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Iconographic themes alluding to salvific parousia created in the mosaic floors depicting divinities and heroes of the Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina, dating back to the 4th century AD, and attributable to the new forms of philosophies and mystery religions known and professed within the Roman elite classes for whom the large monumental villas were intended during the Late Empire.

This study contributes to clarify certain aspects of Antonello Gagini's marble Tribune for the Cathedral of Palermo through the analysis of the 1701 engraving by Diego De Loya and the comparison between this and other iconographic, textual and material sources. Furthermore, through the analysis of decorations and frames of the pilasters of the dismembered Tribune, placed in the Chapel of Santa Rosalia since 1801 ca., it is revealed that the pilasters we see today are the result of a 19th-century assemblage and that through the study of the cuts in the marble, it is possible to trace their original appearance and hypothesize their placement in the monument.

The study takes its cue from new and relevant iconographic and iconological acquisitions of the famous Triumph of Death in Palermo which link the fresco to the story of blessed Matteo d'Agrigento, the friar companion of San Bernardino da Siena and protagonist of the Franciscan Observance reform in Sicily, leading to Salvatore Tramontana's hypothesis of an involvement in the creation of the fresco of the young Antonello da Messina.

The article “narrates” the probable discovery of a plant endemic to the island of Crete, Origanum dictamnus, in the Hellenistic-Roman district of Agrigento: an atypical place, which however becomes useful to advance a research with aesthetic characteristics, and to remember some information on the botanical knowledge of the Minoans and their presence in Sicily. Through this plant, whose identification is not certain, and despite the fact that it is impossible to reconstruct its itinerary, customs, agricultural knowledge, mythical, archaeological and geographical events of the ancient Cretans will be exposed, finally focusing on the curiosities of Origanum dictamnus and its medical properties.

This paper aims to collect and analyse the main historical and naturalistic “notices” about the coastline of Syracuse, contained in technical reports of the military engineers, who worked on the coastal defence system against corsair incursions (16th century), and in the erudite tradition. When possible, the information will be integrated with cartographic data or artistic representations. The evaluation of the acquired elements will offer an original reconstruction of the coastal landscape and relationship between human activities and territory from ancient to modern times.

An ancient testimony to the fame of the Bergamasks as iron craftsmen comes to us from Ludovico Ariosto’s Satira I: «in sin che i Bergamaschi / se levino a far chiodi». The fame, in fact, also concerns neighbouring Brescia and, for both territories, should refer not only to simple forms of craftsmanship, such as nail making, but also to more elaborate works, for which the adjective “artistic” can be used without problem. My proposal consists of a focus on the production of wrought iron objects in the Brescia and Bergamo area between the Renaissance and the eighteenth century: keys, locks, knockers, scissors, tinder knives, irons, fireplace tools, gratings, gates, signs, decorative accessories; I would tend not to dwell, however, on armour and weapons, as they constitute a separate sector, already much studied. I will focus on the nature of the artefacts, their decorative dimension and the techniques used. I will try to consider their peculiarities compared to examples made in the same period in other areas and the changes they underwent over the centuries. It will also be interesting to assess their relationship with local painting and sculpture and to reflect on the iconographic links they maintain with the territory (e.g. the Bergamasque knockers reproducing the traditional local viper). I will also deal with the depiction of metal objects in Brescian and Bergamasque paintings, from the case of the scissors depicted in Giovan Battista Moroni’s Tailor to that of the fireplace irons painted by Giacomo Ceruti.

This article aims to reconstruct, in the form of an interview, the history of the Forlenza company, a jewelry studio active in Rome since the 1960s, engaged in unexpected collaborations that go beyond the typical industry commissions. In 2005, the company expanded beyond its traditional production activities by closely collaborating with the Rome School of Aerospace Engineering, and in 2016, with the prestigious Vatican Medagliere. I have had the pleasure of getting to know Gianfranco Forlenza, born in 1942 and the founder of Forlenza Jewelry, located at 79 Via Tagliamento, in his studio-laboratory. During our conversations, which took place from November 2021 to May 2022, he recounts his long and illustrious career filled with public recognition, displaying an impressive memory for dates and figures. Today, the family tradition is carried on by Gianfranco’s two sons, Michele and Alessandro, who bring new energy to Forlenza’s production with a contemporary twist. While maintaining the distinctly artisanal character, they highlight in their jewelry the synthesis of historical craftsmanship and modern design. The company, over time, has become a well-known Roman entity recognized for its goldsmithing expertise and has been chosen for two significant commissions. In 2005, upon the request of the Rome School of Aerospace Engineering, engaged in the UniSat program focused on the design and launch of microsatellites, Forlenza produced six golden spheres for the UNISAT-4 triple spacecraft. In 2016, the Vatican Medagliere entrusted Forlenza with the restoration of 64 settings from the collection of 595 works created by the famous Italian engraver Luigi Pichler between 1819 and 1820. Originally, Emperor Francis I of Austria had commissioned the pieces to be presented as a gift to Pope Pius VII. In these restorations, and truly in all of family’s work, we see how the knowledge of traditional goldsmithing techniques and craftsmanship can effectively bridge the gap between seemingly distant worlds, enabling Forlenza to tackle unimaginable challenges.

It was 1963 when a serious infection forced Ettore Sottsass to a delicate, long stay in a hospital bed. In a period of time poised between "the darkness of death" and the inevitability of hope in life, Sottsass dreams, confides, plans, reflects on the history and potential of the humblest of materials: ceramic. The scattered sheets of a written dream retrace the thousand-year journey of a collective manual making which often resurfaces in contemporary creative aspiration.

