MUSEO ARQUEOLÓGICO NACIONAL, 2020
Humanejos es un extenso yacimiento prehistórico con más de 1700 estructuras arqueológicas, en su ... more Humanejos es un extenso yacimiento prehistórico con más de 1700 estructuras arqueológicas, en su mayoría domésticas, pero también funerarias, situado en el municipio de Parla, al sur de Madrid. Más de 100 tumbas excavadas en él han ofrecido una información muy valiosa sobre la transformación de las sociedades que habitaron el interior de la península ibérica desde fines del IV a fines del II milenio cal AC. Se analizan los cambios producidos en los rituales funerarios durante este periodo, no solo mediante el estudio de los ajuares funerarios, sino también de los restos humanos recuperados en las tumbas. Todo ello nos permite ofrecer nuevos datos sobre los procesos de jerarquización y los cambios en la organización social y el mundo simbólico, a lo largo de 2000 años de ocupación de este asentamiento y cementerio. Partiendo de incipientes diferencias detectadas en la fase precampaniforme, que ha ofrecido una inusual riqueza de ajuares, sobre todo cerámicos y metálicos, estas alcanzan su cenit durante el Campaniforme. A este último periodo pertenece una necrópolis de 9 tumbas, con uno de los conjuntos más ricos y espectaculares de ofrendas funerarias documentados en Europa. La trayectoria de creciente jerarquización social parece truncarse a comienzos del II milenio cal AC, cuando tanto el hábitat como la necrópolis concentran sus hallazgos espacialmente.
Humanejos is an extensive prehistoric site with more than 1700 archaeological structures, mainly domestic but also funerary in the town of Parla, south of Madrid (Spain). In fact, more than 100 burials offered significant information about the transformation of the societies living in the interior of Iberia from the late IVth millennium cal BC to the late IInd.
Those changes in the burial rituals during that period are analysed, not only through the study of the grave goods but also of the human remains discovered with them. They both give significant data about the processes of social hierarchisation and the transformations in the social organization and the symbolic world through 2000 years of occupation of this habitat and cemetery. After the first testimonies of initial differences documented in the pre-Beaker phase, where unusually rich grave goods were discovered (mainly pottery and copper tools), the zenith is reached during the Bell Beaker period. To this phase belong nine tombs who offered one of the richest and most spectacular assemblages of grave goods documented in Europe. This trajectory towards social ranking seems to abruptly end at the beginning of the IInd millennium cal BC, when both the settlement and the tombs appear spatially concentrated in the site.
Journal of Archaeological Science: reports , 2020
Seated positions are extraordinarily exceptional in prehistoric graves and despite the increasing... more Seated positions are extraordinarily exceptional in prehistoric graves and despite the increasing number of new cases its social meaning remains uncertain. This paper presents a new finding of a Bronze Age seated burial discovered in the prehistoric cemetery of Humanejos (Parla). Such a unique burial is carefully analyzed in the context of the IInd millennium cal BC burial rituals. Firstly, the different phases of the inhumation were de- scribed through an archaeothanatological approach, which showed that the body was originally bound in a sitting position and then the upper part, which was exposed, naturally collapsed after the decomposition process. Furthermore, the biological features of this young man were studied by the osteological examination of the body and C/N isotopes analyses. Finally, the only object found within the human remains, a flint arrowhead, was examined through use-wear analyses. Different hypothesis are proposed about the possible social meaning be- hind this strange burial ritual in the context of the Late Prehistory mortuary dataset, from the “bad death” (execution?, public punishment?) to other parallels pointing to the burial ritual of someone special within the community (elite/Shaman).
Beyond Use-Wear Traces: Going from tools to people by means of archaeological wear and residue analyses, 2021
This paper presents a use-wear analysis of the lithic and metallic grave goods deposited in the p... more This paper presents a use-wear analysis of the lithic and metallic grave goods deposited in the pre-Beaker Chalcolithic burials of the Humanejos site.
