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The results of this study allow for a review of the iconography in Pala de Cabras rock-shelter (Ourense). This site, with 15 art panels, is one of the most complex sites with Iberian Schematic Art in the Northwestern part of Iberia.Within this ensemble, three representations of the so-called eyed-idols, soliform, ramiform and zig-zag stand out. The identification of new figures implied the revision of the chronological frame of this rock art site and, therefore, implies a new analisys on its cultural context into the Iberian rock art regions. The presence of this rock-shelter in the eastern Galician mountain range is helping to define the encounter zone of two different rock art traditions: the Schematic art and the Atlantic art. Los resultados del presente estudio han permitido redefinir la iconografía del abrigo de Pala de Cabras (Ourense). Este yacimiento, con 15 paneles, constituye uno de los conjuntos con Arte Esquemático más complejos del noroeste de la Península Ibérica. Entre las figuras pintadas destacan 3 representaciones de las llamadas figuras oculadas, soliformes, ramiformes y zig-zag. La identificación de nuevas figuras obliga a una revisión del marco cronológico del yacimiento y, por lo tanto, a un nuevo análisis de su contexto cultural dentro de las regiones rupestres de la Península Ibérica. La presencia de este abrigo en las sierras orientales gallegas, está ayudando a definir la zona de encuentro entre dos tradiciones rupestres: la Esquemática y la Atlántica.

The Coval Simó shelter provides some of the oldest evidence for settlement on the island of Mallorca and the Balearic archipelago. It also has the peculiarity of being a habitat in a mountain area, so that the human groups that settled there had to adapt their agricultural and farming sys­tem to this environment. The plant remains (wood charcoal and seeds) recovered in the occupation levels allow us to address these issues, since they are the result of the different activities developed in this cavity: fuel for domestic activities, food for livestock, etc. The results of this study show that between the III and II millennium cal BC, an agricultural system based on livestock and cereal farming was implement­ed, which exploited local forest formations to obtain resources, among them, firewood. The plants that were exploit­ed show the existence of juniper forests, with the presence of maples and legumes, among other shrubs and bushes. El Coval Simó constituye una de las evidencias más antiguas de poblamiento en la isla de Mallorca y en el ar­chipiélago balear. Tiene, además, la particularidad de ser un hábitat en zona de montaña, de modo que los grupos huma­nos que se asentaron allí debieron de adaptar su sistema agropecuario y de explotación del entorno a este medio. Los restos vegetales (carbones y semillas) recuperados en los niveles de ocupación del yacimiento permiten aproximarse a estas cuestiones, ya que son resultado de las distintas ac­tividades desarrolladas en esta cavidad: combustible para las actividades domésticas, alimento para el ganado, etc. Los resultados de este estudio muestran que entre el III y II milenio cal BC se implantó un sistema agropecuario basado en la ganadería y en el cultivo de cereales, que realizaba una explotación de las formaciones forestales locales para la ob­tención de recursos, entre ellos, el combustible leñoso. Las formaciones vegetales explotadas remiten a la existencia de bosques de enebros o sabinas, con presencia de arces y ma­torrales de leguminosas, entre otros arbustos y matas.

The Coval Simó shelter provides some of the oldest evidence for settlement on the island of Mallorca and the Balearic archipelago. It also has the peculiarity of being a habitat in a mountain area, so that the human groups that settled there had to adapt their agricultural and farming sys­tem to this environment. The plant remains (wood charcoal and seeds) recovered in the occupation levels allow us to address these issues, since they are the result of the different activities developed in this cavity: fuel for domestic activities, food for livestock, etc. The results of this study show that between the III and II millennium cal BC, an agricultural system based on livestock and cereal farming was implement­ed, which exploited local forest formations to obtain resources, among them, firewood. The plants that were exploit­ed show the existence of juniper forests, with the presence of maples and legumes, among other shrubs and bushes., El Coval Simó constituye una de las evidencias más antiguas de poblamiento en la isla de Mallorca y en el ar­chipiélago balear. Tiene, además, la particularidad de ser un hábitat en zona de montaña, de modo que los grupos huma­nos que se asentaron allí debieron de adaptar su sistema agropecuario y de explotación del entorno a este medio. Los restos vegetales (carbones y semillas) recuperados en los niveles de ocupación del yacimiento permiten aproximarse a estas cuestiones, ya que son resultado de las distintas ac­tividades desarrolladas en esta cavidad: combustible para las actividades domésticas, alimento para el ganado, etc. Los resultados de este estudio muestran que entre el III y II milenio cal BC se implantó un sistema agropecuario basado en la ganadería y en el cultivo de cereales, que realizaba una explotación de las formaciones forestales locales para la ob­tención de recursos, entre ellos, el combustible leñoso. Las formaciones vegetales explotadas remiten a la existencia de bosques de enebros o sabinas, con presencia de arces y ma­torrales de leguminosas, entre otros arbustos y matas.

