SAMUEL NIÓN-ÁLVAREZ AND FRANCISCO JAVIER GONZÁLEZ GARCÍA
SOCIAL CHANGE AND METALWORKING IN THE EARLY IRON
AGE: AN APPROACH FROM NORTH-WEST IBERIA
Summa y. This pape analyses social ans o ma ions in he Ea ly I on Age
based on a holis ic and longue du ée app oach applied o he i s o i ied
habi a s in he Ibe ian no h-wes . Th ough a comp ehensi e e iew o wo
pa adigma ic se lemen s o he EIA in he p o ince o A Co uña (Galicia,
no h-wes Ibe ia), Pun a de Mu os and A G aña, a compa ison is d awn be ween
he social and e i o ial dynamics o his pe iod by means o an in-dep h analysis
o he main cha ac e is ics o bo h se lemen s.
Acco dingly, a g ea e le el o social complexi y du ing he phases o
occupa ion o he se lemen o Pun a de Mu os has been iden i ied, in con as
o he esis ance o change obse ed in A G aña. Based on hese conclusions,
he ole o me alwo king and i s symbolic alue in os e ing and legi imizing hese
social and e i o ial ans o ma ions and in he de elopmen o I on Age
communi ies a e analysed.
INTRODUCTION
This pape combines wo main a eas o in e es in he social analysis o I on Age
communi ies: he eme gence o social pa e ns o inequali y in he Ea ly I on Age (EIA) and he
social and symbolic dimension o me alwo king. Rega ding he i s heme, he eme gence o
p ocesses o social inequali y has al eady been highligh ed in some Eu opean egions (Fe nández-
Gö z 2014), al hough no ye in he Ibe ian no h-wes . Wi h ega d o he second, and wi h some
egional excep ions (e.g. Hingley 1997;2009; Haaland 2007–08), me allu gy has usually been
s udied om a echnological pe spec i e, as is also he case in no h-wes Ibe ia.
Thus, his pape aims, i s , o analyse he ex en o social inequali y in socie ies ha had
been p e iously classi ied as eluc an o change and, subsequen ly, o assess he ole o
me alwo king in his p ocess. An app oach o he socie ies o he EIA in he no h-wes o he
Ibe ian peninsula is implemen ed, ocusing on he cha ac e iza ion o hei main social dynamics
(Fig. 1). Ou goal is o examine hei changes and con inui ies om a longue du ée poin o iew
based on a mul iscale compa a i e app oach ha aims o unde s and he p ocesses and
ans o ma ions embedded in ma e iali y. Acco dingly i is p oposed o conduc a diach onic
analysis o he se lemen , he e unde s ood as a ‘li ing’en i y ha changes and de elops o e ime
(Ge i sen 2007; Blanco-González 2011) and ha e lec s he conscious and unconscious alues
OXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY 42(1) 50–70 2023
50 © 2022 The Au ho s. Ox o d Jou nal o A chaeology published by John Wiley & Sons L d on behal o Uni e si y o Ox o d.
This is an open access a icle unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion-NonComme cial License, which pe mi s use, dis ibu ion and
ep oduc ion in any medium, p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed and is no used o comme cial pu poses.
and belie s o i s communi y in he a chaeological eco d (Thomas 1999,20;Hodde 2004,74).
Wi hin he amewo k, he analysis o he conduc o me alwo king becomes essen ial, as
changes in he pe cep ion o me al p oduc ion a e ele an as p oxies o unde s anding new social
o ms.
This pape also comba s an o e ly economis ic and/o ma e ialis ic app oach o social
change ha poin s o economic ac i i y as he cause and essen ial sou ce o any ans o ma ion,
an a i ude which has been common in se e al his o iog aphical adi ions o he las cen u y
(González Ga cía 2017,295–8). Social, ideological, o symbolic phenomena should no be
conside ed as dependen on economic ac o s; on he con a y, a ious an h opological pe spec i es
ha e emphasized he in as uc u al impo ance o symbolic hough and ideology ( he pe o mance
o dis inc symbolic o eligious knowledge) in he o igins o inequali y (e.g. Godelie 1986;
Feinman 2016). The accep ance o he ele ance o eligious componen s in he eme gence o
new social s uc u es (Bloch 2008) has allowed a chaeological esea ch o ashion esh app oaches
in s udying ce ain pieces o e idence and p ocesses. This is seen in he case o he Neoli hic, which
has ceased o be analysed om pu ely echnological pe spec i es and is now conside ed a ‘symbolic
e olu ion’(Cau in 2013), and again in he iden i ica ion o eligion as a key ac o in he i s
human p ocesses o social and u ban agg ega ion (as has been p oposed, o example, in
Ça alhöyük: Hodde and Pels 2010).
FIGURE 1
S udy a ea.
SAMUEL NIÓN-ÁLVAREZ AND FRANCISCO JAVIER GONZÁLEZ GARCÍA
OXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY
©2022 The Au ho s. Ox o d Jou nal o A chaeology published by John Wiley & Sons L d on behal o Uni e si y o Ox o d. 51
14680092, 2023, 1, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ojoa.12262 by Uni e sidade de San iago de Compos ela, Wiley Online Lib a y on [15/06/2023]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License
Ma e ialis ic and economis ic assump ions ha e also shaped he in e p e a ion o
p o ohis o ic me alwo king, condi ioned by he con empo a y concep o echnology as an
exclusi ely echnical ac i i y de ached om socie y (Ingold 2000, 314). Thus, in e p e ing
me allu gy as echnical, ‘quasi-scien i ic’knowledge (Welbou n 1985, 129) om ou con empo a y
pe spec i e explains he lack o in e es shown in i s o he aspec s (symbolic, eligious, i ual, o
magical), in ha we ocus all ou a en ion on i s dimension as an exclusi ely ‘indus ial’ac i i y
(Budd and Taylo 1995,137–9; Haaland 2004, 1). F om an an h opological pe spec i e, his
si ua ion began o change wi h he unde s anding o echnology as a comp ehensi e social
phenomenon, composed equally o echnical, social and symbolic aspec s (P a enbe ge 1988,
236; Reid and MacLean 1995, 145). Hence, i s alue and meaning a e achie ed in ela ion o he
socie y in which i is p oduced and used (Welbou n 1985,129;Ba ndon2004,22).
Fo decades, e hnog aphic esea ch in o he socie ies o he Eas e n G ea Lakes o
Sub-Saha an A ica has shown he close ela ionship be ween me allu gical ac i i y and a eas
which, om a Wes e n poin o iew, ha e li le o do wi h echnology (He be 1993). The
impo ance o me alwo king, he e o e, exceeds any s ic ly economic conside a ions in e ms o
he alue o me al o i s use in a ious ac i i ies (wa a e, ag icul u e, ade, e c.) and can only be
unde s ood h ough indigenous heo ies o na u al and social o de (Childs and Killick 1993,
319). In his sense, his pape pu s o wa d a pe spec i e on me alwo king beyond i s ‘ echnological
dimension’(sensu Ingold) –as a social ac i i y ha has in luenced he de elopmen o complex
social dynamics.
