The first metallurgy in the Pityusic Islands (Balearic archipelago, Mediterranean Sea)

Pau Sureda

doi:10.1007/s12520-018-0685-8

Abstract

The islands of Ibiza and Formentera (the Pityusic Islands in the Balearic archipelago, Spain) were one of the last insular contexts to be colonised in the Mediterranean. The first settlement occurred during the second millennium cal BCE, probably by continental Bronze Age communities. During the first centuries of occupation (ca. 2100–1400 cal BCE), local material culture is defined in terms of the Bell-Beaker/Dolmenic and First Naviform periods. The Pityusic Islands have no mineral resources for producing copper or bronze objects locally, so the presence of metal objects dated to these periods necessarily indicates exogenous contact. Seven metal objects have been found in five archaeological sites located in both islands. Archaeometallurgical research conducted on these objects reveals the economic behaviour of these first settlers in acquiring these resources. In this respect, aspects of this behaviour, such as technological patterns and trade dynamics, are analysed.

Highlights

The development of metallurgy and the importance of metals from the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age societies in the Western Mediterranean are evident from several perspectives
(Ibiza and Formentera), archaeological information for the early prehistoric settlers is dated to the end third and early second millennium cal BCE (Costa Ribas and Guerrero 2002; Ramis 2014) and is limited to just a few sites, including Avenc des Pouàs (Alcover 2008), Ca na Costa (Fernández et al 1976; Topp et al 1979; van Strydonck et al 2005), Can Sergent (Costa Ribas and Fernández 1992), Cap de Barbaria II (Sureda et al 2017a, 2017b), Cova des Fum (Topp 1988; Marlasca and López Garí 2015), Cova des Riuets (Marlasca 2008; López Garí et al 2013 ) and Puig de Ses Torretes/Es Castellar (Costa Ribas and Guerrero 2002)
The fundamental parameter (FP) calibration was adjusted on the basis of the results of the analyses of a set of 18 different metal and copper-based alloy standards ( UE10-1 and UE15 from BNF Metal Technology Centre for bronze and 36X CAS3 from MBH Analytical Ltd. for arsenical copper)

Summary

Introduction

The development of metallurgy and the importance of metals from the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age societies in the Western Mediterranean are evident from several perspectives. On the Pityusic Islands (Ibiza and Formentera) (see Fig. 1), archaeological information for the early prehistoric settlers is dated to the end third and early second millennium cal BCE (Costa Ribas and Guerrero 2002; Ramis 2014) and is limited to just a few sites, including Avenc des Pouàs (Alcover 2008), Ca na Costa (Fernández et al 1976; Topp et al 1979; van Strydonck et al 2005), Can Sergent (Costa Ribas and Fernández 1992), Cap de Barbaria II (Sureda et al 2017a, 2017b), Cova des Fum (Topp 1988; Marlasca and López Garí 2015), Cova des Riuets (Marlasca 2008; López Garí et al 2013 ) and Puig de Ses Torretes/Es Castellar (Costa Ribas and Guerrero 2002) This surprisingly late occupation is usually understood in terms of environmental constraints, the Pityuses being resource-poor (Alcover et al 1994; Costa Ribas and Benito 2000; Bofill and Sureda 2008; Cherry and Leppard 2018). This chronological period is related to the BellBeaker and First Naviform archaeological groups in the Archaeol Anthropol Sci (2019) 11:2727–2741

Methods

Results

Conclusion