Los discos de oro del Museo Arqueológico de Asturias: algunas observaciones sobre la orfebrería prehistórica

Abstract

We present a study of two gold discs of unknown origin that remain deposited since the mid-twentieth century in the Archaeological Museum of Asturias. There is abundant bibliography on these pieces, although, to date, these have not been archaeometric or archeometallurgical studies. The results allow deducing interesting observations on their composition, manufacture and the technological sequence of elaboration, as well as on the possible origin of the gold, confirming, along with the parallels of the decoration of these disc, their Atlantic roots.The disks of the British Isles are associated with the burials of the Bell Beaker culture. For the objects under study, a more modern chronology was considered due to the absence of similar evidence in Asturias. The recent identification of these typical ceramics in spaces for transformation of the copper ores in the Asturian central territory makes it possible a new valuation, reinforced by the most recent gold findings, of similar chronology, in the Iberian Peninsula, which are recognized as burial furnishings of the Bell Beaker culture. All these arguments reinforce the proposal on the existence of exchange networks between the British Islands and the continental mainland throughout this period.