Fo his pu pose, a e iew o he p ocesses ha ook place du ing he EIA is p oposed,
employing ou case s udies. Th ough he iden i ica ion o di e ences in social o ganiza ion
be ween egions, he aim is o iden i y asymme ical social dynamics in pa icula ly ea ly imes,
emphasizing he ole ha me alwo king may ha e played in hei eme gence, de elopmen and
legi imiza ion.
THE EARLY IRON AGE IN THE NORTH-WEST OF THE IBERIAN PENINSULA
The in e p e a ion o he I on Age in he no h-wes o he Ibe ian peninsula has wi nessed,
in ecen decades, a con on a ion be ween di e en his o iog aphical ends (Ruíz Zapa e o 2005).
This clash is e idenced in he applica ion o a ious models o unde s and I on Age socie ies,
especially in he La e I on Age (LIA), and by he de elopmen o hypo heses ha deny o de end
he exis ence o social changes in he I on Age up o he Roman conques . As a esul , di e en
in e p e a i e models ha e been p oposed, sugges ing di e se (and some imes incompa ible) social
con igu a ions (González-Ruibal 2012; González Ga cía 2017; Cu ás Re ojos and Sas e 2019).
O he p oposals, howe e , suppo hypo heses based on non-linea e olu ionism and a p og essi e
eme gence o social inequali ies. Pa adoxically, and ega dless o hei concep ualiza ion o socie ies
(he e a chy, deep- u al, undi ided socie ies, ansegalia ianism, e c.), all o hem cha ac e ize he
EIA as a ho bed o au a chic communi ies and end o o e look in e nal inequali ies and he
eme gence o powe g oups.
To some ex en , hese pe spec i es do seem o be suppo ed by he main cha ac e is ics o
he a chaeological eco d. The habi a ion o he EIA in he no h-wes Ibe ian peninsula is
cha ac e ized by small si es, usually less han 1 ha in size, in p ominen places o di icul access
(Pa ce o-Oubiña 2000,86–7) (Fig. 2). The main c i e ia o selec ing a loca ion seems o lie in a
na u al de ensi e opog aphy: e y p ominen si es wi h long-dis ance isibili y ha in eg a e a
SOCIAL CHANGE AND METALWORKING IN EIA IBERIA
OXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY
52 ©2022 The Au ho s. Ox o d Jou nal o A chaeology published by John Wiley & Sons L d on behal o Uni e si y o Ox o d.
14680092, 2023, 1, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ojoa.12262 by Uni e sidade de San iago de Compos ela, Wiley Online Lib a y on [15/06/2023]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License
agmen ed social landscape. This choice mean , in many cases, mo ing away om a eas wi h
g ea e ag icul u al po en ial, a end ha was pa alleled, pa adoxically bu necessa ily, by an
inc eased p oduc i i y o he a ming sys em.
The p ocess is combined wi h an a chi ec u al monumen aliza ion o he se lemen . The
cons uc ion o la ge de ensi e sys ems is s iking in i s b eak om p e ious p ac ices, p obably
linked o he mo e om semi-nomadism o a ull seden a y li es yle (Méndez Fe nández 1994), wi h
all he changes his en ailed in hei unde s anding o he wo ld. Howe e , hese se lemen s a e
cha ac e ized by a lack o u ban planning, wi h dwellings o small dimensions and mo phological
FIGURE 2
No h-wes Ibe ian hill o s wi h EIA da es (Pa ce o-Oubiña e al. 2020,164).
SAMUEL NIÓN-ÁLVAREZ AND FRANCISCO JAVIER GONZÁLEZ GARCÍA
OXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY
©2022 The Au ho s. Ox o d Jou nal o A chaeology published by John Wiley & Sons L d on behal o Uni e si y o Ox o d. 53
14680092, 2023, 1, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ojoa.12262 by Uni e sidade de San iago de Compos ela, Wiley Online Lib a y on [15/06/2023]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License
di e si y i egula ly dis ibu ed h oughou he hamle (González-Ruibal 2006–07). Also wo h
men ioning is he disappea ance o La e B onze Age p ac ices, some o hem ela ed o he
symbolic, such as deposi s in possibly liminal spaces (González-Ruibal 2006–07, 158), and he
educ ion in he a icking o me al objec s, bo h b onze and gold (Pa ce o-Oubiña e al.2020).
These changes, among o he s, esul in a s ong educ ion o medium and la ge-scale mobili y ha
cha ac e ized he La e B onze Age (Cunli e 1999) and e lec a up u e wi h p e ious social o ms.
This si ua ion –namely he absence o p es ige goods –eme ges wi hin an egali a ian socie y
eac ing agains social di isions (González Ga cía e al.2011).
Beyond i s cha ac e iza ion as a pe iod o egali a ian socie ies, he EIA ends o lag behind
in a chaeological esea ch, which is mo e in e es ed in he social analysis o LIA socie ies and/o he
ansi ion o he Roman wo ld. Resea ch has also been cha ac e ized by a ce ain s anda diza ion o
p ocesses in di e en aspec s o he s udy a eas. This has led o in e p e a i e hypo heses ha
homogenize he analysed communi ies and ha ha e been he e o e applied o he whole o he
s udy a ea, o cing a uni ocal pe spec i e and biased analysis. This endency, howe e , has ecen ly
begun o be o e come, allowing a g ea e ecep i eness owa ds di e se o ms o socio-poli ical
o ganiza ion coexis ing in he same space a he same ime (González Ál a ez 2011; González-
Ruibal 2012). As a esul , a mo e p ecise pic u e is eme ging, one de ining a social ‘mosaic’o
di e en communi ies, wi h some mo ing owa ds cen aliza ion and hie a chiza ion in coexis ence
wi h o he s ha we e esis an o social complexi y and inequali y (González-Ruibal 2012;Nión-
Ál a ez 2021).
These pe spec i es, none heless, demand an equally he e ogeneous pe cep ion o ime. A
s udy o social dynamics equi es a diach onic ision ha in eg a es ‘pas and u u e’ o o e a
‘succession o a chaeo-his o ical po ayals’(Nión-Ál a ez 2021, 70) and he eby es ablishes a
dynamic ep esen a ion o pas socie ies. A chaeology, om a con empo a y pe spec i e, seeks
o analyse and iden i y di e en empo al eali ies (Lucas 2012, 31) and o classi y hem acco ding
o di e en concep s o ep esen a ion speci ic o he discipline (Oli ie 2020, 180), ecognizing
ime as a con inuous p ocess ha in ol es ‘sedimen a ion and encapsula ion’in objec s
(Oli ie 2001, 64). I is necessa y o ake se iously he di e en speeds and o ms o his o ical
p ocesses expe ienced by I on Age communi ies, ins ead o seeing hem as all changing in he
same manne and a he same empo. Conside ing he speci ici ies and si ua ions o he di e en
a eas o no h-wes Ibe ia, hese g oups may ha e explo ed mo e complex o ms, as sou he n
socie ies did, o may ha e su i ed as homogeneous communi ies, as in he inland a eas (González
Ga cía 2017,304–7). Ou obliga ion is o inco po a e he empo al pe spec i e in o he accoun and
so p o ide a mo e lexible and mul iple his o ical na a i e wi hin which he communi ies a e
in eg a ed.