It is located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, in Parla, Madrid. It is currently one of the most important sites for the investigation of the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age societies of the interior of the Iberian Peninsula between the 3rd-2nd millennia BC. This is so because of its large extension of around 20 hectares, the number of structures located within it (more than 2500 belonging to the Chalcolithic), in particular 106 burials, and the large number of grave goods recovered. This study is only a small part of a bigger project, focused on the functional analysis of the lithic and metallic objects discovered in the tombs belonging to the pre-Beaker Chalcolithic phase of the site. We have studied a total number of 12 tombs, in which 26 metallic and 18 lithic objects were found. Traces indicating their use prior to their deposition as offerings were detected. Regarding the association of individuals of a certain age or sex with specific grave goods, no significant differences were identified.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2020
In the last few decades, archaeology has undergone a profound transformation. The inclusion of te... more In the last few decades, archaeology has undergone a profound transformation. The inclusion of techniques from a wide range of other sciences, as well as the specific contribution of physical anthropology, genetics, and paleodemography using the analyses of human remains, has enabled the reconstruction of some key aspects of past populations such as mobility, diet, physical activities, and health status. In addition, the emergence of gender archaeology has led to a great renewal in how societies in the past are conceptualized and approached. Although the gender approach completely relies on the accuracy of the method used for estimating the sex of individuals, the increasing number of publications on this issue rarely focuses on the criteria on which these results are based. The aim of this paper is, firstly, to present the anthropological data available for the Iberian Mesolithic, the Neolithic, and the Copper Age (8th-3rd millennia B.C.) and the analysis of this from the perspective of the "sex ratio." This demographical indicator has allowed us to detect a higher proportion of male individuals than female ones in most of the sites analyzed. Secondly, the different causes of this systematic disproportion (cultural, methodological, and biological) are discussed, concluding that the methodological bias in favor of males presented in research over 40 years ago still exists.
Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2021
Queer theory has always questioned the uncritical transposition into the past of the categories l... more Queer theory has always questioned the uncritical transposition into the past of the categories linked with the heteronormative sex/gender system of the contemporary Western society. The binary and opposed division into two sexes and genders, the heterosexuality as a naturalized ideal or the nuclear family, are just some examples. The Bell Beaker phenomenon, despite being one of the most discussed topics in archaeology, has never been approached from this perspective. Therefore, in this study, 70 individuals with associated Bell Beaker grave-goods buried in 37 tombs from the main territories of Iberia have been analysed. Through an exhaustive statistical analysis of the archaeological and osteological data set, the existence of some clear differences among social adults (>16 years old) can be identified in terms of social ranking and sex/gender markers, within a complex and non-binary structure. Additionally, a fluid or non-existing sex/gender attribution is the most likely for non-adults younger than 15 years old.
Nature. Scientific Reports, Oct 27, 2017
Agriculture first reached the Iberian Peninsula around 5700 BCE. However, little is known about t... more Agriculture first reached the Iberian Peninsula around 5700 BCE. However, little is known about the genetic structure and changes of prehistoric populations in different geographic areas of Iberia. In our study, we focused on the maternal genetic make-up of the Neolithic (~ 5500-3000 BCE), Chalcolithic (~ 3000-2200 BCE) and Early Bronze Age (~ 2200-1500 BCE). We report ancient mitochondrial DNA results of 213 individuals (151 HVS-I sequences) from the northeast, middle Ebro Valley, central, southeast and southwest regions and thus on the largest archaeogenetic dataset from the Peninsula to date. Similar to other parts of Europe, we observe a discontinuity between hunter-gatherers and the first farmers of the Neolithic, however the genetic contribution of hunter-gatherers is generally higher and varies regionally, being most pronounced in the inland middle Ebro Valley and in southwest Iberia. During the subsequent periods, we detect regional continuity of Early Neolithic lineages across Iberia, parallel to an increase of hunter-gatherer genetic ancestry. In contrast to ancient DNA findings from Central Europe, we do not observe a major turnover in the mtDNA record of the Iberian Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, suggesting that the population history of the Iberian Peninsula is distinct in character.
