Experimental Archaeology: Replication of Iberian Late Bronze Age Stelae
The Project / O Projecto / El Proyecto / Das Projekt
Das Experiment, welches auf dieser Seite dokumentiert wird, findet im Rahmen des DFG-Projektes "The Iberian stelae of the Final Bronze Age: iconography, technology and the transfer of knowledge between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean / Die Iberischen Stelen der Spätbronzezeit: Bildkunst, Technologie und Wissenstransfer zwischen Atlantik und Mittelmeer" statt. Das Projekt stellt sich vor und es wird kurz erklärt, warum die Stelen von besonderem Interesse für die Erforschung prähistorischer Netzwerke und des interkulturellen Austausches sind, welche auf Wissenstransfer und Kooperation beruhten.
Documentaries, Reports and Videos
Videos and TV Reports from our project // Videos e reportagens em relação al projecto // videos y reportajes de nuestro proyecto // Videos und Fernsehreportagen zu unserem Projekt
Publications
Publications resulting from this DFG-Project / Publicações resultantes deste projeto del DFG / Publicaciones derivadas de este proyecto del DFG/ Publikationen im Rahmen dieses DFG-Projektes
Smelting Experiment at the Universidad Autonòma de Madrid
In June 2023, the blacksmiths Thomas Mink and Alexander Richter reconstructed a bloomery furnace with our project team and produced an iron bloom from Iberian ores, with the perspective to forge chisels // En junio de 2023, los herreros Thomas Mink y Alexander Richter reconstruyeron con nuestro equipo de proyecto un horno de reducción directa y fabricaron una lupia con minerales de hierro ibérico para forjar cinceles // Em junho de 2023, os ferreiros Thomas Mink e Alexander Richter reconstruíram um forno de forja catala com a nossa equipa de projeto e produziram uma lupia a partir de minerais de ferro ibéricos para forjar cinzéis // Im Juni 2023 rekonstruierten die Schmiede Thomas Mink und Alexander Richter mit unserem Projektteam einen prähistorischen Rennofen und stellten aus Ibersichen Eisenmineralien eine Luppe her, um daraus Meißel zu schmieden.
Excavation in Nave (Moimenta da Beira, Portugal)
A team of international archaeologists from the Universities of Freiburg and Coimbra excavated in the surroundings of a Early Bronze Age granitic statue-menhir in northern Portugal (Beira Alta) to verify that it has been in situ since its construction and to obtain data on its chromnolgy and related activities // Uma equipa internacional de arqueólogos das Universidades de Friburgo e de Coimbra escavou nas imediações de uma estátua-menir granítica da Idade do Bronze Inicial, no norte de Portugal (Beira Alta), para verificar se esta se encontrava no local desde a sua construção e para obter dados sobre a sua cromnologia e actividades relacionadas. // Un equipo internacional de arqueólogos de las Universidades de Friburgo y Coimbra excavó en los alrededores de una estatua-menhir granítica de la Edad de Bronce Temprana en el norte de Portugal (Beira Alta) para comprobar que ha estado in situ desde su construcción y obtener datos sobre su cromnolgia y actividades relacionadas. // Ein internationales Archäologenteam der Universitäten Freiburg und Coimbra führte Ausgrabungen in der Umgebung eines frühbronzezeitlichen Statuenmenhirs aus Granit in Nordportugal (Beira Alta) durch, um zu überprüfen, ob er sich seit seiner Errichtung an Ort und Stelle befunden hat, und um Daten über seine Chronolgie und die damit verbundenen Aktivitäten zu erhalten.
International Workshop and Conference in Freiburg, 10th-11th October 2023
The main objective of this international research project, is the study of the complex triangular relationship between culture, technology and communication that is represented by the Iberian stelae of the Final Bronze Age/Early Iron Age (1200-550 BC). The innovative approach encompasses scientific testing of the prevalent hypotheses on tools used for stelae making based upon archaeometry and geo-archaeology, complemented by experimental archaeology. A multidisciplinary team of researchers and craftspeople cooperated to significantly enhance scientific knowledge on technological aspects of prehistoric stone working. First results from the diverse fields of research, from archaeology and archaeometallurgy, visual culture and landscape studies, geochemical and petrological analyses, will be presented and discussed.
The Experiment / A Experiência / El Experimento / Das Experiment
For this Archaeological Experiment, replications of Late Bronze Age Iberian stelae are made from hard rocks with the tools and techniques that were available to prehistoric craftspeople // Este projeto de arqueologia experimental consiste na criação de réplicas de estelas do Bronze Final da Península Ibérica a partir de rochas duras com recurso a ferramentas e técnicas disponíveis a artesãos pré-históricos // Por el experimento arqueológico, réplicas de estelas del Bronce Final estan fabricados con herramientos y técnicas prehistóricas.
Rocks / As Pedras / Las Piedras / Die Gesteine
Petrological data and geological facts on the rocks that have been used for making the Late Bronze Age Iberian stelae. // Dados petrológicos e factos geológicos sobre as pedras que têm sido utilizadas no fabrico das estelas da Península Ibérica no Bronze Final. // Petrologische und geologische Daten zu den Gesteinen, die für die Iberischen Stelen der Spätbronzezeit verwendet wurden.
Archaeometallurgy / Arqueometalurgia / Archäometallurgie
We analysed bronze and iron artefacts in realtion with the stelae with the methods of metallography, portable XRF and lead isotope analysis // Hemos analizado artefactos de bronze e de hierro relacionados con las estelas con metodos de metalografía, portable XRF, y isotopos del plomo // Wir analysierten mit den Stelen in Verbindung stehende Bronze- und Eisenartefakte in Portugal mit den Methoden der Metallographie, portablen Röntgenfluoreszenzanlayse und Bleiisotopenanlysen
Tools / As Ferramentas / Los Herramientos / Werkzeuge
We are using replications of prehistoric tools that could have been used for stone working, such as chisels, hammers and adzes. // Utilizamos réplicas de achados originais de ferramentas pré-históricas que poderão ter sido usadas no trabalho de rochas, tais como os cinzéis, martelos e enxós. // Utilizamos réplicas de herramientas originales prehistóricas que posiblemente se usaron para tallar las piedras, tales como cinceles, martillos y azuelas. // Wir benutzen Originalfundstücken nachempfundene Repliken von prähistorischen Werkzeugen zur Steinbearbeitung wie Meißeln, Hämmern und Dechseln.
Press on the Oldest Steel in Europe and its use on the Stelae by the University of Freiburg
A study by an international and interdisciplinary team headed by Freiburg archaeologist Dr. Ralph Araque Gonzalez from the Faculty of Humanities has proven that steel tools were already in use in Europe around 2900 years ago. Using geochemical analyses, the researchers were able to prove that stone stelae on the Iberian peninsula that date back to the Final Bronze Age feature complex engravings that could only have been done using tempered steel. This was backed up by metallographic analyses of an iron chisel from the same period and region (Rocha do Vigio, Portugal, ca. 900 BCE) that showed the necessary carbon content to be proper steel.
Team
Teilnehmer des Experimentes und Kontakte.