Gorgociles del Escabezado II es un pequeño enclave cerrado por un gran muro perimetral de tendencia circular-ovalada, habitado durante un breve periodo de tiempo una vez iniciado el II milenio BC. Su estudio permite profundizar en su desarrollo arquitectónico y formas constructivas, realizadas con mampostería y amasado de barro, así como en la organización social y características del poblamiento del altiplano murciano en la Edad del Bronce. Su singular planta combina muros de tendencia recta y curva, situándonos entre rasgos arquitectónicos característicos del Calcolítico y de la Edad del Bronce. Se han podido reconocer distintas estructuras para el equipamiento interno de las estancias, incluyendo un posible troje, con una completa documentación de su materialidad en relación con sus espacios. Ello supone una aportación fundamental al conocimiento de las comunidades humanas que habitaron dicho territorio, así como a la investigación de los grupos arqueológicos del sudeste de la península ibérica en estas cronologías. Gorgociles del Escabezado II is a small enclave closed by a perimeter wall of circular-oval form, inhabited during a short period in the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. Research on this settlement allows to deepen the knowledge on its architectural development and building forms, of masonry as well as cob, but also on the social organization and the characteristics of the settlements in the Murcia Altiplano during the Bronze Age. Its singular layout combines curved and rectilinear walls, architectural features characteristic of the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age respectively. Different structures have been recorded for its internal equipment, including a possible granary, along with the complete documentation of its materiality in relation to its spaces. Its study contributes to the knowledge on the human communities that inhabited this area, as well as on the archaeological groups of the Southeast of the Iberian Peninsula in these chronologies. Este artículo ha sido desarrollado dentro del proyecto de investigación de I+D+i PID2020-115956GB-I00 “Origen y conformación del Bronce Valenciano”, concedido por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación del Gobierno de España. María Pastor Quiles es investigadora Juan de la Cierva-formación (FJC2019-039469-I) financiada por el mismo ministerio.

International audience; En nous basant sur le cas de Philippi-Dikili Tash, un important site du Néolithique et de l'âge du Bronze situé au nord de la Grèce, nous nous intéressons ici aux défis que représente la présentation des vestiges préhistoriques à un public plus large, nourri d'images et de discours faisant référence à un passé ancien plus monumental et glorieux. Nous proposons de nous concentrer sur : le caractère « international » des réalisations des populations préhistoriques ; le lien avec l'environnement et les ressources naturelles dont certaines sont actuellement menacées ou perdues ; le caractère a-temporel de certaines des solutions adoptées par les peuples préhistoriques et leur utilité en tant que sources d'inspiration pour les agriculteurs, les constructeurs ou les artistes modernes.

Este capítulo está sujeto a una licencia CC BY-NC-ND 3.0, Contrary to copper ore resources, tin is scarce in southeastern Iberia. However, tin is essential to produce the copper/tin alloy called tin bronze. The fi rst use of this alloy in the so-called El Argar Culture is detected in its later phases (from 1900–1800 calBC), although it never constituted the predominant alloy. The absence of metallurgical debris related to bronze smelting limits our understanding on how the alloy was obtained and if cassiterite was co-smelted with copper ores in the Argaric territory or whether metallic tin bronzes were imported to El Argar from regions further away. Tin, as an external resource, would have been exchanged or traded, but there is also the possibility that fi nished bronze objects were imported as well. Some differential pattern in the presence/absence of arsenic in the composition of metal objects could refl ect a double strategy, suggesting that local production of tin bronzes usually contains some arsenic, but tin bronzes without any arsenic could have come from other Iberian regions, or at least that different copper ores for the production of arsenical copper and tin bronze were used. This hypothesis is tested using the available lead isotopes analyses., This paper has been produced within the R&D Project ‘Metal y Ámbar: Modelos de Circulación de Materias Primas en la Prehistoria Reciente de la Península Ibérica’ (HAR2017–82685–R) funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the R&D Project ‘Metal y Ámbar II: Circulacion de bronce y ámbar en el Sureste peninsular durante la Edad del Bronce’ (PID2019– 108289GB-I00) funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation.

