31 - From the Nineteenth Century to the Twenty-First: Understanding the Bronze Age Argaric Lifecourse in the Mediterranean ‘Far West’

Summary

The El Argar culture, spanning the years 2200-1500 Cal BC in southeastern Iberia's Bronze Age, is one of the best-known prehistoric periods in the western Mediterranean. This chapter first discusses traditional accounts of Argaric culture. It then talks about recent developments in research on the mortuary records that question long-established assumptions, examines hitherto unstudied practices and opens up new avenues for interpretation and analysis. The chapter also focuses on the re-evaluation of the warlike nature of Argaric societies, and assesses studies of commensality rituals in funerals. There are two main sources of archaeological evidence that allegedly illustrate the warlike nature of Argaric society: the emergence of specialised weaponry and the very characteristics of Argaric settlements in relation to their location and some of their structures, interpreted as defensive. Commensal pottery and animal bones found in burials are two major sources of evidence for the study of Argaric funerary commensality practices. Finally, the chapter examines works dealing with daily maintenance activities.