FIRSTARCHAEOMETRIC STUDY OF THE IBERIAN CERAMIC PRODUCTION FROM TWO SITES IN THE NORTHERN ORETANIA: ALARCOS AND EL CERRO DE LAS CABEZAS (CIUDAD REAL, SPAIN).

The oppida from Alarcos and El Cerro de las Cabezas (Ciudad Real, Spain) were two of the most important Iberian sites in the Proto-history (8th-3th centuries BC.) from the Northern Oretania. Archaeological studies have been published since the 80s; however this paper is the first that provides archaeometric results from the chemical and mineralogical analysis of 107 ceramic fragments of Iberian common pottery. They have been analysed through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). From the chemical results, a statistical study has been carried out, which has allowed to create the reference groups (RG) and to determine the economic relationships between the two sites studied and their influence areas. At a technological level, the results from the mineralogical analysis have allowed to estimate the firing temperature (EFT) and to classify the ceramic fragments into 3 fabrics with their respective temperature ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]