Traballo Fin de Grao en Historia. Curso 2021-2022 Preténdese facer unha revisión dos asentamentos ao aire libre da prehistoria galega partindo do estudo sistemático de dous xacementos, analizados e comparados: O Xacemento de Caldagra/ Os Castros (Vilalba) e a zona arqueolóxica de Penas do Caldeiro (Adai, Lugo). O primeiro foi obxecto dunha escavación en área de urxencia pola construcción da autovía A-8, desvelando un poboado conformado por estruturas en negativo e delimitado por fosos, destacando tamén as fosas. O segundo, coñecido especialmente por una singular cabana prehistórica tipo longhouse esculpida na rocha, Pena Fita, tamén é relevante pola concentración de estruturas prehistóricas e grabados rupestres no seu entorno. Partindo do estudo detallado destes dous xacementos e da súa contextualización rexional, realizaremos unha caracterización mellor definida de este tipo de xacementos en relación coas súas estruturas domésticas e coa articulación complexa multifuncional do espazo, especialmente na fase final da prehistoria recente. Ambos xacementos son similares na presencia neles de longhouses, nunha recoñecible función funeraria e na súa resignificación co paso do tempo, pero o seu estudo comparativo permite abordar e completar de xeito amplo unha fase da prehistoria galega pouco coñecida ata o momento. Se pretende hacer una revisión de los asentamientos al aire libre de la prehistoria gallega partiendo del estudio sistemático de dos yacimientos, analizados y comparados: El Yacimiento de Caldagra/ Os Castros (Vilalba) y la zona arqueológica de Penas do Caldeiro (Adai, Lugo). El primero fue objeto de una excavación en área de urgencia por la construcción de la autovía A-8, desvelando un poblado prehistórico conformado por estructuras en negativo y delimitado por fosos, destacando también las fosas. El segundo, conocido especialmente por una singular cabaña prehistórica tipo longhouse esculpida en roca, Pena Fita, también es relevante por la concentración de estructuras prehistóricas y grabados rupestres en su entorno. Partiendo del estudio detallado de estos dos yacimientos y su contextualización regional, realizaremos una caracterización mejor definida de este tipo de yacimientos en relación con sus estructuras domésticas y con la articulación compleja multifuncional del espacio, especialmente en la fase final de la prehistoria reciente. Ambos yacimientos son similares en la presencia en ellos de longhouses, en una reconocible función funeraria y en su resignificación con el paso del tiempo, pero su estudio comparativo permite abordar y completar de forma amplia una fase de la prehistoria gallega poco conocida hasta el momento. Galician open air prehistoric settlements are intended to be reviewed from a systematic study of two sites, which are analyzed and compared: The Yacimiento de Caldagra/ Os Castros (Vilalba) and the archaeological area of Penas do Caldeiro (Adai, Lugo). The first one was the object of an in area emergency excavation because of the construction of the A-8 motorway, relevaling a prehistoric settlement conformed by in negative structures and delimited by ditches, being pits also important. The second one, which is renowned because of a singular longhouse type prehistoric hut sculptured in the rock, Pena Fita, is also relevant because of the concentration of prehistoric structures and petroglyphs in the place. Starting from a detailed study of these two sites and their regional contextualization, a better defined charactization of this kind of archaeological sites will be made from their domestic structures and the mutifunctional complex articulation of espace, particularlly in the final moments of late prehistory. Both sites are similar in the presence of longhouses, the funerary function and in the resignification of the space throughout time. However, their comparative study allows us to comprehensively address and complete a galician prehistoric fase which is little known at the moment.