PUNTA DE MUROS AND A GRAÑA (NINTH TO FOURTH CENTURIES BC): AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL PORTRAYAL OF
UNDIVIDED SOCIETIES?
As p e iously explained, he case s udy co e s wo se lemen s ha a e pa icula ly
ep esen a i e o social dynamics o he no h-wes Ibe ian EIA: A G aña (Toques, A Co uña)
and Pun a de Mu os (A eixo, A Co uña). Al hough hey bo h co e a simila a ea (less han
1 ha), hey ha e di e ing cha ac e is ics in e ms o loca ion and hei ela ionship wi h he
en i onmen . A G aña is loca ed inland, on op o a small hill wi h g ea medium and
long-dis ance isibili y. On he o he hand, Pun a de Mu os is a coas al se lemen on a small
SOCIAL CHANGE AND METALWORKING IN EIA IBERIA
OXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY
54 ©2022 The Au ho s. Ox o d Jou nal o A chaeology published by John Wiley & Sons L d on behal o Uni e si y o Ox o d.
14680092, 2023, 1, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ojoa.12262 by Uni e sidade de San iago de Compos ela, Wiley Online Lib a y on [15/06/2023]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License
peninsula wi h li le and poo accessibili y and na u al de ensi e ba ie s. In spi e o hese signi ican
di e ences in e ms o loca ion, bo h we e se led in a eas a om land communica ion ou es bu
wi h g ea de ensi e po en ial, which is cha ac e is ic o EIA se lemen s (Pa ce o-Oubiña 2000,
86–7).
These wo o i ied locales ha e also been subjec o ela i ely ex ensi e exca a ions ha
ha e yielded a empo al sequence and occupa ional e idence wi h a ce ain le el o de ail (Table 1).
In he case o A G aña, six exca a ion campaigns we e ca ied ou be ween 1987 and 1993, whe eas
Pun a de Mu os was comple ely exca a ed in 2005, oge he wi h se e al su eys ou side he walls,
TABLE 1
14
C da es o A G aña and Pun a de Mu os. S a ed Cal Da es we e ob ained om OxCal so wa e, . 4.4 (B onk
Ramsey 1995) in an a emp o co ec he accu acy o he o iginal da a
PUNTA DE MUROS
Code Da e (BP) Cal BC/AD Sample loca ion Loca ion de ail Ma e ial da ed Plan species
PEC 8343 2150 ±35 350-114 BC S uc u e VI Collapse le el Cha coal Fabaceae
PEC 8345 2480 ±35 756-539 BC S uc u e VI Hea h Cha coal Que cus sp.
PEC 8347 2550 ±35 797-594 BC Sou he n en ance a ea Isola ed cha coal Cha coal Unknown
PEC 8353 2495 ±35 764-544 BC Ou e a ea o he ampa Hea h Cha coal Unknown
PEC 8354 2485 ±35 760-540 BC Ou e a ea o he ampa Hea h Cha coal Unknown
PEC 8407 2620 ±40 821-781 BC S uc u e XI-b Hea h Cha coal Unknown
PEC 8425 2500 ±35 764-548 BC S uc u e X Hea h Cha coal Unknown
PEC 8429 2710 ±40 896-823 BC S uc u e XIV Hea h Cha coal Fabaceae
PEC 8432 2485 ±40 760-539 BC S uc u e IX Hea h Cha coal Fabaceae
PEC 8433 2460 ±60 751-419 BC S uc u e IX Hea h Cha coal Unknown
PEC 8441 2010 ±40 49 BC-51 AD S uc u e VII Isola ed cha coal Cha coal Unknown
PEC 8444 2620 ±35 816-786 BC Ou e a ea o he ampa Isola ed cha coal Cha coal Unknown
PEC 8446 1035 ±30 786-988 AD Inne a ea o he ampa Isola ed cha coal Cha coal Unknown
PEC 8447 2480 ±35 756-539 BC S uc u e XVI Hea h Cha coal Que cus sp.
PEC 8451 2375 ±35 507-396 BC Ou e ein o cemen
o he ampa
Isola ed cha coal Cha coal Unknown
PEC 8455 2555 ±35 799-596 BC Ou e a ea o he se lemen Isola ed cha coal Cha coal Unknown
PEC 8486 2660 ±35 837-798 BC S uc u e XIX S a um below he
hea h
Cha coal Unknown
PEC 8496 2425 ±35 706-409 BC S uc u e XXV Isola ed cha coal Cha coal Que cus sp.
PEC 8498 2375 ±35 507-396 BC S uc u e XXIII Hea h Cha coal Fabaceae
PEC 8513 2480 ±35 756-539 BC S uc u e XIb S a um below he
hea h
Cha coal Que cus sp.
PEC 8529 2510 ±35 770-550 BC S uc u e XXX Hea h Cha coal Fabaceae
PEC 8532 2385 ±35 509-399 BC S uc u e XXXII Hea h
(second le el o use)
Cha coal Fabaceae
PEC 8536 2480 ±35 756-539 BC S uc u e XXXII Hea h
( i s le el o use)
Cha coal Que cus sp.
PEC 9647 2395 ±35 511-402 BC S uc u e XIa Hea h Cha coal Unknown
AGRAÑA
Gd-5555 1980 ±50 94 BC-204 AD* S uc u e FC5 Hea h Cha coal Unknown
Gd-6068 2610 ±70 922-523 BC* S uc u e FC3b Hea h Cha coal Unknown
Gd-6074 2650 ±100 1050-478 BC* S uc u e FC3a Pos hole Cha coal Unknown
Gd-5859 2210 ±50 393-121 BC* S uc u e FC4 Hea h Cha coal Unknown
Gd (1) 2580 ±90 903-417 BC* S uc u e FC3b Unknown Unknown Unknown
Gd (2) 2240 ±25 387-204 BC* Ou e a ea o he ampa Unknown Unknown Unknown
SAMUEL NIÓN-ÁLVAREZ AND FRANCISCO JAVIER GONZÁLEZ GARCÍA
OXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY
©2022 The Au ho s. Ox o d Jou nal o A chaeology published by John Wiley & Sons L d on behal o Uni e si y o Ox o d. 55
14680092, 2023, 1, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ojoa.12262 by Uni e sidade de San iago de Compos ela, Wiley Online Lib a y on [15/06/2023]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License
unde wa e su eys and se e al a chaeome allu gical, palynological, and an h acological s udies. In
bo h cases, se e al adioca bon da es we e also ob ained, which ha e helped o de ine hei
ch onologies wi h g ea e p ecision. Bo h se lemen s show a ce ain empo al co ela ion as o hei
i s occupa ion: Pun a de Mu os seems o ha e been occupied o he i s ime in he middle o he
nin h cen u y BC (Cano Pan 2012, 97), whe eas he o igins o A G aña can be da ed in he i s
decades o he eigh h cen u y BC (pe haps e en in he nin h cen u y BC: Nión-Ál a ez 2021,151).