by Cristina Tejedor-Rodríguez, Íñigo García-Martínez de Lagrán, Héctor Arcusa Magallón, Stephanie Zesch, Eszter Banffy, Ana Mercedes Herrero-Corral, Raul Flores-Fernandez, Carmen Alonso Fernández, Javier Jiménez Echevarría, María Inés F Fregeiro Morador, Rafael Micó, Francisco Javier Jover Maestre, Anna Waterman, Juan Carlos Mejías-García, Rosario Cruz-Auñon, Ana Cristina Araújo, José Ignacio Royo Guillén, Marco Aurelio Esquembre, Elena Morán, Rafael Garrido-Pena, Manolo Rojo Guerra, and Victor S . GONÇALVES
Nature, Scientific Reports, 2017
Agriculture first reached the Iberian Peninsula around 5700 BCE. However, little is known about t... more Agriculture first reached the Iberian Peninsula around 5700 BCE. However, little is known about the genetic structure and changes of prehistoric populations in different geographic areas of Iberia. In our study, we focus on the maternal genetic makeup of the Neolithic (~ 5500–3000 BCE), Chalcolithic (~3000–2200 BCE) and Early Bronze Age (~ 2200–1500 BCE). We report ancient mitochondrial DNA results of 213 individuals (151 HVS-I sequences) from the northeast, central, southeast and southwest regions and thus on the largest archaeogenetic dataset from the Peninsula to date. Similar to other parts of Europe, we observe a discontinuity between hunter-gatherers and the first farmers of the Neolithic. During the subsequent periods, we detect regional continuity of Early Neolithic lineages across Iberia, however the genetic contribution of hunter-gatherers is generally higher than in other parts of Europe and varies regionally. In contrast to ancient DNA findings from Central Europe, we do not observe a major turnover in the mtDNA record of the Iberian Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, suggesting that the population history of the Iberian Peninsula is distinct in character.
by Olivier LEMERCIER, Rafael Garrido-Pena, Ken Massy, philippe Lefranc, Arnaud Lefebvre, Kathleen McSweeney, Andras Czene, Endrodi Anna, Tamás Hajdu, Olivia Cheronet, Ana Mercedes Herrero-Corral, and Elisa Guerra Doce
Iñigo Olalde, Selina Brace, Morten E. Allentoft, Ian Armit, Kristian Kristiansen, Thomas Booth, N... more Iñigo Olalde, Selina Brace, Morten E. Allentoft, Ian Armit, Kristian Kristiansen, Thomas Booth, Nadin Rohland, Swapan Mallick, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, Alissa Mittnik, Eveline Altena, Mark Lipson, Iosif Lazaridis, Thomas K. Harper, Nick Patterson, Nasreen Broomandkhoshbacht, Yoan Diekmann, Zuzana Faltyskova, Daniel Fernandes, Matthew Ferry, Eadaoin Harney, Peter de Knijff, Megan Michel, Jonas Oppenheimer, Kristin Stewardson, Alistair Barclay, Kurt Werner Alt, Corina Liesau, Patricia Ríos, Concepción Blasco, Jorge Vega Miguel, Roberto Menduiña García, Azucena Avilés Fernández, Eszter Bánffy, Maria Bernabò-Brea, David Billoin, Clive Bonsall, Laura Bonsall, Tim Allen, Lindsey Büster, Sophie Carver, Laura Castells Navarro, Oliver E. Craig, Gordon T. Cook, Barry Cunliffe, Anthony Denaire, Kirsten Egging Dinwiddy, Natasha Dodwell, Michal Ernée, Christopher Evans, Milan Kuchařík, Joan Francès Farré, Chris Fowler, Michiel Gazenbeek, Rafael Garrido Pena, María Haber-Uriarte, Elżbieta Haduch, Gill Hey, Nick Jowett, Timothy Knowles, Ken Massy, Saskia Pfrengle, Philippe Lefranc, Olivier Lemercier, Arnaud Lefebvre, César Heras Martínez, Virginia Galera Olmo, Ana Bastida Ramírez, Joaquín Lomba Maurandi, Tona Majó, Jacqueline I. McKinley, Kathleen McSweeney, Balázs Gusztáv Mende, Alessandra Mod, Gabriella Kulcsár, Viktória Kiss, András Czene, Róbert Patay, Anna Endrődi, Kitti Köhler, Tamás Hajdu, Tamás Szeniczey, János Dani, Zsolt Bernert, Maya Hoole, Olivia Cheronet, Denise Keating, Petr Velemínský, Miroslav Dobeš, Francesca Candilio, Fraser Brown, Raúl Flores Fernández, Ana-Mercedes Herrero-Corral, Sebastiano Tusa, Emiliano Carnieri, Luigi Lentini, Antonella Valenti, Alessandro Zanini, Clive Waddington, Germán Delibes, Elisa Guerra-Doce, Benjamin Neil, Marcus Brittain, Mike Luke, Richard Mortimer, Jocelyne Desideri, Marie Besse, Günter Brücken, Mirosław Furmanek, Agata Hałuszko, Maksym Mackiewicz, Artur Rapiński, Stephany Leach, Ignacio Soriano, Katina T. Lillios, João Luís Cardoso, Michael Parker Pearson, Piotr Włodarczak, T. Douglas Price, Pilar Prieto, Pierre-Jérôme Rey, Roberto Risch, Manuel A. Rojo Guerra, Aurore Schmitt, Joël Serralongue, Ana Maria Silva, Václav Smrčka, Luc Vergnaud, João Zilhão, David Caramelli, Thomas Higham, Mark G. Thomas, Douglas J. Kennett, Harry Fokkens, Volker Heyd, Alison Sheridan, Karl-Göran Sjögren, Philipp W. Stockhammer, Johannes Krause, Ron Pinhasi, Wolfgang Haak, Ian Barnes, Carles Lalueza-Fox, David Reich (2018) – The Beaker phenomenon and the genomic transformation of northwest Europe, Nature, 21 february 2018, doi:10.1038/nature25738
Abstract