Los equipos de molienda rupestres (EMR) son un tipo de artefactos que en ocasiones ha sido identificado como un motivo más dentro del Arte Rupestre Atlántico (ARA), que apenas ha recibido atención en la investigación. A diferencia de los molinos de vaivén tradicionales éstos tienen la particularidad de estar realizados sobre superficies rocosas, lo que les confiere un carácter eminentemente fijo, compartiendo - en ocasiones - soporte con arte rupestre. Los datos actuales disponibles definen un ámbito de distribución geográfica muy específica y localizada en el entorno sur de las Rías Baixas gallegas. El objetivo de este este trabajo es hacer una síntesis actualizada del conocimiento y una primera sistematización de estos artefactos, así como una búsqueda de paralelos arqueológicos y/o etnográficos. Los datos publicados en la actualidad indican la escasez de artefactos de molienda y/o triturado de materiales sobre soportes rocosos fijos en el continente europeo, probablemente por falta de investigación. Ahora bien, existen diversos paralelos en otras regiones del globo, que evidencian la complejidad funcional y cultural de este tipo de elementos. Rock milling equipment (EMR) is an artifact that has sometimes been identified as a motif of Atlantic Rock Art (ARA), but has received few attentions by researchers. Unlike traditional mills, these have the particularity of being made on outcropping surfaces, which gives them an eminently fixed feature, and share – sometimes - support with rock art. The current available data define a specific and localised geographical range in the south of the Galician Rías Baixas. This work is aimed at performing an updated synthesis of knowledge and a first systematization of these artifacts, as well as a find for archaeological and/or ethnographic parallels. Currently published data displays a shortage of milling and/or grinding artifacts on fixed rock supports on the European continent, probably due to low research intensity. However, there are several parallels in other regions of the globe, which highlight the functional and cultural complexity of these artefacts. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. HAR2012-34029 Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED481B-2018/063

Gorgociles del Escabezado II is a small enclave closed by a perimeter wall of circular-oval form, inhabited during a short period in the beginning of the 2ndmillennium BC. Research on this settlement allows to deepen the knowledge on its architectural development and building forms, of masonry as well as cob, but also on the social organization and the characteristics of the settlements in the Murcia Altiplano during the Bronze Age. Its singular layout combines curved and rectilinear walls, architectural features characteristic of the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age respectively. Different structures have been recorded for its internal equipment, including a possible granary, along with the complete documentation of its materiality in relation to its spaces. Its study contributes to the knowledge on the human communities that inhabited this area, as well as on the archaeological groups of the Southeast of the Iberian Peninsula in these chronologies. Gorgociles del Escabezado II es un pequeño enclave cerrado por un gran muro perimetral de tendencia circular-ovalada, habitado durante un breve periodo de tiempo una vez iniciado el II milenio BC. Su estudio permite profundizar en su desarrollo arquitectónico y formas constructivas, realizadas con mampostería y amasado de barro, así como en la organización social y características del poblamiento del altiplano murciano en la Edad del Bronce. Su singular planta combina muros de tendencia recta y curva, situándonos entre rasgos arquitectónicos característicos del Calcolítico y de la Edad del Bronce. Se han podido reconocer distintas estructuras para el equipamiento interno de las estancias, incluyendo un posible troje, con una completa documentación de su materialidad en relación con sus espacios. Ello supone una aportación fundamental al conocimiento de las comunidades humanas que habitaron dicho territorio, así como a la investigación de los grupos arqueológicos del sudeste de la península ibérica en estas cronologías.

Despite all research potentials for island archaeology, northern Dalmatian islands have not yet been a subject of systematic approach. Among them is the island of Ist, a small inhabited Adriatic island located in the NW part of Zadar archipelago. Island has been a case study of student research project „Archaeological Landscape of the Island of Ist – Archaeo.IST“ launced in 2020 with the main aim of collecting qualitative and quantitative data for understanding how insularity affected human interactions and material practices in the island landscape. Field survey revealed the predominant number of late prehistoric sites - hillforts and burial mounds. Test trenching on all three fortified sites yielded strong evidence of Bronze Age occupation. Intensive landscape activities characterized by the emergence of hillfort constructions as well as burial mounds dispersed in a significant number across the island, could be linked to the first permanent colonization of the island which brought new spatial patterns and social practices. The possible reasons and factors involved in the idea of settling a small island with limited resources are being discussed as well as the question of what was the scale of island isolation in comparison to the integration in the broader regional network of maritime interactions with surrounding islands and short-distanced mainland. Still ongoing project has, so far, provided important implications for understanding Adriatic insular communities of the Bronze Age.

