As the final stage of prehistory is known, that we can consider in many cases protohistory, is directly related to the use of metals. Hence, since the 19th century, its temporal divisions mainly serve a greater use of some, compared to others. In such a way that three main periods are known, the Copper, the Bronze and finally the Iron.
One of the main problems that prehistorians have encountered is the precise delimitation of these temporary spaces. Although it is obvious, we must point out that metals are in no case an invention, they are an element of nature that the human being has been adapting to his life through various timeless processes. In the case that concerns us, bronze is achieved by means of an alloy of copper and tin that provide better handling and hardness characteristics compared to the exclusive use of copper, which was the first metal to be used by man for the elaboration of utensils, weapons and ornaments. Due to this, it should be noted that the so-called Bronze Age begins in the East in dates from the IV millennium BC. C. expanding its use, as usual in prehistory, from east to west.
It should be noted that it is difficult to stick to specific dates, since these are a constant source of review by experts. This aspect is due to the continuous archaeological findings of a current society, which seems to be increasingly aware of the study of our protohistory. That said, we must add that in general terms the Bronze Age of the Iberian Peninsula developed from the end of the III millennium BC. C., until the arrival of the use of iron approximately on the VIII century a. C.
General characteristics of society in the Bronze Age.
Before delving into the question of El Argar, it is necessary to highlight some common characteristics, which we will be able to recognize in all the societies of this period.
The population increase is becoming evident, so there is a need to plow new land to make it useful for agriculture . The latter gets some significant technological advances; such as the use of the plow with draft animals, which in turn reactivates a livestock which acquires much more relevance than in the past, with the incorporation of horses and cattle for these tasks. Continuing with livestock, it should be noted that secondary products will acquire great relevance, especially sheep and ovicaprids, their milk will be used to make cheese and their wool will promote a great textile activity .
It is necessary to emphasize that, although we are in the so-called age of metals, their importance was always relative, the most inhabited areas continued to be those that offered the best opportunities for agriculture or cattle raising. It is true that there is a revaluation of the areas close to the mining resources, but in no case will it be the majority. Hence, the most populated area of the entire Peninsula seems to be that it was the Levantine, coincidentally one of the most lacking in minerals in this entire peninsular geographic space.
Despite the above, metallurgy acquired great importance within the society of the Bronze Age. The mass production of weapons began, mostly through the use of molds, from which swords, arrowheads, or daggers of different types came out. This aspect meant an increase in social differences, with a greater presence of war chiefs. Behind them was the need to protect all resources, from agriculture to minerals. So it is not difficult to find the correspondence between the latter and the location of the new settlements in elevated areas of difficult access, this favored the protection and control of nearby resources, especially the rich agricultural land and water.
Finally, in this section, the proliferation of new forms of burials should be highlighted; individual burial acquired more and more, a great importance in that society. This fact is particularly important for archeology as it facilitates the study of differences, both in social status and gender, among the buried. If at the beginning the megalithic constructions continued to be used for these burials, progressively the floors of the house itself were chosen to place the bodies of the deceased.
Argaric cist burial
El Argar.
Without a doubt we are facing the best known of all the cultures of the Bronze Age in the Iberian Peninsula. In short, it was the first to make archeology known to us at the end of the 19th century, and practically until the 70s of the last 20th century, the only one about which we had reference. Its name comes from the homonymous deposit of El Argar located in the vicinity of the current population of Antas (Almería), but it is limited to a wide geographical area of the southeast of Spain, especially in the current provinces of Almería, Murcia, Granada and Jaén. .
The first doubt that arose in his study was about the possible continuity of the Chalcolithic culture of Los Millares, which shares geographic space with El Argar. Today this hypothesis is largely discarded due to the appearance of signs of destruction and abandonment in the Chalcolithic settlements, for the relocation of the new ones in higher and easier to defend areas. This will become the main characteristic of the Argaric settlements; their situation on large promontories and in difficult-to-access territories, from where they exercised supposed control over the populations of the plain.
Upper Castellón in the province of Granada
Culture or State?
To date, nearly twenty sites of this Argaric culture have been located. Of all of them the most outstanding are El Argar and Fuente Álamo in Almería, Pañalosa in Jaén, La Bastida de Totana and La Almoloya in Murcia and Castellón Alto in Granada. From their study we can deduce that the towns of this culture had community buildings; such as walls, water tanks, pipes, barns, stables, and metallurgical or ceramic workshops.