From around 2750 to 2500 BC, Bell Beaker pottery became widespread across western and central Europe, before it disappeared between 2200 and 1800 BC. The forces that propelled its expansion are a matter of long-standing debate, and there is support for both cultural diffusion and migration having a role in this process. Here we present genome-wide data from 400 Neolithic, Copper Age and Bronze Age Europeans, including 226 individuals associated with Beaker-complex artefacts. We detected limited genetic affinity between Beaker-complex-associated individuals from Iberia and central Europe, and thus exclude migration as an important mechanism of spread between these two regions. However, migration had a key role in the further dissemination of the Beaker complex. We document this phenomenon most clearly in Britain, where the spread of the Beaker complex introduced high levels of steppe-related ancestry and was associated with the replacement of approximately 90% of Britain’s gene pool within a few hundred years, continuing the east-to-west expansion that had brought steppe-related ancestry into central and northern Europe over the previous centuries.
Complutum 27(1), 2016
Study of Childhood in the past" que, desde enton-ces, organiza congresos anuales sobre la infanci... more Study of Childhood in the past" que, desde enton-ces, organiza congresos anuales sobre la infancia en el pasado y cuenta además con una revista propia de publicación bi-anual (https://sscip.wordpress. com/journal-cip/). también en españa se están pu-blicando recientemente trabajos sobre arqueología de la infancia; algunos de los más interesantes se recogen en el número monográfico de Complutum del año 2010 editado por la profª Sánchez romero. la monografía objeto de esta reseña, editada por la Dra. Coşkunsu, tiene su origen en un colo-quio interdisciplinar realizado en la universidad de Nueva York (SuNY) en 2009. tenía el doble objetivo de discutir cuáles eran las teorías y méto-dos más adecuados para el estudio de la infancia en arqueología y de presentar un estado de la cuestión con algunos de los últimos trabajos desarrollados dentro de esta línea de investigación. Participaron en él autores-sobre todo investigadoras como baxter, Sofaer y Kamp (2002)-cuya trayectoria se centra en el estudio de la infancia, y también hubo contribuciones de otros no tan relacionados con el tema, pero que en algún momento de sus investi-gaciones han topado con evidencias de la presencia de individuos infantiles en el registro arqueológico, como es el caso de la propia editora del libro. en buena medida, tanto en su diseño como en su estructura interna, la obra refleja las características de ese coloquio, lo cual afecta también a las refe-rencias bibliográficas manejadas, ya que, si bien en general recogen trabajos muy recientes, ninguna re-basa el año 2012, momento en el que debió cerrarse la entrega de los manuscritos y arrancó el largo y complejo proceso de edición que concluyó tres años después. ello explica que falten algunas aportacio-nes notables muy recientes como, por ejemplo, Tracing Childhood. Bioarchaeological Investigations of Early Lives in Antiquity (thompson et al. 2014) en el que se tratan cuestiones como la violencia o el trabajo infantil a partir de la arqueología fune-raria y la antropología Física, o Children, Spaces and Identity (Sánchez romero et al. 2015), donde se aborda desde una perspectiva multidisciplinar la articulación del espacio en torno a los niños en las poblaciones del pasado y se relaciona con la crea-ción o el mantenimiento de una identidad social. Como se indica en el propio título, la obra que comentamos tiene una clara vocación interdiscipli-nar. Si bien la mayoría de los capítulos son trabajos puramente arqueológicos, ya sean reflexiones teó-Nacida en el seno de los estudios de género para dar visibilidad y protagonismo a este grupo de la sociedad tan olvidado en los trabajos tradicionales, la arqueología de la Infancia constituye una línea de investigación que en los últimos años se encuen-tra en creciente expansión. Las escasas menciones a esta materia que aparecen en las obras generales sobre arqueología vienen de la mano de los estu-dios de género (renfrew y banh 2008: 65, 2011: 628), salvo algunas excepciones en las que es trata-da de forma independiente (menéndez et al. 2011). Sin embargo, la tónica general es que no se abor-de este tema ni siquiera de forma parcial (Gamble 2001; Cunliffe et al. 2009). una de las primeras in-vestigadoras que se ocupó de la cuestión de los in-dividuos infantiles en el registro arqueológico fue la noruega Grete lillehammer con su trabajo "a Child is born: the child's world in an archaeological perspective" (1989). Sin embargo, es sólo a par-tir de los años 2000 cuando empiezan a publicarse obras de referencia como las de Sofaer-derevenski (2000), baxter (2005) o lewis (2007). en ese mis-mo año 2007 es cuando se funda la "Society for the Coşkunsu, Güner. (Ed) (2015): The Archaeology of Childhood: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on an Archaeological Enigma. State University of New York Press. Albany, Nueva York. 320 pá-ginas. ISBN: 978-1-4384-5805-2.