This study examines a series of nine unpublished paintings, dating between the 16th and 18th centuries, whose iconography derives from a lost prototype by Rogier van der Weyden, documented only through a drawing released from his workshop. This is the Madone embrassée par l'Enfant whose replicas have been cataloged several times with more and more additions, until recently reaching over 200, also distinguished by the different iconological meanings they have assumed over time, while maintaining the same composition. The new replicas demonstrate even more the diffusion of the model, both half-figure and full-figure.

In Loredana Longo’s works, one often sees an aesthetic contrast between the material used and the way it is treated: explosions, blows, impacts, are the actions reserved for the plastic definition of the final object that appears discomposed, but visually mindful of the energy released. In her works, precious or traditional materials – silk, gold, velvet, clay – are treated in an unconventional way. In the Carpet series (2012-2020), the artist uses an electric soldering iron to engrave iconic phrases on Persian carpets; a similar thing happens in Victory/tapestry (2016-2021), where scenarios of conflict and tragedy appear in negative on velvet, through burns. Raw materials, belonging to the construction sector, are the raw material for some important works such as Floor (2011-2013), in which the artist exploits the aggregating capacity of concrete to create walkable installations, through a mixture of impoverished concrete and common objects (clothes or low-cost porcelain). Particular attention is also paid to ceramics, which takes shape after a long, often performative process. In Gold Heel (2018), the artist interacts with a punching bag that he hits forcefully when the clay is still raw: the sculpture is then fired, leaving visible the artist's imprints. In the Creative Execution series (2019), painted clay vases are arranged in a row and then detonated with gunpowder and electric igniters; the resulting decomposed shape is then blocked by the firing process. We therefore propose an analysis of the techniques used by Loredana Longo in some works that favor malleable raw materials, but worked with a vigor and a method outside traditional schemes. Attention is also paid to social and political references, then moving on to their definition in the framework of the languages of contemporary art.

The article Alice Rahon. Surrealist journey to discover the marvelous presents the biography and production of the artist and poet Alice Rahon (1904, Chenecey-Buillon, France-1987, Mexico City, Mexico). Describing her life, passions, meetings, formal and ideological choices, the text retraces the most significant stages of her identity as an artist. Alice Rahon, still little known today, brought important innovations to the art world, such as the sgraffito technique, an innovative practice that consisted of scratching the surface of paintings to reveal the lower layer of contrasting color. The strong suggestions received from the places she visited (Spain, India, Mexico) and the encounter with Surrealism guided her on a long journey to discover the marvelous.

This paper is dedicated to the image of the Adoration of the Magi imprinted in the center of a thin golden bractea exposed at the Archaeological Museum of Locri, in Calabria. Dating back to the early Byzantine period, the lamella is not an isolated case, rather, it fits into a wider context of bracteates made with the same technique and bearing different sacred representations dating back to the same time (6th – 10th-century) and found throughout the southern part of the Peninsula, especially in the Ionian Calabria. It also belongs to a wider context of precious artifacts (coins, amulets, medallions and jewelry in general) that bear the same theophanic representation and that is believed to protect against evil those who possess them by virtue of the depictions they contain. It would seem that these small objects have spread in the West thanks to the practice of pilgrimages: the story of the Magi, in fact, becomes exemplum and archetype for Christian pilgrims who, like the three Kings, they face a long journey to reach the Holy Places in Palestine. Through the iconographic analysis of the scene of the Epiphany, the document proposes to signal and motivate the interdependence between these small objects and the monumental depictions of the scene, offering an explanation to the diffusion of the image. It will also try to demonstrate the continuity between Greek-Roman pagan culture and Christian art of the early centuries through the deepening of two important aspects: 1. the dependence on pre-existing models of the image of the enthroned Virgin and the offering Magi; 2. the apotropaic value conferred on this kind of Christian objects related to magical-religious practices banned by the Church.

The essay analyzes in depth, according to a historical-aesthetic view, one of the earliest Italian texts concerning pre-cinema. Francesco Avelloni’s play La lanterna magica (1788), is presented as a historical account of how the magic lantern worked and what the intended audience was.

Rediscovered in the 1960s, the figure of Francesco La Marra (1728-1787), a master originally from Martina Franca who arrived in Naples in 1748, just one year after Francesco Solimena’s death, continues to reveal new surprises. La Marra's reputation has primarily endured thanks to a series of etchings based on designs attributed to Mattia Preti, Luca Giordano, and Francesco Solimena—the Raccolta dei Cinquanta Disegni Originali, published posthumously in Naples in 1792 by the Terres brothers—and his fame as a marginal figure in the Neapolitan artistic scene. However, La Marra was not merely the creator of numerous figurative sketches, often distinguishable by their defined neoclassical style, nor did he confine himself to producing pastiches of others' compositions. Like one of his principal influences, Luca Giordano, La Marra distinguished himself by his ability to surprise and deceive with drawings executed à la manière de Solimena, Giordano, and Francesco De Mura. His graphic corpus, along with his rarer and exquisitely refined oil sketches on paper, long believed to be 18th-century French works, continues to unveil new discoveries. On this occasion, new attributions are presented in the collections of the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Prado, the Albertina, and the State Museum of Copenhagen.

