The Chalcolithic metallurgical tradition of Northeast Iberia and its later influence: New analyses and a synthesis

Abstract

Our knowledge of Chalcolithic copper smelting practices across Iberia is extensive but lacks regional nuance. This prevents an assessment of regional trajectories that may depart from a general ‘Iberian technological tradition’, including their origins and diachronic evolution. This paper contributes to these questions by analysing 3rd millennium BC copper production residues from various sites in Northeast Iberia: Covas Cartanyà, del Buldó, Josefina d’Escornalbou, de l’Heura, and Balma del Duc. Using pXRF, OM, and SEM-EDS, we characterise the ores used and the metallurgical operations conducted (including smelting of copper carbonates, co-smelting of sulphidic and oxidic ores, and melting), and discuss them in relation to their contexts, contemporaneous materials and available lead isotopes data. We reveal Northeast Iberian metallurgy as a distinct and versatile tradition that selectively adopted elements from Southern Iberia and Southern France traditions, and trace the legacy of these idiosyncratic practices in copper and bronze making over two millennia.