Neue Forschungen zur Chronologie und Metallurgie der El Argar-Kultur im Becken von Vera (Spanien)

Abstract

This article deals with the El Argar culture that occupied parts of southeastern Spain during the Bronze Age. In the course of a master’s thesis part of the important Siret collection that is currently located at the Museo Pigorini in Rome was presented. The Siret collection was compiled during the late 19th century in the course of several archaeological excavations in the Vera Basin (province of Almería). It is still considered an important basis for many research activities concerning the Argaric culture. Some pieces of this collection were sent to Rome as part of an exchange of archaeological finds. It was possible to take some metal samples from those finds that were analysed for their composition of trace elements and ratios of lead isotopes. The results of these analyses could be compared with the results of previous analyses of other finds and or deposits in the area.
Furthermore, a seriation of more than 600 graves on the basis of the burials of the Argaric culture in the Vera Basin has been attempted. The goal of this statistical analysis was to develop a relative chronology for the Argaric culture of the Vera Basin using the typological characteristics of grave goods and the manner of burial that are mainly subject to chronological changes as criteria for the seriation. As a preliminary result of the seriation and its relative chronological interpretation three successive groups with transitional groups in-between could be identified. These groups might represent chronologically relevant phases.