This contribution intends to illustrate an unprecedented aspect of the personality of the sculptor Pietro Tenerani and the architect Luigi Poletti, highlighting how their friendship, which blossomed in Rome around 1826, was a bond so strong as to have repercussions both on a human level and on on the artistic choices of both, in a continuous exchange of ideas and projects that also influenced other colleagues of the time. Tenerani chose Poletti to restore both the house where he went to live, in via delle Quattro Fontane 173-175, and the ateliers that he had gradually purchased on the same street, thanking him with a chalk representing the portrait of his friend. Poletti, for his part, not only involved the sculptor in the restoration site of the basilica of San Paolo f.m., where the two collaborated together in the chapel of San Benedetto, but named him first in the list of his closest friends in his will, giving him a painting from his prestigious collection.The two artists were also united by a particular attention towards the education of young people: Tenerani through the desire to open his own plaster cast gallery to the public, Poletti through teaching and the establishment of a scholarship. The concrete result of the friendship between Poletti and Tenerani was Carlo, the sculptor's son, who had studied with Poletti and became an architect and engineer. As such, he built a new palace on the land purchased by his parent in what would be called Via Nazionale, managing to set up the plaster cast gallery his father had dreamed of.

The emperor Hadrian (117 – 138 AD) is known for his contribution to Roman architecture characterized by an equilibrium between respect for tradition and innovation. This article will analyze the main architectural works, such as the Pantheon, the temple of Venus and Rome, Hadrian’s Villa (Tivoli) and the Mausoleum, promoted throughout his reign, highlighting how these landmarks not only reflect the architectural taste of the time but also Hadrian’s adherence to Pythagorean philosophy. Through the study of ancient literary sources, archeological data and the most recent historigraphical readings , it will reflect on how Hadrian used architecture to express his role as refounder of Rome, a Kosmocrator (ruler and builder of the world) and a Pythagorean scholar in the pursuit of harmony with the cosmos. The results highlight an exact correspondence between Pythagorean school precepts and the political and architectural expressions of this emperor. This study will, not only, contribute to a better understanding of Hadrianic architecture as the expression of imperial power, but also as necessary vehicle of philosophical communication and a new political ideology.

Portraits of the XV and XVI centuries sometimes feature unusual accessories - zibellini. They repeat the shape of wild animals from the Mustelidae: ermines, martens, sables. Such jewelry was made of animal fur, sometimes complemented by muzzles, earrings and paws made of precious metals and stones. Typically ladies wore zibellini on shoulders, held them in hands or attached them to the girdles with gold chains. The fashion for zibellini spread rapidly, first occupying Italy in twenty years and then spreading over Europe. Proactive discussion is being held about the function of the zibellino. In the XIX century one believed that fur was aimed to attract fleas and lure them away from the costume and hair. We consider the version about the meaning of zibellini as a talisman during pregnancy far more convincing. In Ovid’s Metamorphoses (IX, 280-323) the marten was directly connected with the servant Galanthis who helped Heracles to be born and as punishment was turned into a beast. It was in the form of the marten that Galanthis often appeared on special birth trays deschi da parto. In the context of pregnancy zibellino was depicted by Masaccio, Apollonio di Giovanni, Leonardo da Vinci, Lorenzo Lotto, Paolo Veronese; the accessory repeatedly appears in inventories of property. We managed to discover a mention of the zibellino in the Venetian wedding ceremony and prove that the connection with pregnancy was attached to the accessory from the very moment of its acquisition - on the occasion of the girl’s wedding, and was subsequently expressed in direct connection with the wedding belt. Our study also provides a rare example of a golden zibellino head from Musée Cluny, which has not previously been considered as part of an accessory. The zibellino was a luxurious piece of jewelry with the help of thus a lady could demonstrate her wealth and status. At the same time, it served as an amulet during the period of greatest fragility and defenselessness of the Renaissance woman.

In 1915 Giacomo Balla and Fortunato Depero, signing the Futurist manifesto Ricostruzione futurista dell’universo, extended the field of action of the Futurists to every aspect of everyday life. This first publication was followed by a series of programmatic texts that proposed, at least in theory, the ‘reconstruction’ of every sphere of contemporary living. Thus the Case d’Arte were founded, veritable atelier-workshops where artists tried their hand at the most original creations - often working together - in the most diverse fields: from fashion to furniture, but also publishing, advertising and design tout court. Heirs to the Wagner’s ideal of Gesamtkunstwerk, the Futurists broke down the fences separating the ‘major’ and ‘minor’ arts. But if between Central and Northern Italy there were many Case d’Arte, in Southern Italy the reality was quite different: the only two Case d’Arte founded in Palermo were those of Pippo Rizzo and Vittorio and Gigia Corona (Cf. Crispolti, 1980; Ruta, 1985; Gueci, Troisi, 2018). Laying the foundations of the research on the previous studies carried out in this field, the project’s first objective is a concrete historical valorisation of Palermo’s second futurism, a field of research that has experienced moments of intense activity but which - despite this - still remains a topic explored only at the margins. Through an overview of that brief but intense period of creative fervour, the aim will be to restore the analogies of the work of Sicilian masters compared to the great names of futurism such as Depero, Balla and Prampolini, but above all to highlight their identifying characteristics of ‘Mediterranean-ness’ (Cf. Di Stefano, 1975, 1985; Ruta, 2012). Recognition through writings, exhibitions and works will make it possible to analyse its founding aspects and highlight the intrinsic limits of a provincial cultural reality .