En este trabajo se presenta un estudio preliminar a las características especiales de la necrópolis megalítica de Las Peñas de los Gitanos (Montefrío, Granada). A pesar de que el interior de cada tumba (cámara y corredor) está construido con grandes losas y toda la estructura se coloca debajo de un montículo, estas sepulturas son diferentes porque pueden considerarse semihipogéicas. En este sentido, la cámara generalmente se incluye en un amplio espacio excavado y el corredor llega a la superficie desde esta área inferior con un fuerte gradiente. También se puede apreciar que no se busca la visibilidad hacia y desde las tumbas. Por este motivo se hace necesaria una discusión sobre las verdaderas funciones de las tumbas y de su monumentalidad en la que concluimos que las tumbas no están ubicadas para reforzar el control territorial, incluso si están ubicadas en áreas de explotación económica. El uso principal del ritual funerario se puede relacionar con la prevención de los riesgos que las diferencias visibles de riqueza y de movilización de recursos en los funerales podrían tener en una sociedad que está cambiando rápidamente. Por este motivo, se enfatizan el secreto y el enmascaramiento mediante el ritual funerario., A preliminary approach to Las Peñas de los Gitanos (Montefrío, Granada) megalithic necropolis special features is searched by this paper. In spite of every inner tomb part (chamber and corridor) is built using large stones and all the structure is placed under a low mound, these graves are different because they can be considered semi-hypogea. In this sense chamber is usually included in a wide dug space and corridor reaches the surface from this bottom area with a strong gradient. We can also see that visibility, to and from tombs, is never looked for. A discussion about graves true functions and monumentality has become necessary. We conclude that tombs are not located in order to territorial control, even if they are placed on exploitation areas. Funerary ritual main use can be related to avoid the risks that visible wealth differences and resources mobilization in funerals could have in a society which is fastly changing. In this way, secret and masking are emphasized by funerary ritual., Este trabajo se ha completado en el marco del Proyecto “Arqueobiología del Neolítico del Sur de la Península Ibérica – NeArqBioSI (A-HUM- 460-UGR18)” financiado por la Junta de Andalucía en el marco operativo FEDER. Convocatoria 2018.

In this study, total mercury (THg) was analyzed in archaeological human bone from 23 sites dating to between the Middle Neolithic and the Antiquity. A total of 370 individuals from individual or collective burials was sampled, mostly using cortical bone from the humerus. These individuals were recovered from over 50 different funerary structures ranging from tholoi, pits, caves, and hypogea. Although cinnabar (HgS) is a likely cause of mercury poisoning and toxicity for people exposed to this mineral from mining or use as a paint or pigment, not all sites investigated here had cinnabar associated with the burials or other excavated areas. We found unusual levels of THg in many of the sampled individuals that we assume were caused by exposure to cinnabar in life, and not by diagenetic processes or other exposures to mercury such as through diet, which would only cause negligible accumulation of THg in bone. Our data, based on the largest sampling ever undertaken on contamination of human bone through archaeological evidence, provide a baseline for additional research on cinnabar and its use in Prehistory. Moderate to high levels of THg in human bone are mainly associated with societies dating from the second half of the 4th to late 3rd millennia B.C. (Late Neolithic to Middle Chalcolithic) in southern Iberia. By the Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, the use of cinnabar decreased significantly and became minimal or absent. The use and abuse of cinnabar appears to have been pervasive throughout the above-mentioned period and particularly between c. 2900-2300 B.C. This occurred in connection with the high symbolic and probably sacred value of the substance, which was sought after, traded, and extensively used in a variety of rituals and social practices. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Main type of settlements in the prehistory of the Adriatic are hillforts and as such have been a focus of most prehistoric settlement research. Given their nature and their visible position in the landscape, they remain an emblem of prehistory. This is also evident in Northern Dalmatia, a predominantly karst relief. Several examples of different sites have been documented through various archaeological methods, such as analysis of areal and satellite imagery and field survey. These sites are not positioned on hills and other strategic positions. Hence such sites remained unmentioned throughout earlier archaeological research. Furthermore, they have never been the focus of local population as can be seen in their lack of toponyms inspired by archaeological remains. Here we will show different examples of said sites recorded in the aforementioned area from the period of late prehistory. They are characterized by position on flat ground or on gentle hill slopes and they are lacking defensive elements such as ramparts. They also do not have rich cultural layers, even though there are surface finds. What can these examples show? Land use in later prehistory is not limited to hillforts and other strategic positions but is much wider in character.

