Tira del Lienzo

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During excavations on the relatively small archaeological site Tira del Lienzo in Spain with 865 m² , buildings from the Bronze Age were uncovered, which are ascribed to the El Argar culture . Compared to other sites of the culture such as La Bastida de Totana or Gatas (Turre), this was less an ancient settlement, but a fortification that is also a specialized site for grain processing and storage, as well as textile and metal processing. The central building of the settlement is also called the Tira del Lienzo silversmiths .

location

The site is located on a small hill in the middle of the fertile Guadalentín river plain near the city of Totana in the Murcia region of southeastern Spain. At a distance of about 7.0 km, it is within sight of the then power center of the La Bastida de Totana region . The spatial proximity to La Bastida as well as the chronological and archaeological similarities observed so far suggest that the activities of both settlements developed in close connection with one another.

Panoramic view of the excavation site and the surrounding area

description

The settlement is enclosed by an almost rectangular wall with at least two corner bastions . There is a central building ("H1") of about 100 m², which was built when the settlement was founded around 2000 BC. Has been built. It is connected to the south by a narrow corridor along its long side with seven significantly narrower buildings that were directly accessible from this corridor. Despite a number of structural changes during the three-phase settlement, the central building remained in continuous use. The final destruction and the abandonment of the settlement took place towards the end of El Argar around 1600–1550 BC. Instead of.

A 3D visualization by the Revives group gives a good impression of the structure of the settlement during its use.

In 2014, the archaeologists in charge of the excavations and investigations summarized their research results from the finds as follows:

“The size and topographical location of Building H1 indicate that it must have played a key role in the organization of this architectural complex. In addition, the high quality of the means of production (grinding stones, weaving weights, forging tools) as well as those of consumption (ceramics, botanical remains) that could be recovered in the preserved part of the building indicate that the various types of exceptional goods (high quality flour, textiles - and metal products) were made by a group of people rather than a single specialist in that workshop. The presence of a workshop for forging and processing silver artifacts underlines the connection of the building to the ruling class of the El Argar society, whose graves have been at the latest since the 20th century. vuZt were often furnished with silver objects. "

Skull from grave no. 62 in El Argar with a silver diadem

In the magazine "Current World Archeology" the assumption is made that all five silver diadems from the El Argar culture, at that time a symbol of the ruling caste, were made here in the silversmiths of Tira del Lienzo.

history

The central building was built when the settlement was founded around 2000 BC. Built in BC. Despite a number of structural changes during the three-phase settlement, the central building remained in continuous use. The final destruction and the abandonment of the settlement took place towards the end of El Argar around 1600–1550 BC. Instead of.

Important finds

The archaeological site of Tira del Lienzo is still the subject of investigations, which showed interim results:

Ceramic:

  • 2 fragments of standing vessels (ceramic type 7)

Macrolithic tools:

The following tools were found in the central building:

  • 4 forging tools that were used as anvils or hammers for the forging process of copper and silver sheets.
  • 3 stone tools show features and traces of work that can be associated with the work of hammering and driving metal artifacts.
  • 3 other stone objects showed clear traces of use as a grinding or polishing device.
  • 3 large grinding stones from Lamproit for grain processing
  • A series of carefully crafted weaving weights that suggest textile production.

In their entirety, the finds suggest that in addition to the artisanal production of textiles and metals, grain was also processed to a greater extent in the central building. It was therefore a multifunctional work space in which at least five people worked at the same time. The quality of the tools indicates an efficient and high-quality production of flour, textiles and metals.

Current condition

Part of the archaeological site can be visited.

Web links

literature

  • Elena Molina Muñoz : La producción cerámica en el sudeste de la península ibérica durante el III y II milenio ane (2200-1550 cal ane :) Integración del análysis de residuos orgánicos en la caracterización functional de los recipientes agáricos. Doctoral thesis at the "Department de Prehistoria" of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, ​​2015.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Selina Delgado-Raack et al. a., 2014, p. 577
  2. ↑ Selina Delgado-Raack et al. a. , 2014, p. 578
  3. ↑ La Tira del Lienzo, 3D reconstruction
  4. ↑ Selina Delgado-Raack et al. a. , 2014, p. 589
  5. ^ Current World Archeology, Issue 69, Rise and fall of the Argar. January 6, 2015, p. 20
  6. ↑ Selina Delgado-Raack et al. a. , 2014, p. 578
  7. ↑ Selina Delgado-Raack et al. a. , 2014, p. 579

Coordinates: 37 ° 47 ′ 45.9 ″  N , 1 ° 29 ′ 3.1 ″  W.