This article studies the composition of the altar and retablo of Saint Anthony of Padua in the church of San Francisco in Priego de Córdoba (Spain), and its primitive foundation, as well as the existing sculpture of this saint in the church of San Pedro in this same town, venturing the hypothesis that its author was Alonso Cano, as it shows similar features to the one in the Museum of Fine Arts in Granada.

This article demonstrates that the social categories of indigenous and white-mestizo are essentialist, reductionist, and therefore insufficient to encompass the diverse expressions of identity that exist. Understood through fluid and interchangeable lines, a new category is proposed: the border identity. Exemplified through the ethnic communes of the parish of Manglaralto, in the province of Santa Elena, Ecuador, this new category is intended to reconcile opposites and dismantle existing binaries to better capture the multifaceted social diversity of different sociocultural expressions. Previously agricultural, these communes have been transformed into internationally known tourist destinations, while being denied recognition of their ethnic identity due to the acculturations they have been subject to through various historical periods. Their members are labeled as acculturated indigenous or cholos, too mestizo to be considered indigenous and too indigenous to be considered mestizo. Qualitative methods such as participant observations, informal conversations, and semi-structured interviews were used for the ethnographic work spanning more than four years. The data collected and analyzed data showed how these communities, through constant negotiation with the white-mestizo world, achieve autonomy even within deeply dependent relationships. The study illustrates how they operate from an interstice, an intermediate space, which complicates their placement within existing social categories, underscoring the need to conceptualize new social categories beyond traditional binaries.

In November 2021, the President of Mexico (2018-2024) declared that the priority megaprojects of the National Development Plan (Maya Train, Isthmus of Tehuantepec Interoceanic Corridor, Dos Bocas Refinery) fall within the realm of national security. Public and private investments in these projects are directed towards southeastern Mexico, covering the states of Oaxaca, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Yucatán, and Tabasco. These regions are home to indigenous peoples and communities that hold 45% of Mexico’s total social property. In some cases, these communities are visibly linked to national political organizations that defend land and territory. The decree is considered a state of exception applied to land-territory use, with dual implications. On one hand, it represents the undivided social field monopolized by monetary metrics. On the other hand, it signifies the expansion of a neocolonial condition promoted by the Mexican federal government, which marginalizes the voice of resistance in favor of adopting the capital logic defined by the stratification of the global economy. The methodology involves participatory action research since 2019, collaborative research through the coordination of workshops, caravans, marches, and political-community meetings, promoted in conjunction with assemblies fighting for territorial defense. We anticipate the increased use of such state of exception in response to the intertwined rise of health, environmental, and economic contingencies that drive the economic cycle, coupled with ineffective governmental policies formulated for regular times. In other words, the state of exception is activated to ensure the continuity of capital accumulation driven by the concentration of private property.

This article examines how the narrative of the plurinational state provided the common symbolic framework for the conflict over the Isiboro Sécure Indigenous Territory and National Park (Tipnis) in Bolivia in 2011. The central dispute, one of the most important in Bolivia’s recent history, was whether or not to construct a highway through this area, a debate that has led to a major rift between peasant and indigenous social organizations that shared common reivindicative imaginaries but ultimately experienced profound divisions. This discussion serves as a key observation point to understand how decolonization imaginaries actually function, which I consider a anchoring point (point du capiton) in the narrative of the plurinational state. Through discourse analysis, review of chronicles, press statements, and accounts of the VIII Indigenous March, I aim to identify the discursive threads that framed the debates on decolonization, showing that it can be used as a rhetorical tool to mask extractivism or defend “national sovereignty,” or as an argument to uphold the self-determination of indigenous peoples. I also examine how the repertoire of the indigenous march was constructed discursively and symbolically, and the impact it left on Bolivia’s recent history. I intend for this analysis to contribute to understanding how Bolivian social perceptions are shaped in relation to the narrative of the plurinational state and its potential for social transformation as a new regime of truth.

With its signing of the Havana Peace Agreement in 2016, Colombia sought to end an armed conflict that had lasted more than sixty years and had left nearly nine million victims. The agreement led to the establishment of a transitional justice (TJ) framework, including the Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence, and Non-Repetition (CEV). This study identifies how the CEV incorporated the legacies of colonialism into its analytical framework. The research is based on in-depth interviews with twenty scholars specializing in colonialism and/or TJ, nineteen peacebuilders, informal conversations with CEV members, and a review of various volumes of the final report. The findings highlight that the commission adopted a long-term historical perspective, revisiting aspects of Spanish colonialism (including structural racism and the hacienda system as an institution of territorial, political, and economic order) as explanatory factors for the various forms of violence experienced during the armed conflict. Additionally, several volumes of the final report emphasize the ongoing impact of colonial legacies, viewing them more as continuities or “ruins,” using Stoler’s concept (2008). While the possibility of dismantling colonial legacies on a material level due to the CEV’s work is debated, its symbolic significance must be highlighted, especially in a context where the State had sought to erase the colonial past. This article contributes to the emerging literature that examines TJ from a decolonial perspective, providing an empirical analysis of the CEV in Colombia, which we believe can become a key reference for this field.

