Article
Mineral adornments at chalcolithic sites in inland Iberia: variscite beads at Valle de las Higueras (Huecas, Toledo) Spain
Author/s | Barroso Bermejo, Rosa
Odriozola Lloret, Carlos Patricio Bueno Ramírez, Primitiva Villalobos García, Rodrigo Balbín Behrmann, Rodrigo de Martínez Blanes, José María |
Department | Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueología Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Química Inorgánica |
Publication Date | 2021 |
Deposit Date | 2022-01-05 |
Published in |
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Abstract | The study of adornments found in the necropolis at Valle de las Higueras (Huecas, Toledo) has determined
the morphotypology and mineral composition of one quadrangular pendant and 341 stone beads. Most of the
beads are ... The study of adornments found in the necropolis at Valle de las Higueras (Huecas, Toledo) has determined the morphotypology and mineral composition of one quadrangular pendant and 341 stone beads. Most of the beads are short (length ≤ 5 mm), but within this regularity series can be differentiated that might be the result of standardised fabrication processes and different times of acquisition. Portable X-ray fluorescence (p-XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis identified the use of phyllosilicates as sepiolite and clinochlore, and above all variscite, a mineral that became especially important for adornments in the Iberian Peninsula in the 3rd millennium BC. The inland location of the necropolis, distant from source areas, certifies its remote origin, as far away as northwest Zamora according to the chronological framework. It is still not possible to determine for sure the source of the variscite at Valle de las Higueras. However, the inland location of the necropolis, distant from source areas, certifies its remote origin. The chronology suggests that it might have come from the north-west, in the area of Zamora. Archaeological and chronological data obtained in tombs in the necropolis, together with other inland sites, contribute to understanding variscite circulation in the Iberian Peninsula in the Chalcolithic. It was restricted to a few individuals, both adults and children, who wore necklaces and bracelets. Distance did not condition the arrival of variscite, but the small amounts suggest it was traded together with other ostentation elements, such as sea shells, cinnabar and amber. The heterogeneous regional panorama displays differences in the demand, use and acquisition of variscite depending on the socioeconomic organisation and connection to exchange networks. |
Citation | Barroso Bermejo, R., Odriozola Lloret, C.P., Bueno Ramírez, P., Villalobos García, R., Balbín Behrmann, R.d. y Martínez Blanes, J.M. (2021). Mineral adornments at chalcolithic sites in inland Iberia: variscite beads at Valle de las Higueras (Huecas, Toledo) Spain. Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, 21 (3), 177-203. |
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