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Revisiting the Chalcolithic site of El Ventorro (Madrid, Spain). Ceramic Re-fitting and Taphonomy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 October 2014

ANTONIO BLANCO-GONZÁLEZ  and
JOHN CHAPMAN
ANTONIO BLANCO-GONZÁLEZ
Affiliation:
1 Department of Archaeology, University of Durham, South Road DH1 3LE Durham UK. Email: [email protected]
JOHN CHAPMAN
Affiliation:
1 Department of Archaeology, University of Durham, South Road DH1 3LE Durham UK. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Monumental ditches and Bell Beakers are two key phenomena in later prehistoric Europe involved in the study of El Ventorro, near Madrid. In this article, we discuss and develop an analytical protocol for a thorough characterisation of the patterns of breakage, abrasion, and representation of ceramics. The procedure is tested with a large ceramic sample from ‘Pithouse 013’, an unusually rich context which challenges stereotypical accounts of the domestic sphere, feasting, and prestige goods deposition. This sunken feature was filled with a heterogeneous mixture of recently broken remains and secondary residues, and is reinterpreted here as a ditch segment instead of everyday fossilised occupation surfaces. The paper sheds important new light on depositional practices, the social biographies of Beaker pottery, and the infilling of ditched enclosures. It also allows the assessment of the potential of this integrated re-fitting and taphonomic strategy to illuminate poorly understood aspects of pottery in a range of time–place contexts.

Résumé

Revisite du site chalcolithique d’ El Ventorro (Madrid, Espagne). réajustement de la céramique et taphonomie, d’Antonio Blanco-González et John Chapman

Fossés monumentaux et vases campaniformes sont deux phénomènes clés de l’Europe de la seconde partie de la préhistoire impliqués dans l’étude d’El Ventorro, près de Madrid. Dans cet article, nous discutons et développons un protocole analytique de caractérisation minutieuse des configurations de bris, abrasion et représentation des céramiques. Le procédé est testé sur un important échantillon de céramiques de `Pithouse 013’,un contexte exceptionnellement riche qui remet en question les récits stéréotypés de sphère domestique, festins et déposition d’objets de prestige. Ce vestige enfoncé en terre était rempli d’un mélange hétérogène de restes récemment brisés et de résidus secondaires, et on le réinterprète ici comme un segment de fossé et non pas les surfaces d’une banale occupation fossilisée. L’article éclaire d’une nouvelle lumière les pratiques de déposition, les biographies sociales de la poterie campaniforme et le remblayage des enclos à fossés. Il nous permet aussi d’évaluer le potentiel de ce réajustement intégré et de cette stratégie taphonomique pour éclairer des aspects mal compris de la céramique dans une gamme de contextes espace-temps.

Zussamenfassung

Eine Neubewertung des chalkolithischen Fundplatzes El Ventorro (Madrid, Spanien). Keramische Anpassungen und Taphonomie, von Antonio Blanco-González und John Chapman

Monumentale Gräben und Glockenbecher sind zwei der wichtigsten Phänomene des jüngeren prähistorischen Europa, die für die Untersuchung von El Ventorro, nahe Madrid, eine Rolle spielen. In diesem Artikel diskutieren und entwickeln wir ein analytisches Protokoll für eine detaillierte Erfassung von keramischen Bruch-, Abrasions- und Erhaltungsmustern. Das Vorgehen wird anhand eines großen Ensembles an Keramik aus dem „Grubenhaus 013“ getestet, ein ungewöhnlich fundreicher Kontext, der stereotype Vorstellungen in Frage stellt, welche die häusliche Sphäre, das Feiern von Festen und die Deponierung von Prestigegütern betreffen. Dieser eingetiefte Befund war mit einer heterogenen Mischung von frisch zerbrochenen Funden und sekundären Überresten verfüllt und wird hier neu interpretiert als ein Grubenabschnitt statt eines Hauses mit fossilisierten Oberflächen alltäglicher Nutzung. Der Beitrag wirft wichtiges neues Licht auf Deponierungspraktiken, auf die sozialen Biographien von Glockenbecherkeramik und die Verfüllung von Grabenwerken. Er ermöglicht auch eine Bewertung des Potentials einer solchen Strategie, die Keramikanpassungen und Taphonomie integriert um bislang kaum verstandene Aspekte von Keramik in einer Reihe verschiedener räumlich-zeitlicher Kontexte zu beleuchten.

Resumen

Revisitando el sitio calcolítico de El Ventorro (Madrid, España). Remontajes cerámicos y tafonomía, por Antonio Blanco-González y John Chapman

Los fosos monumentales y el campaniforme son dos de los fenómenos clave de la Prehistoria tardía en Europa implicados en el estudio de El Ventorro, cerca de Madrid. En este artículo, se discute y se desarrolla un protocolo analítico orientado a una meticulosa caracterización de los patrones de rotura, abrasión y representación de las cerámicas. El procedimiento se prueba con una gran muestra cerámica procedente del “fondo de cabaña 013”, un contexto inusualmente rico que desafía los valores estereotipados de la esfera doméstica, los banquetes y la deposición de bienes de prestigio. Esta estructura socavada se rellenó con una mezcla heterogénea de restos fracturados y residuos secundarios, y se interpreta como un segmento de foso más que como superficies de ocupación cotidianas fosilizadas. Este artículo arroja importantes y nuevas interpretaciones sobre las prácticas deposicionales, las biografías sociales de la cerámica campaniforme y el relleno de los recintos de fosos. También permite evaluar el potencial de esta estrategia integrada de remontado y tafonomía para esclarecer aspectos poco conocidos de la cerámica en contextos espacio-temporales en deversos contextos.

Keywords

Assemblage formationceramic re-fittingceramic taphonomysunken featuresditched enclosuresBell BeakerIberia
Type
Articles
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 80 , December 2014 , pp. 87 - 103
Copyright
© The Prehistoric Society 2014 

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