How do the relationships between the concept of being indigenous and the processes of ethnoeducation manifest in southwestern Colombia? This ethnographic study explores the complexities of constructing ethnic identity among the indigenous peoples of Nariño, focusing on the implementation of educational programs driven by a population perspective. By questioning the foundations of ethnoeducation from the late 20th century to the early 21st century, we establish a dialogue among various institutional agents within the broader framework of ethnic-based social organization. We also examine the historical relationships, institutional archaisms, and contemporary challenges faced by ethnic educational processes in Nariño. We conclude with insights into the construction of ethnic identity and its implications for the social order governing the interactions between community members and government representatives. We conceptualize the relationship between the State, school, and ethnic identity as a fundamental part of Colombia’s modern project, which has been in development since the republican era. The institutional framework has fluctuated between protectionist, paternalistic, and cultural assimilation policies. However, the current threats to the physical and cultural survival of ancestral peoples must be addressed through the State’s institutional mechanisms and governance technologies. These mechanisms are designed to tackle the challenges of interculturality within a complex and often contradictory framework of relationships.

A central debate in contemporary Latin American social sciences revolves around the enduring presence of colonial patterns, practices, and forms of domination in research methodologies and the subjective framing of societal issues. However, decolonizing initiatives are emerging, concurrently, to challenge the ways coloniality has been entwined with the expansion of capital in the 21st century. This introductory article explores the key debates surrounding colonial persistence and decolonization within the social sciences. The dossier employs a methodology centered on documentary analysis and participatory social and political reflection, particularly through experimental approaches. The articles reviewed reveal that colonial persistence and decolonization are inherently dialectical, contradictory, and conflict-ridden, manifesting across diverse social, cultural, economic, and political domains. The uniqueness of this thematic issue lies in its ability to weave together a theoretical and conceptual discourse on symbolic and imaginary aspects within culture, spanning anthropological, legal, and educational dimensions. The analysis underscores that these issues are pluralistic and deeply intertwined with struggles over land and natural resources, enriching interdisciplinary understanding of the complex dialectical relationships between social, anthropological, economic, and political factors, alongside the aesthetics of cultural practices.

En este estudio se analiza un objeto arqueológico que ha sido identificado tradicionalmente como una pila bautismal visigoda. La ausencia de elementos que evidencien esta enquistada teoría y la escasa cantidad de bibliografía existente al respecto nos ha llevado a pensar en otras opciones más acordes a las condiciones socioeconómicas que han caracterizado a la comarca de Los Alcores históricamente. Bajo esta premisa, además, se intentará dar a conocer y difundir el elemento patrimonial del enclave, cuyo conocimiento continúa siendo muy limitado a pesar de su potencial.

Monogenetic volcanism has generated blocky lava flows in many parts of the world. These rugged envi- ronments are generally considered unsuited for human settlement, and today are used almost exclusively for quarrying or timber harvesting where vegetation has developed. Furthermore, the difficulty of access limits effective exploration by scientists. Nevertheless, several archaeological sites have been discovered on some of these flows, notably in Mexico. The recent development of remote sensing by airborne laser scanning (LiDAR) offers exceptional prospects for the study of these geological formations and their exploitation by humans. In this paper we compare two contemporary archaeological areas on Quaternary monogenetic blocky lava flows: the Zacapu area in western-central Mexico, and the Chaîne des Puys in Central France. Both areas have benefited from LiDAR coverage. Originally developed in the Mexican context, a remote sensing methodology based on digital elevation model processing and visualization was used to identify geoforms and anthropogenic features in both areas. Although separated by several thousands of kilometers, we show that the methodology is as relevant in France as it is in Mexico. Furthermore, we identified the recurrence of morphologies and associated types of archaeological site locations and patterns. We argue that this type of lava flow, though marginalized today, was attractive to human groups in ancient times as a strategic, but also a resourceful geoecological setting.

Los Tolmos, en Caracena, provincia de Soria, es un yacimiento de referencia para el estudio del Bronce Medio en la Meseta Norte. Su excavación durante las décadas de los 70 y los 80 del pasado siglo conllevó el hallazgo de varias tumbas de inhumación y de dos cabañas derribadas que se atribuyeron al grupo arqueológico de Cogotas I. El objetivo del presente artículo es valorar la pertenencia de este sitio clave en su clásica adscripción a la fase Proto-Cogotas I. Se ha tratado de reconsiderar los materiales arqueológicos depositados en el Museo Numantino de Soria que corresponden a los niveles de las cabañas y de una inhumación, así como al estrato situado inmediatamente sobre ellos del Sector A. Todo ello ha sido analizado de forma crítica y recurriendo a técnicas actuales que incluyen el estudio bioarqueológico y la datación radiométrica de los restos humanos previamente documentados, así como de otro fragmento errático, localizado por azar. Estos resultados, junto con el estudio de la cerámica, de la relectura de los materiales publicados y la revisión de los inventarios disponibles, han permitido reubicar la construcción, el mantenimiento y el derrumbe de las cabañas en el tránsito del III al II milenio a. C. y enriquecer su interpretación social.