Trabajos de Prehistoria 75 (1), 85-108., 2018
English: "This article draws together work from previous studies and new mortuary evidence in ord... more English: "This article draws together work from previous studies and new mortuary evidence in order to describe the non-adult population at the Copper Age settlement of Valencina de la Concepción (Sevilla). In total, we examine 39 non-adult individuals found in a range of burial structures which span the entire chronology of the site. We observed a high variability in both the proportion of the non-adult segment of the population interred in each burial structure, as well as evidence of differentiated funerary treatment related to age. We discuss the distribution of these individuals across different types of burials, as well as their association with adult individuals and grave goods, thus providing the basis for an assessment of their demographic and social significance."
Español: "A partir de la revisión de estudios previos y de la aportación de datos inéditos se realiza un análisis de la población no adulta del asentamiento de la Edad del Cobre de Valencina de la Concepción (Sevilla). En total se examinan 39 sujetos no adultos inhumados en contenedores funerarios de distinto tipo y repartidos a lo largo de la amplia cronología de este asentamiento. Como resultado se constata la alta variabilidad de la proporción de este segmento de la población en las estructuras funerarias de Valencina así como la existencia de indicios de un tratamiento diferenciado para el mismo. Como parte de la discusión se examina la asociación de estos individuos con tipos de contenedores funerarios, individuos adultos y ajuares, valorándose su significación demográfica y social."
This article deals with the analysis of the burial sequence of the Ambrona Valley (Soria, Spain),... more This article deals with the analysis of the burial sequence of the Ambrona Valley (Soria, Spain), from the megalithic structures of the Middle-Late Neolithic (beginning of the IVth millennium cal BC) to the reusing of these structures during the Bell Beaker Copper Age. Different megalithic graves are studied, including the so-called “lime-kiln tombs” which were ritually closed by fire. With the analysis of the human bones recovered in the chambers, the grave goods accompanying them and the evolution of burial rituals, we can propose different hypotheses about the process of social, economic and ideological change occurring in Iberia during the IVth-IIIrd millennia cal BC. A transition is documented from the collective forms of burial, in the context of a communal ideology reinforcing the identity and unity of the group, to others where certain powerful individuals and families began to show their own interests and social aspirations in the symbolic arenas of the tombs and the burial ceremonies. Keywords: Megalithism, lime-kiln tombs, Bell Beakers, social complexity, symbolism
This paper aims to analyze the role of adornments and clothing in the construction of the persona... more This paper aims to analyze the role of adornments and clothing in the construction of the personal identity of the political leaders during the Bell Beaker period, in the second half of the IIIrd millennium cal BC in the interior of Iberia. After collecting the most important archaeological finds, especially from funerary contexts recently excavated where the precise context of those materials is known, hypotheses about the importance of those elements in the symbolic legitimation of social differences are proposed. And this is argued given the significance of this period of the recent prehistory in Iberia, when important social and economic changes are documented, the political context was unstable and there was a constant struggle for power.
Key Words: Bell Beakers, clothing, adornments, gold, ivory, social conflict.