It is evident that we are facing a complex society, with a division of tasks, and with evident social differences. Some, such as Professor Vicente Lull, rely on archeology to speculate that El Argar had a political structure in the form of a state, very similar to those that were at the beginning of history in the Middle East. It is evident that the lack of writing is a brake to confirm this hypothesis, although on the other hand there are several aspects that reinforce it:
- A strong waterproofing of the argaric borders. Its nearly 33,000 km2 (other sources indicate 49,000 km2), in times of greatest cultural splendor were shielded from outside influences. This aspect denotes a great political control, since on the other hand its exportable products have been found in various peninsular cultures.
- La Almolaya in Murcia has great possibilities of having been an important administrative center of this culture. Since in recent excavations of 2013, remains of a public building of about 300 m2 were found. At the same time distributed in several rooms, one of them of about 70 m2 had continuous benches, where with great possibility decisions were made by consensus by about 64 people.
- The nearly a thousand burials studied show a clear social division. Of them, 10% acted as a ruling class, they had weapons, which, although it served them to defend the town, was also useful to maintain control over the rest of their own neighbors. Of the rest, 50% must have been free men, so to speak, the middle class, who had certain social and political rights. Finally, 40% were servants or slaves.
- Metallurgy could be controlled by a state. This fact is deduced from the lack of deposits where the sequence of elaboration of metallic products is complete, that is to say, from the extraction to the final finish. It only seems that La Bastida in Murcia was able to carry out this work. This has led to speculation with state productions that controlled all the processes from the extraction itself to its commercialization, and that decided the location of each production point.
Recreation of the supposed place of political meetings of the Almolaya
Life and death in the Argaric culture.
The dwellings of the El Argar Culture were mostly square, rectangular or with an apsidal floor plan, they had stone plinths on which the rammed earth was placed, they were finished off with flat roofs or a water, they were made of wood and hurdles. Inside there were fireplaces, ovens or continuous benches, some, it seems, even had tiled floors and a double floor.
In the workshops of the Argaric Culture, the elaboration of utensils and weapons in copper stands out, at first, to later introduce bronze. At the end of the period, molds and remains of ingot production are found, this fact is significant for long-distance trade. But not only copper and bronze were made, but other metals such as silver, mainly used for making jewelry and ornaments. In this regard, it should be noted that the geographical area of El Argar is one of the most important mining areas on the Peninsula; highlight the areas of Linares or Cartagena.
La Bastida de Totana, seen with the recreation of the 21st century
The burials at El Argar followed the previously reported pattern of individual burials. These were carried out mainly inside the houses, to place the deceased, cists, pits, covachas or jars were used, the smallest ones were placed in vessels. All of them together with their personal trousseau, obviously with social and gender differences. Of all the elements found in the tombs, the Argaric cups stand out. , since it seems that its main function could have been destined precisely to the transfer ceremony, and an essential part of the trousseau of the ruling or warrior class.
Argaric Cup
Conclusions.
El Argar raises big questions, which if they were ever deciphered could place the Iberian Peninsula at a similar level in terms of political and social evolution as the Middle East. If previously we have meant that the period of the Bronze Age in the Peninsula covers from the end of the III millennium a. C., until the arrival of Iron on the VIII century a. C. The Argárica culture would only be present in the first part of this route. Its dating between 2200-1550 a. C. reveals important aspects to us; since it would connect with important civilizations on the other side of the Mediterranean, such as Babylon or the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, and would be prior to cultures such as the Mycenaean in Greece.
But what was previously meant by lack of writing, is possibly its biggest drag. We do not know its origin for sure, today it seems that there is a desire to agree on an autochthonous evolution since the Chalcolithic, avoiding a possible allochthonous origin supported by signs of destruction and, above all, the change from circular houses to rectangular ones.
Its end is the other big question, the theses are supported by the depletion of resources, mainly metalliferous, and a worrying deforestation. But what did disappear was the political and social component, the towns lost their interconnection and the arrival of new foreign elements produced a progressive decline of them until they were abandoned. Some about that year 1550 a. C. as La Bastida without elements that indicate violence, while others ended up reused by later cultures such as the Iberian, already in the middle of the Iron Age.
More info:
Recent prehistory of the Iberian Peninsula, Coor. Mario Menéndez, Ed. Uned, 2013
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