Se ha realizado un estudio arqueométrico de un conjunto de cuentas de vidrio halladas en el oppidum vetón de Ulaca –Solosancho, Ávila–. Las muestras se asocian a dos contextos, la necrópolis y el Torreón, fechados entre los ss. II y I a. C. El objetivo principal ha sido determinar su composición química, sus características tecnológicas incluyendo los cromóforos responsables de su coloración, así como su posible procedencia geográfica y estado de conservación. Para ello, el conjunto se analizó mediante técnicas convencionales como lupa binocular, microscopía electrónica de barrido de emisión de campo –MEBEC–, junto con microanálisis de dispersión de energía de rayos X –EDS– y espectrofotometría UV-Vis. Los resultados indican que todas las cuentas se elaboraron con un vidrio de silicato sódico cálcico de base natrón y bajo contenido de óxido de magnesio conocido como LMG –low magnesium glass–. La comparación de su composición química con la composición de otras cuentas de vidrio halladas también en contextos de la Edad del Hierro permite demostrar su posible procedencia del Mediterráneo oriental. Además, se identificó una cuenta muy alterada que no es de vidrio, sino muy probablemente de fayenza. La presencia de vidrios foráneos tanto en la necrópolis como en el Torreón sugiere que este material debió ser un bien preciado por las comunidades vetonas que habitaron Ulaca.

El presente trabajo da noticia de tres singulares piezas metálicas inéditas, en bronce y plomo, recuperadas entre 2016 y 2022 en las excavaciones arqueológicas en curso en la ciudad romana de Los Bañales de Uncastillo (Zaragoza), en el territorio de los antiguos Vascones. Las piezas –representaciones de Amor, de una tortuga probablemente relacionada con Mercurio y de una pequeña miniatura de templo o naiskos– se estudian desde el punto de vista iconográfico y simbólico, se propone una datación para las mismas y se argumenta, con paralelos formales y tipológicos varios, que tal vez formaron parte de lararia de culto doméstico por lo que contribuyen a nuestro conocimiento sobre la religiosidad privada en una ciudad romana del interior de la provincia Tarraconensis. Se reivindica y revisa, también, el papel de este tipo de pequeñas estatuitas votivas como indicadores de sacralidad para el estudio de los sacra privata romanos y de la religiosidad en ámbito doméstico en época altoimperial romana.

La transición del III al II milenio cal AC en la cuenca alta del Tajo cuenta con escasas dataciones radiométricas, a pesar de disponer de un notable registro arqueológico. La aportación de nuevas dataciones contribuye a asentar puntos de referencia para contextos con cerámica campaniforme y los primeros atribuibles a la Edad del Bronce, una realidad que se ha vuelto especialmente compleja en las últimas décadas. En esta noticia damos a conocer cuatro nuevas dataciones radiométricas que proceden de un contexto de finales del III milenio cal AC excavado en la cueva de la Noguera (Val de San García, Cifuentes). Este contexto nos sirve para actualizar la información sobre las dinámicas culturales que se observan en el área de Guadalajara. Las nuevas dataciones subrayan la complejidad de la transición entre el III y el II milenio cal AC en la parte central de la Península Ibérica, resaltando la diversidad en las formas de ocupación del paisaje. A su vez, la cueva de la Noguera muestra una modalidad de vida en cuevas que parece consistente con otras ocupaciones en la Meseta. La fauna recuperada y los materiales encontrados en la superficie exterior de la cueva indican un posible uso agroganadero de la ubicación.

This work characterises the high-quality white marble used in the bust of Emperor Hadrian found in the Roman villa of Los Torrejones (Yecla, Murcia). The analytical results, compared with the databases pertaining to Hispanic and Mediterranean quarry marbles, reveal its source in the quarries of Göktepe, in Muğla province, Western Turkey. The historical implications of the presence in the villa of an imperial portrait of such quality are discussed. The results also emphasise the importance of undertaking future complete archaeometric analysis of marble materials used in the sculptures of Hispania, only way to certify the provenance of the stone and, in this case, to better understand the distribution reached by the varieties of Göktepe marble in the Iberian Peninsula.

En este trabajo se presentan dos ruecas elaboradas en ámbar que han sido localizadas durante la excavación en dos áreas funerarias de la antigua Augusta Emerita, capital de Lusitania. Se presenta, al comienzo, un análisis de los contextos en los que se produjeron estos hallazgos, ya que permiten ofrecer una datación concreta en ambos casos, además de proponer una posible hipótesis respecto a la procedencia de estas piezas y sobre sus propietarias. A continuación, se plantea una descripción exhaustiva de las piezas que se acompaña de macrofotografías que ayudan a su determinación técnica. El estudio se ha completado con el rastreo minucioso de los paralelos localizados en otros hallazgos del territorio europeo. También se presenta una serie de reflexiones relativas a su función, su dispersión, el uso y la gestualidad de estas piezas. Todo ello ha permitido extraer datos significativos que, sin lugar a duda, abren una nueva línea de trabajo asociada a la importación de los instrumentos textiles.

En este trabajo se da a conocer el instrumental lítico recuperado en un recinto de taula del poblado talayótico de Sa Cudia Cremada (Mahón, Menorca). En dicho espacio ritual, en uso durante la segunda Edad del Hierro, se han recuperado utensilios que corresponden a algunas de las tipologías que se documentan en las estructuras domésticas de la misma cronología, como son los molinos de vaivén y los percutores. Se realizan propuestas relativas al significado de la presencia de dichos objetos en un edificio de carácter sacro, a través de su estudio morfotipológico y de su distribución espacial, y mediante comparaciones con los datos previos referentes a las herramientas líticas en las viviendas. Los resultados respaldan la hipótesis de la existencia de un paralelismo entre espacios religiosos y espacios domésticos. La abundancia de utensilios líticos en un edificio ritual parece reforzar la importancia simbólica de estos elementos, ya propuesta en otros trabajos. Por otro lado, se ha identificado la presencia masiva de pequeños guijarros ante el elemento central del recinto, lo que permite proponer la realización de un ritual no documentado con anterioridad en otros recintos de taula.