Rega ding he cha ac e is ics o hei domes ic uni s, he dwellings a e de ined by hei
small dimensions and mo phological simplici y (no exceeding 30–35 m
2
: Nión-Ál a ez 2021,
161), wi hou in e nal compa men aliza ion and wi h a mul i- unc ional use o space. The main
di e ence be ween he se lemen s is hei building s yle: while in Pun a de Mu os he dwellings
ha e s one ounda ions (Fig. 4), in A G aña hey we e made o pe ishable ma e ials delimi ed by
ounda ion di ches o ows o e ical s ones (Meijide Cameselle 1990,113–16) (Fig. 3). In he case
o A G aña, he con inuous o e lapping o a numbe o domes ic uni s o e a sho pe iod o ime is
signi ican , as can be seen in he case o s uc u e FC3 (see Table 1), hough his sequence should
no be unde s ood as a econs uc ion o he se lemen , bu as ep esen ing main enance ac i i ies
on pe ishable s uc u es (Blanco-González 2011, 395). This o e lapping and econs uc ion o
dwellings e idence an in ense and con inuous empo a y occupa ion, which, howe e , does no
imply any ans o ma ion o social li e in he se lemen , bu a he a con i ma ion o i s social
sys em and i s success.
FIGURE 3
Domes ic uni s o A G aña: S uc u e FC4.
SOCIAL CHANGE AND METALWORKING IN EIA IBERIA
OXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY
56 ©2022 The Au ho s. Ox o d Jou nal o A chaeology published by John Wiley & Sons L d on behal o Uni e si y o Ox o d.
14680092, 2023, 1, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ojoa.12262 by Uni e sidade de San iago de Compos ela, Wiley Online Lib a y on [15/06/2023]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License
These modes dwellings would ha e been home o small amily g oups ha would
cons uc a communi y wi h cha ac e is ics consis en wi h he models p oposed o he EIA:
egali a ian and undi ided communi ies wi h no signs o hie a chy o inequali y, in which he
se lemen is he unique and basic uni o poli ical o ganiza ion. Mo eo e , he homogenei y and
simplici y wi hin he domes ic uni s in each se lemen highligh s he egali a ian e hos o hese
communi ies.
The in e nal spa ial o ganiza ion o he se lemen poin s in a simila di ec ion. I we
es ablish a b eakdown o he u ban s uc u e o Pun a de Mu os (whose layou canbe ully analysed)
co ela ed wi h adioca bon da es (see Table 1), we can iden i y wo clea ly di e en ia ed
FIGURE 4
Ae ial pho og aph o Pun a de Mu os (Cano Pan 2012,102).
SAMUEL NIÓN-ÁLVAREZ AND FRANCISCO JAVIER GONZÁLEZ GARCÍA
OXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY
©2022 The Au ho s. Ox o d Jou nal o A chaeology published by John Wiley & Sons L d on behal o Uni e si y o Ox o d. 57
14680092, 2023, 1, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ojoa.12262 by Uni e sidade de San iago de Compos ela, Wiley Online Lib a y on [15/06/2023]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License
occupa ional phases (Fig. 5). The se lemen seems o ha e been es ablished a ound he middle o
he nin h cen u y BC, one o he ea lies ch onologies o he o i ied habi a s o he no h-wes
o he peninsula (Pa ce o-Oubiña e al.2020). This da e is con empo a y wi h he beginning o
he o i ied habi a seen a o he se lemen s in no he n Po ugal, such as São Julião
(Be encou 2000) o Co o da Pena (Sil a 1986,34–5), a p ocess ha sp ead ac oss he no h-wes
h oughou he eigh h cen u y BC (Pa ce o-Oubiña e al.2020,163–4). Du ing hese i s decades
o occupa ion, Pun a de Mu os was a se lemen o 8–10 dwellings (see Fig. 6). In addi ion o he
absence o a well-de ined layou (also applicable o A G aña), all he cons uc ions co espond o
he usual pa e n o EIA domes ic uni s.
Pun a de Mu os hen expe ienced a signi ican i g adual demog aphic g ow h be ween he
se en h and six h cen u ies BC, a ac ha can be a es ed h ough he
14
Cda ingob ainedin he
households o s uc u es X, XVI, o XXXII (see Table 1and Fig. 6). This popula ion inc ease,
howe e , was no accompanied by a ans o ma ion in he social pa adigm o he se lemen . The
new dwellings eplica e simila pa e ns, which indica es he pe sis ence o he same o ms o social
o ganiza ion.
I we ocus on he in e nal s uc u e o he se lemen and he no able absence o u ban
s uc u ing, he a en ion paid o he o ma ion o bo h de ensi e sys ems is no ewo hy. No mus
one igno e he symbolism inhe en in ampa s and walls ha has been pa icula ly highligh ed in
ecen yea s (e.g. Von Nicolai 2014; Del ino e al.2020). I is no only a ma e o de ensi e
po en ial, bu also o i s impo ance in de e mining you own limi s as a communi y (González-
Ruibal 2006–07,182–4) and he alue o de ences as a symbol o social cohesion. Conside ing
he non-exis ence o an in e nal layou , he absence o o he collec i e buildings, he ema kable
FIGURE 5
Domes ic uni s o Pun a de Mu os: compa ison be ween he Fi s ( igh ) and Second Phase (le ).
SOCIAL CHANGE AND METALWORKING IN EIA IBERIA
OXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY
58 ©2022 The Au ho s. Ox o d Jou nal o A chaeology published by John Wiley & Sons L d on behal o Uni e si y o Ox o d.
14680092, 2023, 1, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ojoa.12262 by Uni e sidade de San iago de Compos ela, Wiley Online Lib a y on [15/06/2023]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License
o m he ‘basic co e’o he poli ical o ganiza ion, becoming a he he a ena whe e we e in play a
mul iplici y o lineages o collec i es wi h di e en anks o le els o p es ige, capable o
in luencing he communi y o a g ea e o lesse ex en . We canno a gue o any es ablished
seizu e o powe by any pa icula g oup in he illage, bu we can ecognize he eme gence o
hese po en ial cen es o powe as he i s s ep owa ds social inequali ies in some pa s o he
no h-wes Ibe ian peninsula. This phenomenon, which is pa icula ly unusual in his egion, has
ye been al eady obse ed in o he pa s o Eu ope, such as he Rhineland-Pala ina e
(Fe nández-Gö z 2014, 128) o he sou h-eas o he Gallia (Ga cia 2005). Bo h hese las egions
show a ema kable p ocess o u baniza ion and social hie a chiza ion a much he same ime, as
de ined by an inc ease in social con lic and a no able de elopmen o planning and cons uc ion.