Fluorite ornaments have been recorded in different sites of Europe since Upper Paleolithic. Due to its visual appearance and physical properties, some translucent or transparent mineralogies like fluorite were searched for or casually acquired by late prehistory’s human communities. After intensive research on archaeological contexts from the Iberian Peninsula with personal ornaments from 4th to 2nd millennia BCE, we have recently identified and characterized for the first time an important number of fluorite ornaments, confronting a previous background where little attention was paid. Our work has been carried out in different archaeological collections and museums from the whole Iberian Peninsula by non-destructive techniques (Raman spectroscopy, portable X-ray fluorescence (p-XRF) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD), that revealed the nature of fluorite ornaments and points to its consideration as scarce and highly symbolic items during late prehistory. A total of 36 fluorite beads from 23 sites are here recorded and studied, many of them unpublished or wrong catalogued as other mineralogies. These adornments could have important roles in trade and use among the communities of Iberia from the 4th millennium BCE onwards, because of their scarcity and its recurrent association with important funerary complex and exotic materials. Fluorite ornaments could have been significant and special symbols in the development of new and exclusive raw materials in the context of increasing social complexity and inequality.

Fluorite ornaments have been recorded in different sites of Europe since Upper Paleolithic. Due to its visual appearance and physical properties, some translucent or transparent mineralogies like fluorite were searched for or casually acquired by late prehistory’s human communities. After intensive research on archaeological contexts from the Iberian Peninsula with personal ornaments from 4th to 2nd millennia BCE, we have recently identified and characterized for the first time an important number of fluorite ornaments, confronting a previous background where little attention was paid. Our work has been carried out in different archaeological collections and museums from the whole Iberian Peninsula by non-destructive techniques (Raman spectroscopy, portable X-ray fluorescence (p-XRF) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD), that revealed the nature of fluorite ornaments and points to its consideration as scarce and highly symbolic items during late prehistory. A total of 36 fluorite beads from 23 sites are here recorded and studied, many of them inedits or wrong catalogued as other mineralogies. These adornments could have important roles in trade and use among the communities of Iberia from the 4th millennium BCE onwards, because of their scarcity and its recurrent association with important funerary complex and exotic materials. Fluorite ornaments could have been significant and special symbols in the development of new and exclusive raw materials in the context of increasing social complexity and inequality. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