La variedad y la cantidad de las ánforas halladas en el yacimiento de San Millán lo convierten en la excavación con la mayor densidad de este tipo de restos documentada hasta ahora en el conjunto arqueológico de Herrera de Pisuerga, en la provincia de Palencia. Este estudio muestra la rica variedad de sus tipos –con un predominio de los contenedores vinarios sobre los dedicados al transporte de salazones y aceite–, así como de sus lugares de procedencia: provincias Tarraconense y Bética, Mar Egeo y Mediterráneo oriental, península itálica –costas adriática y tirrénica–, Gallia –área narbonense– y producciones regionales. Por otro lado, y a partir de esta información, se intenta explicar cómo se produjo el abastecimiento al campamento de la legio IIII Macedonica en Herrera de Pisuerga de los productos contenidos en estos recipientes, así como las rutas seguidas, analizando las relaciones comerciales y las características del transporte que implican a la Hispania Citerior Tarraconensis en los momentos finales de la conquista del área NO peninsular y su posterior urbanización.

El presente artículo describe los resultados del análisis de residuos realizado en dos recipientes cerámicos procedentes del castro de la Edad del Bronce de La Peña del Moro, en Navas de Oro, Segovia. Los datos obtenidos mediante cromatrografia de gases (GC-MS) revelan la presencia de grasas animales y vegetales, destacando los restos de resina de pino identificados en las paredes de dos de las cuatro vasijas analizadas. También se investiga la función específica de ambas cerámicas a través del análisis de residuos orgánicos preservados en su interior ofreciendo un testimonio de las diversas actividades en las que probablemente fueron utilizadas. En la discusión de nuestro trabajo, y, apoyándonos en datos arqueológicos, históricos y etnográficos, hacemos especial hincapié en el empleo de la resina de pino durante la Prehistoria. De forma muy sintética se enumerarán algunos usos de la savia del pino recogidos en las fuentes clásicas, con el objetivo de intentar extrapolar algunas de sus aplicaciones por parte de la comunidad de Cogotas que habitó el asentamiento.

Centered around the questions of “whose” and “for whom” heritage is, this article explores various approaches in South America aimed at achieving a public archaeology that is inclusive and beneficial to communities. While the reflections and most case studies primarily focus on indigenous societies, specific efforts to develop collaborative methodologies that include other groups or collectives are also discussed. To provide a comprehensive view, a general review of relevant literature from different parts of the continent has been conducted, synthesizing it to present the state of the art on collaborative methodologies in the Americas, with a focus on South America. The core concepts addressed are heritage and community, their interrelationship, and the diverse ways their connection is crucial today, particularly in terms of collaborative methodologies in various research projects. The discussion highlights how the interpretation and presentation of the past become significant aspects when transitioning from theory to the practice of collaborations. After presenting several previously published examples and the articles comprising this dossier, the article concludes that significant advances have been made in the last decades in developing collaborative methodologies in archaeology. This progress marks a positive path toward the pluralization of the discipline. As an original contribution, the article offers a comparative reflection on collaborative work with communities in museums in Europe and the Americas, evaluating approaches and advancements. It concludes that researchers in the Americas have an advantage: working with materials that are closely connected to the groups that consider them their heritage, or considering themselves the heirs, allows for a more intimate and legitimate approach.

This article explores the significance of educational approaches in collaborative archaeology projects with traditional communities in the Brazilian Amazon. From 2017 to 2022, we worked with riverside populations in Sustainable Use Conservation Units along the mid-Solimões River in Amazonas. Through this collaboration, we identified a local system of mutual aid among families, which relates to the communities’ pursuit of autonomy since the 1980s. The research was conducted through a technical-scientific cooperation agreement between the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at the University of São Paulo (MAE-USP) and the Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development (IDSM), with financial support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation from 2017 to 2019. All work was approved by the IDSM Ethics and Research Committee. Our goal was to engage schools, teachers, and students with archaeology by developing educational activities. We used heritage education methodologies and active listening techniques, informed by archaeological ethnography and oral history, to incorporate local knowledge into our research. The study involved collaboration with community leaders, artisans, teachers, and elders. This context calls for collaborative archaeological practices that seek mutual benefits and deepen the understanding of material culture and historical timelines. Educational initiatives play a crucial role in scientific work, fostering balanced exchanges between archaeological and community perspectives, additionally contributing to the production of more differences based on the notion of kinship

In the current context throughout Latin America, where power groups and the market are increasingly interested in the natural and cultural resources of indigenous territories, indigenous peoples are once again being denied, and their identities, preexistence in the territories, and rights are being questioned. As archaeologists, we must recognize that our work is not merely about investigating past landscapes but also about conducting archaeology in territories currently intersected by recurring conflicts. This article proposes and discusses the conceptual and theoretical-methodological foundations of a committed and activist archaeology, one that contributes to social justice and the emancipation of historically subordinated minorities, such as indigenous peoples. This archaeology must be based on two fundamental premises: the recognition of indigenous peoples as subjects of rights and the implementation of interculturality. Based on these principles, two lines of work are proposed, each involving specific methods: (1) the development of demand-driven research that produces knowledge serving the projects and struggles of indigenous peoples, and (2) the creation of multivocal products where indigenous voices appear in the first person, contributing to their internal processes and their articulation with various societal and state actors. This article advocates for a transformation of contemporary Latin American archaeology, both in its relationship with the social environment where research is conducted and in the way knowledge is produced, placing the discipline at the service of the projects, causes, and struggles of subjugated minorities