These p ocesses e lec he eme gence o a s uc u ed social hie a chy and he i s appea ance o
g ea cen al locales. In o he a eas, such as he Meuse-Deme -Scheld , he e is no e idence o
such s ong hie a chical p ocesses, bu e en so he disappea ance o he illage as a nucleus o
poli ical o ganiza ion can s ill be obse ed, wi h a social shi owa ds kinship and domes ic uni s
(Roymans and Ge i sen 2002). F om a Eu opean pe spec i e, he eme gence o such p ocesses in
no h-wes Ibe ia should come as no su p ise. Howe e , i is s ill necessa y o accen he need o a
he e ogeneous pe spec i e ha a oids s anda diza ion p ocesses and na a i es: e en hough he
Ge manic Fü s ensi ze o he Rhineland-Pala ina e disappea ed be ween he i h and ou h
cen u ies BC (Fe nández-Gö z 2017,120–4), as happened wi h Pun a de Mu os, and in o he
egions oo, such as sou h-eas Gaul, his incipien and al e ing hie a chiza ion ma ks he
beginning o a g adual p ocess o endogenous u baniza ion ha would no culmina e un il he
Roman conques (Golose i 2014).
Finally, he hi d ma e o in e es equi es us o hypo hesize abou some o he causes ha
may ha e encou aged, legi imized, o s uc u ed his pa h owa ds di ision and in e nal inequali y.
In his s udy, we ha e conside ed he possibili y ha he social ole o me alwo king and hose
engaged in i may ha e had an in luence on he eme gence and legi imiza ion o his pa adigm shi
in he se lemen . I should be no ed he e ha me alwo king, by i sel , is no seen as he igge in he
eme gence o hese p ocesses: complex changes a e he esul o a mul iplici y o in e ela ed ac o s.
Howe e , a g ea e p oduc i e specializa ion, o which me allu gy is an ob ious ins ance, and i s
link wi h some o he domes ic uni s o he se lemen sugges he possibili y ha he con ol o
ce ain ac i i ies may ha e been conside ed a ma k o p es ige and linked o powe ul g oups.
Hence, as we ha e sugges ed, i is necessa y o emb ace an unde s anding o me allu gy as a
symbolic and social ac i i y, no me ely a echnological one.
To some ex en , his is no a no el ques ion; he eso e ic and symbolic componen o
me alwo king has been s udied om di e en e hnological and an h opological con ex s in egions
such as he B i ish Isles (Gillies 1981) and Scandina ia (Ba ndon 2005). These in es iga ions ha e
no only add essed he link be ween me alwo king and he magical componen ha assis s in
s uc u ing i s echnical dimension, bu ha e also explo ed he hypo he ical posi ion o he p es ige
acco ded o he me alwo ke om p ehis o ic imes (especially in he B i ish Isles: Gillies 1981,
73–4; Sco 1987,153–4; Dolan 2016, 31) and he close ela ionship be ween me allu gy and i uals
(Haaland 2004, 149; Dolan 2016, 35). F om ou poin o iew, we aim o ake his line o hough
s ill u he , o conside he social and symbolic dimension o me alwo king as a ele an ac o in
he de elopmen o ce ain social dynamics. As men ioned abo e, he social posi ion o
me alwo ke s is eminen ly cul u al, and hei me e p esence does no illus a e ha o ei he
hie a chy o p es ige; an elucida ion equi es e-e alua ing hei ela ionship wi h all hose elemen s
indica i e o any g ea e o lesse social p es ige.
SAMUEL NIÓN-ÁLVAREZ AND FRANCISCO JAVIER GONZÁLEZ GARCÍA
OXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY
©2022 The Au ho s. Ox o d Jou nal o A chaeology published by John Wiley & Sons L d on behal o Uni e si y o Ox o d. 65
14680092, 2023, 1, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ojoa.12262 by Uni e sidade de San iago de Compos ela, Wiley Online Lib a y on [15/06/2023]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License
A he same ime, i is also wo h highligh ing ha he s udy o he i uali y o me alwo king
has mos ly ocused on i on and s eel, possibly as a esul o wo main ac o s in play: he p ominen
posi ion o he blacksmi h in medie al Eu opean ex s and he e y limi ed exis ence o coppe
wo king in adi ional A ican me allu gy (whe e mos an h opological s udies ha e been
conduc ed). Al hough he wo king condi ions o he me allu gy o non- e ous me als a e adically
di e en om hose o i on (ine i ably gene a ing di e en na a i es and symbolism),
coppe -based me allu gy ye o e s many examples o i s symbolic and eso e ic alue, as, o
example, in India (Lahi i 1995). B onze me allu gy is cha ac e ized by complex
echnical-ope a ional chains (Lehoë 2018,117–52); he absence o a speci ic ea men such as
hea y o ging (G een 2002,15–16) does no necessa ily imply ha he symbolic alue o eso e ic
knowledge was any lesse wi h coppe and b onze, bu he esul ing cul u al phenomena will
necessa ily di e om hose o i on me allu gy.
Re u ning o he case s udy, and ocusing on Pun a deMu os, he p o ound social change in
he se lemen in i s las yea s o occupa ion is also indica ed in a no able change in he manne o
me allu gical p oduc ion. Me alwo king mo ed om mul i unc ional a eas o specialized zones
and became especially linked o some o he mos complex households (Nión-Ál a ez 2022,
496–7). The c ea ion o specialized me alwo king a eas may ha e been ela ed o a desi e o keep
i de ached om he es o he c a s and domes ic wo k, away om ou side s. Maybe his sugges s
an a emp o keep ce ain phases o p ocesses o me al manu ac u e and elabo a ion sec e , as in
A ican socie ies (He be 1993,78–114) o , appa en ly, in p o ohis o ic I eland (Dolan 2016,
43–4). In his way, me allu gy may ha e inc eased i s posi ion as a p es igious ac i i y h ough he
ein o cemen o i s eso e ic alue in he hands o a ew amily uni s, as he appea ance o hese
specialized a eas in wo o he six majo domes ic g oups would seem o indica e. The con ol and
knowledge o hese ac i i ies obse ed may sugges ha he link wi h hese ou s anding domes ic
uni s co ela es o an inc ease in he p es ige o he me al c a sman and he alue o his ac i i y
wi hin he communi y. In ac , he impo ance and symbolic alue o me allu gy can also be ied
o he appea ance o S uc u e XX, a eligious building ha could e en signal a change in he ways
o exp essing symbolism and i uali y om hose ope a ing in he i s cen u ies o i s occupa ion. I
should be emembe ed ha a p ocess o dei ica ion o me allu gy h ough he eme gence o a
‘blacksmi h dei y’canno be uled ou ei he , as has been in e ed om he elie o Vila de Pe dizes
(Mon aleg e, Po ugal) (Scha ne 2019,203–5), al hough, in his case, i can only be con i med
la e .
The symbolic dimension o me alwo king is essen ial in he p ocess o legi imize
p es ige and ele an ac i i ies wi hin he communi y: o gua an ee he smoo h unc ioning o
socie y (ini ia ion ce emonies, en h onemen , e c.: Welbou n 1981, 37), o ac as a sou ce o
powe (Reid and MacLean 1995, 145), o supply oyal symbols o insignia (Sassoon 1983), as
an eso e ic o m o knowledge (Childs 1998, 112), o o be in ima ely linked o magic
(Me we and A e y 1987, 143; Ba ndon 2005, 41) and cosmological belie s (Schmid and
Mapunda 1997, 75).
Coming back o Pun a de Mu os, he p esence o me alwo king ac i i ies in wo o he six
complex domes ic uni s shows ha me allu gy may ha e con e ed a g ea e social s a us.
