2024-03-28T20:23:04Zhttp://digital.csic.es/dspace-oai/requestoai:digital.csic.es:10261/2146612020-06-18T12:28:37Zcom_10261_19com_10261_7col_10261_398
http://hdl.handle.net/10261/214661
395435
Use of galena in the Neolithic of North-Western Iberia
University of Miskolc
2019
comunicación de congreso
Montero Ruiz, Ignacio
rp00681
Clop García, Xavier
Gallart Muset, Josep
Molist Montañà, Miquel
Monforte, Andreu
Orozco, Teresa
Palomo, Antoni
Piqué, Raquel
Rafel, Núria
Terradas-Batlle, Xavier
rp07607
Neolithic
North-Western Iberia
galena
Provenance study by Lead Isotope Analysis (using MC-ICP-MS )
Molar-Belmunt-Falset mines in Tarragona
Martorell/Begues mines in Barcelona
2019
Neolithic is a period characterized by the development of new technologies and a broader use of organic and inorganic materials. Some of the metallic minerals were used for making ornaments and pigments before their use as metals (copper or iron ores are a clear example of this exploitation). Galena (lead sulfide) is not usually mentioned in this period, but a new research find a frequent presence of blocks of galena since the Early Neolithic in several Catalan sites. Just in one case was found as a grave-good (female grave in Masdervenger, Tarragona), but most of them come from domestic context. Galena is not a good material to be worked using knapping methods due to its cubic crystals and fracture properties: one of the striking features is a fine cleavage. Nor does it have properties that make possible to use it as a fire starter, to generate a spark. However, its metallic luster and weight could attract the attention of the people.
This early contact with galena however did not drive to a metallic use of lead. It is intriguing the fact that lead beads were common (hundreds) in southern France Chalcolithic, where a similar pattern of galena use during the Neolithic (since Early Chasséen) is also known; on the contrary just only one lead bead was found in Catalonia (Cova de L'Heura, Tarragona) and ist lead isotope signature matches the local lead mines. This paper includes a provenance study by Lead Isotope Analysis (using MC-ICP-MS ) to understand the local pattern of exploitation of galena, with the Molar-Belmunt-Falset mines in Tarragona and The Martorell/Begues mines in Barcelona as the main and only areas supplying the galena during the Neolithic.
5th International Conference Archaeometallurgy in Europe :