The objective of the article is to identify the perceptions, meanings, and resignifications that the inhabitants of Sígsig canton, Azuay province (Ecuador), assign to archaeological heritage. It also attempts to explain how these ways of understanding and using such heritage come into conflict and friction when managed exclusively within a legal and institutional framework. To analyze the ambiguities arising from the dichotomy between public management and the local populations’ uses and meanings of heritage, this study employs the theoretical frameworks of public archaeology and the methodological approach of participatory cartographies. By analyzing national and local heritage regulations and conducting interviews and mappings with actors from the educational, political, and general society sectors, it is suggested that institutional management views heritage as an identity, historical, and economic resource through tourism. Additionally, this management is characterized by a fiscalizing, regulatory, and sanctioning logic, while the inhabitants understand, incorporate, and use archaeological objects and vestiges in their daily lives. This usage fosters a direct connection with oral traditions, intangible aspects, and, above all, with nature. Thus, frictions were identified between the social and political uses of heritage, which regularly involve themes such as gold, mining, and water, within a framework of collective imaginaries and discourses

Extractivist archaeological practices have been carried out in the Atacama Lickanantay territory, Antofagasta region, northern Chile, ever since the 19th century, excluding or denying the voice and/or participation of members of the local indigenous community. However, the beginning of the 21st century saw a change in this sense bringing new experiences of collaboration between Atacameños and archaeologists. Our goal is to reflect on the definitions and applications of collaborative methodologies in archaeological projects, through discussion focusing on the global, through the national and finally the local, from where we approach a particular collaborative project. The research, conducted between early 2021 and mid 2024, studies the history of the collection and patrimonialization of indigenous bodies in the Atacameño Lickanantay territory, and socializes this information among the local communities. Based on this work, we conclude that all research in the territory must involve and be authorized by the Atacameño communities. Also, we consider that the Atacameños should stop being the object of research and instead become researchers who lead or collaborate in the studies within their communities and in their territory. The originality of this paper lies precisely in the fact that it brings a global discussion of contemporary archaeology to a concrete case

El conocimiento que tenemos sobre el entorno marítimo de la ciudad de Gadir/Gades durante la Antigüedad se ha visto incrementado exponencialmente en los últimos años gracias a diversos trabajos de investigación desarrollados en la bahía, destacando entre ellos las prospecciones y sondeos arqueológicos realizados en La Caleta y los bajos adyacentes (2008-2010), zonas en las que no se habían obtenido resultados con las aplicaciones de nuevas tecnologías. El resultado fue la localización e identificación de una serie de yacimientos evidenciados por concentraciones de material, mayoritariamente de época fenicio-púnica, republicana y altoimperial. En este trabajo se presenta una panorámica de las evidencias cerámicas recuperadas en este proyecto, en concreto aquellas correspondientes a la etapa republicana de Gades. Esto permitirá estudiar la dinámica de emisión y recepción de productos a partir de los nuevos datos aquí aportados.

Highlights: • La combinación de diversos métodos digitales para la reconstrucción virtual es una poderosa herramienta para la difusión y la investigación del patrimonio arqueológico. • El trabajo con cientos de fragmentos hallados en la tumba de Henenu ha permitido la reconstrucción virtual de cuatro estelas funerarias, con especial detalle en el caso de la estela A. • Las hipótesis, cálculos e interpretaciones derivadas de estas reconstrucciones virtuales han contribuido a identificar la posición inicial de estas estelas en el monumento. Resumen: Este trabajo pretende demostrar cómo la combinación de métodos digitales para la reconstrucción virtual en arqueología es mucho más que una simple herramienta para la difusión del patrimonio. A través del estudio de la tumba de Henenu (TT 313: Deir el-Bahari, Luxor), este artículo demuestra que los métodos de reconstrucción virtual constituyen una herramienta eficaz para examinar diversas hipótesis. Cientos de fragmentos de estelas fueron encontrados por la expedición del Museo Metropolitano (Nueva York) en 1922-1923. Tras este descubrimiento, los arqueólogos reconstruyeron cuatro estelas, destacando la estela A. Una vez recuperados los datos arqueológicos y arquitectónicos, los especialistas del MKTP procedieron a reconstruir las posibles dimensiones de estas estelas mediante técnicas digitales. Además, se examinó si las estelas encajaban en los nichos originales construidos para este propósito. En este artículo se plantea el flujo de trabajo empleado desde el escaneado láser hasta el modelado de las estelas, usando un escáner láser para documentar la tumba. Los datos fueron procesados con Leica Cyclone para obtener una malla, aunque la malla presentaba algo de “ruido”, anomalía que debió ser corregida con otro software. El resultado fue entonces exportado a Blender. De este modo se consiguió la reconstrucción virtual de la estela A de Henenu, que recibió texturas y otros rasgos con Substance Painter y Photoshop. El tema principal de la estela es la provisión de ofrendas y la garantía de beneficios para el difunto, lo que explicaría que el nicho de erección de la estela estuviera a la entrada de la tumba. Como se describe en las conclusiones, gracias a la aplicación de las técnicas de reconstrucción virtual y a los cálculos derivados de la misma, se ha podido elegir una de las hipótesis de reconstrucción y localización de las estelas, ofreciendo una respuesta a la pregunta inicial que se planteaba sobre el caso de la estela A.