Fu he mo e, i s p esence in only wo domes ic uni s could also highligh ha i was p obably a
p es igious ac i i y, bu no a widely p ac ised one, which may indica e he impo ance o p ese ing
and concealing knowledge ela ed o me alwo king ( his is common in i on me allu gy o he
smel ing p ocess: Childs 1998, 114). This eminence i s well wi h he eloca ion o me alwo king
ac i i ies o hei own specialized space, o sec ecy.
SOCIAL CHANGE AND METALWORKING IN EIA IBERIA
OXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY
66 ©2022 The Au ho s. Ox o d Jou nal o A chaeology published by John Wiley & Sons L d on behal o Uni e si y o Ox o d.
14680092, 2023, 1, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ojoa.12262 by Uni e sidade de San iago de Compos ela, Wiley Online Lib a y on [15/06/2023]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License
Howe e , no all la ge domes ic g oups p oduced me al; hus, me allu gy could no be he
only ou e o social p omo ion o legi imiza ion. While i is possible o assume se e al scena ios in
which he knowledge o me alwo king was an agen o social change, i was p obably no he only
one.
CONCLUSIONS
This pape has p esen ed a e iew o he social dynamics o wo EIA se lemen s in
no h-wes Ibe ia using a holis ic and diach onic pe spec i e ha has allowed us o e eal he
eme gence o di e gen social ends in he EIA. This app oach has a ou ed he adop ion o a luid
elemen in social dynamics, which allows o he cha ac e iza ion o di e gen o he e ogeneous
p ocesses.
Thus, on he one hand, a clea esis ance o social inequali y and in e nal changes can be
su mised o A G aña, a hill o ep esen a i e he dynamics ope a ing in no h-wes Ibe ia in he
EIA. A he same ime, Pun a de Mu os unde wen a p o ound social al e a ion h oughou he i h
cen u y BC. These ans o ma ions seem o be he consequence o a change o and in he social
pa adigm in he se lemen , as a esul o which a g ea e le el o in e nal social inequali y was
p oduced, wi h he appea ance o some po en ial g oups and/o lineages enjoying g ea e powe
and p es ige. Ou a gumen s sugges ha he knowledge o me allu gy and he social posi ion o
he smi h may ha e been pa o he legi imiza ion o hese new p ocesses, gi en he ema kable
change as o whe e and how hey wo ked and he isible links wi h se e al o he mos impo an
domes ic uni s in he se lemen . This a icle is a wake-up call as o he ele ance o me alwo king
in social dynamics. I is necessa y o gi e g ea e weigh o i s social and symbolic dimension and
impac when sc u inizing non-indus ial socie ies.
Acknowledgemen s
We would like o hank Jon B okenb ow and Tama a Ba ei o Nei a o e iewing and p oo eading
he ex , as well as he edi o ial boa d and he e iewe s o hei insigh ul commen s and sugges ions.
(SN-A) Uni e si y o San iago de Compos ela/Incipi
CSIC, Depa men o His o y
Mon e Gaiás s/n, Domingo Fon án Building, Block B4, Fi s Floo , 123, 15702, San iago de
Compos ela (A Co uña)
SPAIN
(Co esponding au ho ) E-mail: samuelnional a [email protected]
ORCID: h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0001-9717-2383
(FJGG) Uni e si y o San iago de Compos ela
Depa men o His o y, Facul y o His o y
P aza da Uni e sidade 1, 15703, San iago de Compos ela (A Co uña)
SPAIN
E-mail: anciscoja ie [email protected]
ORCID: h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0002-9201-878X
doi: 10.1111/ojoa.12262
SAMUEL NIÓN-ÁLVAREZ AND FRANCISCO JAVIER GONZÁLEZ GARCÍA
OXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY
©2022 The Au ho s. Ox o d Jou nal o A chaeology published by John Wiley & Sons L d on behal o Uni e si y o Ox o d. 67
14680092, 2023, 1, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ojoa.12262 by Uni e sidade de San iago de Compos ela, Wiley Online Lib a y on [15/06/2023]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License
REFERENCES
ACUÑA CASTROVIEJO,F.andMEIJIDE CAMESELLE,G. 1991: Cas o de A G aña (Toques, A Co uña). A queoloxía
In o mes 2 (A Co uña), 51–4.
BARNDON,R. 2004: A discussion o magic and medicines in Eas A ican i on wo king: ac o s and a e ac s in
echnology. No wegian A chaeological Re iew 37(1), 21–40.
BARNDON,R. 2005: Spa ks o li e: he concep o i e in i on wo king. Cu en Swedish A chaeology 13, 39–57.
BETTENCOURT,A.M.S.2000:O po oado de Sao Julião, Vila e de, No e de Po ugal, nos inais da Idade do
B once e na ansição pa a a Idade do Fe o (B aga).
BLANCO-GONZÁLEZ,A. 2011: F om hu s o ‘ he house’. The shi in pe cei ing home be ween he B onze Age
and he Ea ly I on Age in Cen al Ibe ia (Spain). Ox o d Jou nal o A chaeology 30(4), 393–410.
BLOCH,M. 2008: Why eligion is no hing special bu is cen al. Philosophical T ansac ions o he Royal Socie y
o London 363, 2055–61.
BRONK RAMSEY,C. 1995: Radioca bon calib a ion and analysis o s a ig aphy: he OxCal p og am.
Radioca bon 37(2), 425–30.
BUDD,P.andTAYLOR,T. 1995: The ae ie smi h mee s he b onze indus y: magic e sus science in he
in e p e a ion o p ehis o ic me al-making. Wo ld A chaeology 27(1), 133–43.
CANO PAN,J.A. 2012: Pun a de Mu os: un poblado o i icado de inales de la Edad de B once (A Co uña).
CAUVIN,J.2013:Naissance des di ini és, naissance de l’ag icul u e (Pa is).
CUNLIFFE,B. 1999: A lan ic sea-ways. Re is a de Guima âes Volume Especial I, 93–105.
CURRÁS REFOJOS,B.X.andSASTRE,I. 2019: Egali a ianism and esis ance: a heo e ical p oposal o I on Age
no hwes e n Ibe ian a chaeology. An h opological Theo y 20(3), 300–29.
CHILDS,S.T. 1998: Social iden i y and c a specializa ion among To o i on wo ke s in wes e n Uganda.
A chaeological Pape s o he Ame ican An h opological Associa ion 8(1), 109–21.
CHILDS,S.T.andHERBERT,E. 2005: Me allu gy and i s consequences. In STAHL,A.B. (ed.), A ican A chaeology.
A C i ical In oduc ion (Malden/Ox o d/Ca l on, Vic o ia), 276–301.
CHILDS,S.T.andKILLICK,D. 1993: Indigenous A ican me allu gy: na u e and cul u e. Annual Re iew o
An h opology 22, 317–37.
DELFINO,D., COIMBRA,F., CARDOSO,D.andCRUZ,G. 2020: La e P ehis o ic Fo i ica ions in Eu ope: De ensi e,
Symbolic and Te i o ial Aspec s om he Chalcoli hic o he I on Age (Ox o d).
