A multi-analytical study of the Montelirio beaded attires: Marine resources, sumptuary crafts, and female power in copper age Iberia
Excellent indicators of technology, social organization, exchange patterns, and even beliefs, beads are a topic of research in their own right. Findings made between 2010 and 2011 at the Montelirio tholos burial, part of the Valencina Copper Age mega-site, in south-western Spain, revealed what amounts to the largest single-burial ever-documented assemblage of beads. Furthermore, the Montelirio beads were part of unparalleled beaded attires worn by some of the people buried in the grave, mostly females. A multi-analytical study undertaken over the past 5 years-including a meticulous quantification of the collection, the characterization of the raw materials, radiocarbon dating and chronometric statistical modeling, morphometric analysis, phytolith analysis, experimental work and contextual analysis-reveals several previously unidentified aspects of these remarkable creations. This includes the role of the attires as sumptuary attributes heavily loaded of symbolism, used by a selected group of women of high social significance.
Authors
- Álvaro Fernández Flores
- Marta Díaz-Guardamino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7641-300X)
- Teodosio Donaire Romero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5582-2253)
- Leonardo García Sanjuán (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8404-9252)
- Marta Cintas-Peña (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5222-8769)
- Juan Cárdenas-Párraga (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2787-0829)
- José Antonio Lozano Rodríguez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4598-4472)
- Timothy Earle (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0339-7694)
- Juan Manuel Vargas Jiménez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5772-1226)
- Luís Miguel Cáceres Puro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1381-2476)
- Fernando Muñiz Guinea (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5727-3646)
- Miriam Luciañez Triviño (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5281-9304)
- Carlos Rodríguez Rellán (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5884-6592)
- Samuel Cantú Ramírez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8563-4528)
- David Wheatley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7265-704X)
- Verónica Balsera Nieto
- José Ángel Afonso Vargas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3808-310X)
- María Martínez Merino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9578-0483)
Institutions
- Northwestern University (US)
- Ministerio de Transportes, Movilidad y Agenda Urbana (ES)
- Universidad de La Laguna (ES)
- University of the Basque Country (ES)
- Universidad de Granada (ES)
- Universidad de Alcalá (ES)
- Durham University (GB)
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía (ES)
- Ayuntamiento de Sevilla (ES)
- Light Prescriptions Innovators (Spain) (ES)
- University of Southampton (GB)
- Universidad de Huelva (ES)
- Universidad de Sevilla (ES)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Published
- 2025-01-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adp1917
- Citations
- 8
- Primary Topic
- Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 30.30
Funders
- Sight Research UK
- Natural Environment Research Council