This article draws together work from previous studies and new mortuary evidence in order to desc... more This article draws together work from previous studies and new mortuary evidence in order to describe the non-adult population at the Copper Age settlement of Valencina de la Concepción (Sevilla). In total, we examine 39 non-adult individuals found in a range of burial structures which span the entire chronology of the site. We observed a high variability in both the proportion of the non-adult segment of the population interred in each burial structure, as well as evidence of differentiated funerary treatment related to age. We discuss the distribution of these individuals across different types of burials, as well as their association with adult individuals and grave goods, thus providing the basis for an assessment of their demographic and social significance. RESUMEN A partir de la revisión de estudios previos y de la aporta-ción de datos inéditos se realiza un análisis de la población no adulta del asentamiento de la Edad del Cobre de Valencina de la Concepción (Sevilla). En total se examinan 39 sujetos no adultos inhumados en contenedores funerarios de distinto tipo y repartidos a lo largo de la amplia cronología de este asentamiento. Como resultado se constata la alta variabilidad de la proporción de este segmento de la población en las estructuras funerarias de Valencina así como la existencia de indicios de un tratamiento diferenciado para el mismo. Como parte de la discusión se examina la asociación de estos indivi-duos con tipos de contenedores funerarios, individuos adultos y ajuares, valorándose su significación demográfica y social.
Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology, vol. 32(1) , 2019
For the most part, children have been overlooked in the archaeological literature. However, in re... more For the most part, children have been overlooked in the archaeological literature. However, in recent decades, numerous studies have pointed out the relevance of this social group and the necessity of including children in any attempt to reconstruct past societies. This study reports on an investigation of the main Bell Beaker child burial sites on the Iberian Peninsula and in a wider European perspective. It includes recent important discoveries in central Iberia, some of which are published here for the first time. Burial treatment of various age categories is examined to determine when individuals reach adulthood, regardless of their biological age, and when they may be considered full members of the social group. We have also noted special miniature versions of adult grave goods that were specifically made for children’s graves; it is also possible that some objects had been made by children working as apprentices. These are crucial issues for analysing the social contexts of Bell Beakers, including for understanding the key problem of inherited status in Iberia during the second half of the third millennium cal bc, which was a period of significant social changes.
Oxford Journal of Archaeology, 2022
The recent discovery of an Atlantic halberd among other abundant and rich grave goods in the Bell... more The recent discovery of an Atlantic halberd among other abundant
and rich grave goods in the Bell Beaker double tomb 1 of Humanejos (Parla, Madrid) demonstrates that this type of weapon was part of the Beaker panoply.
It is the first example of an Atlantic halberd in a Beaker burial context in Iberia and only the second one in Europe. The remaining halberds come from old and isolated finds in Early Bronze Age deposits that were usually interpreted as post-Beaker votive deposits. In this paper the Humanejos halberd and its archaeological context (human remains, burial structure, radiocarbon dates) are carefully examined. The study includes the technical analysis of the halberd (metal composition, lead isotopes, use-wear traces), together with the other metallic weapons and tools recovered with it (Palmela points, tanged dagger, awl) as well as the rest of the offerings (Beaker pottery, ivory and bone adornments). All these data suggest that this exceptionally rich grave could have held a woman and a man of the social elite, with the power to concentrate important amounts of precious raw materials (copper, gold, ivory, cinnabar) in few hands, especially when compared to other contemporary graves in the same site and region.
Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, 2023
Over the last several decades, the application of aDNA and strontium isotope analyses on archaeol... more Over the last several decades, the application of aDNA and strontium isotope analyses on archaeologically recovered human remains has provided new avenues for the investigation of mobility in past societies. Data on human mobility can be valuable in the reconstruction of prehistoric residential patterns and kinship systems, which are at the center of human social organization and vary across time and space. In this paper, we aim to contribute to our understanding of mobility, residence, and kinship patterns in late Prehistoric Iberia (c. 3300-1400BC) by providing new strontium data on 44 individuals from the site of Humanejos (Parla, Madrid). The study presented here is multi-proxy and looks at these new data by interweaving biological, chronological, and archaeological information. This analysis found that 7/44 individuals buried at Humanejos could be identified as non-local to the necropolis. Although more men (n = 5) than women (n = 2) were found in the non-local category, and more non-local individuals were identified in the pre-Bell Beaker (n = 5) than in Bell Beaker (n = 1) or Bronze Age (n = 1), we find no statistically significant differences concerning sex or time period. This contrasts with other archaeological datasets for late prehistoric Europe which suggest higher female mobility, female exogamy, and male-centered residential patterns were common. At Humanejos, we have also identified one non-local female whose exceptional Beaker grave goods suggest she was an individual of special status, leading to additional questions about the relationships between gender, mobility, and social position in this region and time period.