DOLAN,B. 2016: Making i on in he I ish midlands: he social and symbolic ole o I on Age i onwo ke s. The
Jou nal o I ish A chaeology 25, 31–48.
FARCI,C., MARTINÓN-TORRES,M.andGONZÁLEZ ÁLVAREZ,D. 2017: B onze p oduc ion in he I on Age o he Ibe ian
Peninsula: he case o El Cas u, Vigaña (As u ias, NW Spain). Jou nal o A chaeological Science.
Repo s 11, 388–51.
FEINMAN,G. 2016: Va ia ion and change in a chaic s a es: i ual as a mechanism o sociopoli ical in eg a ion.
In MURPHY,J.M.(ed.),Ri ual and A chaic S a es (Gaines ille), 1–22.
FERNÁNDEZ-GÖTZ,M. 2014: De la amilia a la e nia: P o ohis o ia de la Galia O ien al (Mad id).
FERNÁNDEZ-GÖTZ,M. 2017: U baniza ionin I on Age Eu ope: ajec o ies, pa e ns and social dynamics. Jou nal
o A chaeological Resea ch 26(2), 117–62.
FERNÁNDEZ-GÖTZ,M.andROYMANS,N. 2015: The poli ics o iden i y: La e I on Age sanc ua ies in he Rhineland.
Jou nal o he No h A lan ic 8, 18–32.
GARCIA,D. 2005: U baniza ionand spa ial o ganiza ion in sou he n F ance and no h-eas e n Spain. In OSBORNE,
R.andCUNLIFFE,B. (eds.), Medi e anean U banisa ion 800–600 BC (Ox o d), 169–86.
GERRITSEN,F. 2007: Reloca ing he house. Social ans o ma ions in la e p ehis o ic no he n Eu ope. In BECK,R.
A.(ed.),The Du able House. House Socie y Models in A chaeology (Ca bondale), 154–74.
GILES,M. 2007: Making me als and o ging ela ions. I onwo king in he B i ish I on Age. Ox o d Jou nal o
A chaeology 26(4), 395–413.
GILLIES,W. 1981: The c a sman in ea ly Cel ic li e a u e. Sco ish A chaeological Fo um 11, 70–85.
GODELIER,M. 1986: La p oducción de G andes Homb es. Pode y dominación masculina en e los Ba uya de
Nue a Guinea (Mad id).
GOLOSETTI,R. 2014: Places o memo y. He o cul s and u banisa ion du ing he Fi s I on Age in sou heas Gaul.
In FERNÁNDEZ GÖTZ,M., WENDLING,H.andWINGER,K. (eds.), Pa hs o Complexi y. Cen alisa ion and
U banisa ion in I on Age Eu ope (Ox o d), 52–64.
SOCIAL CHANGE AND METALWORKING IN EIA IBERIA
OXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY
68 ©2022 The Au ho s. Ox o d Jou nal o A chaeology published by John Wiley & Sons L d on behal o Uni e si y o Ox o d.
14680092, 2023, 1, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ojoa.12262 by Uni e sidade de San iago de Compos ela, Wiley Online Lib a y on [15/06/2023]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License
GOLOSETTI,R. 2017: Cul Places a o me oppida in sou h-eas Gaul: ques ions o memo y, adi ion and
iden i y. Ox o d Jou nal o A chaeology 36(2), 171–95.
GONZÁLEZ-RUIBAL,A.2006–07: Galaicos: pode y comunidad en el No oes e de la Península Ibé ica: (1200
a.C.–50 d.C.) (A Co uña).
GONZÁLEZ-RUIBAL,A. 2012: The poli ics o iden i y: e hnici y and he economy o powe in I on Age No hwes
Ibe ia. In STODDART,S.andCIFANI,G. (eds.), Landscape, E hnici y, Iden i y in he A chaic Medi e anean
A ea (Ox o d), 245–66.
GONZÁLEZ ÁLVAREZ,D. 2011: De la cul u a cas eña al mosaico cas eño: Una ap oximación en é minos sociales
a la a iabilidad de las o mas de poblamien o de las comunidades cas eñas del No oes e peninsula y
o la can áb ica. Es a C i ic 5(1), 213–26.
GONZÁLEZ GARCÍA,F.J. 2017: Explo ing al e na i e pa hways o social complexi y in he Eu opean I on Age: he
no hwes e n Ibe ian peninsula as a case s udy. Camb idge A chaeological Jou nal 27(2), 295–311.
GONZÁLEZ GARCÍA,F.J., PARCERO-OUBIÑA,C.andAYÁN-VILA,X. 2011: I on Age socie ies agains he s a e. An
accoun on he eme gence o he I on Age in he NW Ibe ian peninsula. In ARMADA PITA,X.L.andMOORE,
T.(eds.),A lan ic Eu ope in he Fi s Millennium BC: C ossing he Di ide (Ox o d), 285–301.
GREEN,M.A. 2002: Any old i on! Symbolism and i onwo king in I on Age Eu ope. In GREEN,M.A.andWEBSTER,
P.(eds.),A e ac s and A chaeology. Aspec s o he Cel ic and Roman Wo ld (Ca di ), 8–19.
HAALAND,R. 2004: Technology, ans o ma ion and symbolism: e hnog aphic pe spec i es on Eu opean i on
wo king. No wegian A chaeological Re iew 37(1), 1–19.
HAALAND,R.2007–08: Say i in i on. Symbols o ans o ma ion and ep oduc ion in he Eu opean I on Age.
Cu en Swedish A chaeology 15–16, 91–110.
HELMS,M.W.1993:C a and he Kingly Ideal (Aus in).
HERBERT,E. 1993: I on, Gende , and Powe : Ri uals o T ans o ma ion in A ican Socie ies, A ican Sys ems o
Though (Blooming on/Indianapolis).
HILL,J.D. 1995: How should we unde s and I on Age socie ies and hill o s? A con ex ual s udy om Sou he n
B i ain. In HILL,J.D.andCUMBERPATCH,C. (eds.), Di e en I on Ages. S udies on he I on Age in Tempe a e
Eu ope (Ox o d), 45–66.
HINGLEY,R. 1997: I on, i onwo king and egene a ion: a s udy o he symbolic meaning o me alwo king in I on
Age B i ain. In GWILT,A.andHASELGROVE,C. (eds.), Recons uc ing I on Age Socie ies (Ox o d), 9–15.
HINGLEY,R. 2009: Eso e ic knowledge? Ancien b onze a e ac s om I on Age con ex s. P oceedings o he
P ehis o ic Socie y 75, 143–65.
HODDER,I. 2004: Pos -mode nism, pos -s uc u alism and pos -p ocesualism. In HODDER,I. (ed.), The Meanings
o Things. Ma e ial Cul u e and Symbolic Exp ession (Abingdon), 64–78.
HODDER,I.andPELS,P. 2010: His o y houses: A new in e p e a ion o a chi ec u al elabo a ion a Ça alhöyük.
In HODDER,I. (ed.), Religion in he Eme gence o Ci iliza ion. Ça alhöyük as a Case S udy
(Camb idge), 163–86.