El jaciment de La Bastida (Totana, Murcia) s’emmarca en l’Edat del Bronze Argàrica. Habitat entre 2200 i 1600 cal ANE, fou un dels centres més importants d’aquella societat, arribant a assolir l’estatus d’urbà. Ocupava unes 4,5 hectàrees d’un turó escarpat i ben protegit per barrancs i una potent fortificació. En el seu interior s’han documentat restes arquitectòniques de diversa entitat durant tres fases d’ocupació. En el subsol de l’assentament s’han identificat nombroses tombes en urna, cista, fosa i, esporàdicament, covetes artificials (“covachas”), la majoria individuals. El registre funerari de La Bastida el conformen 236 tombes, excavades entre 1869 i 2013. La col·lecció antropològica analitzada en aquesta tesi doctoral correspon a 153 esquelets, en la seva major part procedents de les excavacions a càrrec del grup d’investigació Arqueocologia Social Mediterrània (ASOME-UAB). Això la converteix en una de les col·leccions osteològiques més amplies de la arqueologia argàrica. La recerca s’ha fonamentat en les dades obtingudes durant les excavacions (tractament i disposició dels cadàvers) i, de manera especial, en el registre informatiu que ha proporcionat l’anàlisi antropològic de les restes esquelètiques. Tot això ha permès identificar diferencies diacròniques en les pràctiques funeràries, així com aproximar-nos al perfil demogràfic i les condicions de vida de la població que va rebre sepultura en La Bastida. L’anàlisi antropològic ha considerat aspectes relatius a la conservació i representació esquelètica, abans d’emprendre la reconstrucció del perfil biològic i els indicadors d’activitat (processos degeneratius en les articulacions, marcadors musculoesquelètics i altres patologies). La recerca també ha generat aportacions metodològiques rellevants, entre les que destaca les fórmules discriminants que permetran determinar el sexe amb major fiabilitat altres col·leccions argàriques. La conjunció de diverses línies d’anàlisi ha proporcionat una imatge inèdita de les condicions de vida de la comunitat argàrica de La Bastida. El yacimiento de La Bastida (Totana, Murcia) se enmarca en la Edad del Bronce Argárica. Habitado entre 2200 y 1600 cal ANE, fue uno de los centros más importantes de aquella sociedad, llegando a alcanzar un estatus urbano. Ocupó 4,5 hectáreas de extensión en un cerro muy bien protegido gracias a su topografía escarpada y a una potente fortificación. En su interior se han documentado restos arquitectónicos de diversa entidad a lo largo de tres fases de ocupación. En el subsuelo del asentamiento se han hallado numerosas tumbas en urna, cista, fosa y, esporádicamente, covacha, la mayoría individuales. El registro funerario de La Bastida consta de 236 tumbas, excavadas entre 1869 y 2013. La colección antropológica analizada en esta tesis doctoral corresponde a 153 esqueletos, en su mayor parte procedentes de las excavaciones a cargo del grupo de investigación Arqueoecología Social Mediterránea (ASOME-UAB). Ello la convierte en una de las colecciones osteológicas más amplias de la arqueología argárica. La investigación se ha basado en los datos obtenidos durante las excavaciones (tratamiento y disposición de los cadáveres) y, de forma especial, en el registro informativo que ha proporcionado el análisis antropológico de los restos esqueléticos. Todo ello ha permitido identificar diferencias diacrónicas en las prácticas funerarias, así como aproximarnos al perfil demográfico y las condiciones de vida de la población que recibió sepultura en La Bastida. El análisis antropológico ha considerado aspectos relativos a la conservación y representación esquelética, antes de abordar la reconstrucción del perfil biológico y los indicadores de actividad (procesos degenerativos en las articulaciones, marcadores musculoesqueléticos y otras patologías). La investigación también ha generado aportaciones metodológicas relevantes, entre las que destacan las fórmulas discriminantes que permitirán sexuar con mayor fiabilidad otras colecciones argáricas. La conjunción de diversas líneas de análisis ha proporcionado una imagen inédita de las condiciones de vida de la comunidad argárica de La Bastida. La Bastida (Totana, Murcia) was one of key sites in southeast Iberia during the Argaric Early Bronze Age. With a continuous occupation from 2200 to 1600 cal BCE, this urban hilltop center occupied approximately 4,5 hectares, and was very well protected by means of its topography and complex ramparts. The settlement underwent major architectural remodeling all along its three occupation phases. A large number of burials have been found under the dwelling area either in large jars (pithos burials), cists, pits or, more rarely, rock-cut tombs. La Bastida funerary record is made up of 236 tombs excavated between 1869 and 2013. The anthropological sample that has been investigated in this dissertation comprises 153 skeletons, most of them recovered by the ASOME-UAB research group (Mediterranean Social Archeoecology). It is one of the largest osteological series in Argaric archaeology. The anthropological research of this dissertation relies on first-hand data gather directly both in the field and in the laboratory. This has made it possible to identify differences in the treatment of the bodies throughout the occupation of La Bastida and a demographic approach of who inhabited this settlement and the conditions in which they lived. The osteoarchaeological analysis has assessed the skeletal conservation and representation, before approaching the biological profile and different activity indicators such as degenerative joint disease, musculoskeletal markers and other pathologies. In the course of this research, relevant methodological contributions have also been made, as the discriminant functions that will enhance sex estimation in Argaric populations. The combination of all these studies have allowed us to approach the living conditions of the Argaric community of La Bastida. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Programa de Doctorat en Arqueologia Prehistòrica

International audience; This paper aims to bring new insights about weighing practices and instruments during Late Bronze Age in Western Europe. Northern France and Southern England share the particularity of providing tiny balance beams and weights dedicated to weigh small quantities. It is traditionally accepted that most of the Bronze Age weights found in Western Europe correspond roughly to a same practice built around one metrological system. Nevertheless, the deviations observed between several weights which should correspond to the same values in the metrological system raise questions about the accuracy of the Bronze Age balances.This paper synthetizes the general categories of weights and beams used during the Bronze Age in Northern France and Southern England and their main characteristics. Using new mathematical and digital protocols – sensitivity analysis, 3D modelling and simulation, and finite element analysis – we highlight the main mechanical features of the Bronze Age balances, the accuracy that should be expected with them and their resistance to use.Our results show than ancient balances were way more accurate that what is generally estimated. They show that most of them should probably allow to see differences between the loading of the two pans less than 0.5 g in most of cases. These results also raise new interpretations about the use of metrological systems during the Bronze Age considering that certain weights, generally interpreted as the same value, would appear as completely different if they were put on each pan of such a balance. The resistance simulations also show that the bone beams were very robust and could support loading much heavier than the weights identified for the same period.