INGOLD,T.2000:The Pe cep ion o he En i onmen : Essays on Li elihood, Dwelling and Skill (London).
LAHIRI,N.L. 1995: Indian me al and me al- ela ed a e ac s as cul u al signi ie s: an e hnog aphic pe spec i e.
Wo ld A chaeology 27(1), 116–32.
LEHOËRFF,A.2018:Pa les a mes. le jou où l’homme in en e la gue e (Pa is).
LUCAS,G.2012:Unde s anding he A chaeological Reco d (Camb idge).
MEIJIDE CAMESELLE,G. 1990: T es da aciones de C 14 del Cas o de A G aña (Toques, A Co uña) y su con ex o
a queológico. Gallaecia 12, 111–34.
MÉNDEZ FERNÁNDEZ,F. 1994: La domes icación del paisaje du an e la Edad del B once gallego. T abajos De
P ehis o ia 51(1), 77–94.
MERWE,N.J.andAVERY,D.H. 1987: Science and magic in A ican echnology: adi ional i on smel ing in
Malawi. A ican A chaeological Re iew 57(2), 144–72.
NIÓN-ÁLVAREZ,S. 2018: Pun a de Mu os y su excepcionalidad en el con ex o del Hie o I en el No oes e
peninsula . In AGUDO PÉREZ,L., DUARTE,C., GARCÍA FRAGA,A., GEILING,J.M., HIGUERO PLIEGO,A.andNÚÑEZ
DE LA FUENTE,S.(eds.),Ac as de las IX Jo nadas de Jó enes en In es igación A queológica
(San ande ), 345–52.
NIÓN-ÁLVAREZ,S. 2021: La p o ohis o ia en el e i o io á ab o. O ganización social y es uc u a e i o ial.
(Ph.D. hesis, Uni e si y o San iago de Compos ela).
NIÓN-ÁLVAREZ,S. 2022: The me alwo ke as social agen : A longue du ée app oach om No h-Wes e n Ibe ian
a lan ic açade (9 h–1s cen u ies BCE). Camb idge A chaeological Jou nal 32(2), 489–506.
SAMUEL NIÓN-ÁLVAREZ AND FRANCISCO JAVIER GONZÁLEZ GARCÍA
OXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY
©2022 The Au ho s. Ox o d Jou nal o A chaeology published by John Wiley & Sons L d on behal o Uni e si y o Ox o d. 69
14680092, 2023, 1, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ojoa.12262 by Uni e sidade de San iago de Compos ela, Wiley Online Lib a y on [15/06/2023]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License
NIÓN-ÁLVAREZ,S. o hcoming: Analysing social p ocesses h ough domes ic and public spaces: an app oach
om no hwes Ibe ia (9 h–1s cen u ies BC). Jou nal o Medi e anean A chaeology 35(2).
OLIVIER,L. 2001: Du a ion, memo y and he na u e o he a chaeological eco d. In KARLSSON,H.(ed.),I ’sabou
Time: The Concep o Time in A chaeology (Gö ebo g), 61–70.
OLIVIER,L. 2020: El oscu o abismo del iempo. Memo ia y a queología (Mad id).
PARCERO-OUBIÑA,C. 2000: T es pa a dos. Las o mas del poblamien o en la Edad del Hie o del No oes e
Ibé ico. T abajos De P ehis o ia 57(1), 75–95.
PARCERO-OUBIÑA,C., ARMADA PITA,X.L., NIÓN-ÁLVAREZ,S.andGONZÁLEZ INSUA,F. 2020: All oge he now (o no ):
change, esis ance, esilience in he NW Ibe ian peninsula be ween he B onze Age –I on Age.
In CURRÁS,B.X.andSASTRE,I. (eds.), Al e na i e I on Ages. Social Theo y om A chaeological Analysis
(Abingdon and New Yo k), 151–75.
PFAFFENBERGER,B. 1988: Fe ishised objec s and humanised na u e: owa ds an an h opology o echnology.
Man, New Se ies 23(2), 236–52.
REID,A.andMACLEAN,R. 1995: Symbolism and he social con ex s o i on p oduc ion in Ka agwe. Wo ld
A chaeology 27(1), 144–61.
ROYMANS,N.andGERRITSEN,F. 2002: Landscape, ecology and men ali és: a long- e m pe spec i e on
de elopmen s in he Meuse-Deme -Scheld Region. P oceedings o he P ehis o ic Socie y 68, 257–87.
RUÍZ ZAPATERO,G. 2005: Un cí culo de lec o es. Mi adas sob e los cel as del NO. de la Península Ibé ica.
Complu um 16, 151–208.
SASSOON,H. 1983: Kings, ca le and blacksmi hs: oyal insignia and eligious symbolism in he in e lacus ine
s a es. Azania: A chaeological Resea ch in A ica 18(1), 93–106.
SCHATTNER,T.G. 2019: Di e sidad en la dis ancia. Imágenes omanas de di inidades en el Occiden e hispano.
Onoba 7, 193–236.
SCHMIDT,P.R.andMAPUNDA,B. 1997: Ideology and he a chaeology eco d in A ica. In e p e ing symbolism in
i on smel ing echnology. Jou nal o An h opological A chaeology 16, 73–102.
SCOTT,B.G. 1987: The s a us o he blacksmi h in ea ly I eland. In SCOTT,B.G.andCLEERE,H.(eds.),The C a s o
he Blacksmi h: Essays P esen ed o R.F. Tyleco e (Bel as ), 153–66.
SILVA,A.C.F. 1986: A Cul u a Cas eja do No oes e de Po ugal (Paços de Fe ei a).
STEADMAN,S.2015:A chaeology o Domes ic A chi ec u e and he Human Use o Space (Walnu C eek).
THOMAS,J.1999:Time, Cul u e and Iden i y. An In e p e a i e A chaeology (London).
VANS INA,J.M. 1978: The Child en o Woo : A His o y o he Kuba Peoples (Madison).
VON NICOLAI,C. 2014: Symbolic meanings o I on Age hill o de ences in con inen al Eu ope. In FERNÁNDEZ
GÖTZ,M., WENDLING,H.andWINGER,K. (eds.), Pa hs o Complexi y. Cen alisa ions and U banisa ion in
I on Age Eu ope (Ox o d), 111–22.
WELBOURN,D.A. 1981: The ole o blacksmi hs in a ibal socie y. A chaeological Re iew om Camb idge 1,
30–40.
WELBOURN,D.A. 1985: C a specialisa ion and complex socie ies: a c i ique. In CHAMPION,T.C.andMEGAW,J.V.S.
(eds.), Se lemen and Socie y: Aspec s o Wes Eu opean P ehis o y in he Fi s Millennium B.C.
(Leices e ), 123–32.
SOCIAL CHANGE AND METALWORKING IN EIA IBERIA
OXFORD JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY
70 ©2022 The Au ho s. Ox o d Jou nal o A chaeology published by John Wiley & Sons L d on behal o Uni e si y o Ox o d.
14680092, 2023, 1, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ojoa.12262 by Uni e sidade de San iago de Compos ela, Wiley Online Lib a y on [15/06/2023]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License
