Iron Age Iberia.

Iron Age Iberia. MARTIN ALMAGRO-GORBEA & MARIANO TORRES ORTIZ. Las fibulas dejinete y de caballito: aproximacion a las elites ecuestres y suexpansion en la Hispania celtica. 273 pages, figures, 15 tables, 38maps. 1999. Zaragoza: Fernando el Catolica Institution; 84-7820-466-0paperback. PIERRE MORET & FERNANDO QUESADA SANZ SANZ Standards Association of New ZealandSANZ South Africans in New Zealand (charitable trust)(ed.). La guerra en elmundo El Mundo can refer to: El Mundo (Spain), Spanish newspaper El Mundo (Colombia), Colombian newspaper based in Cartagena El Mundo (Venezuela), Venezuelan newspaper El Mundo (Puerto Rico), Puerto Rican newspaper El Mundo (Argentina), Argentine newspaper iberico y celtiberico (ss. VI-II a. de C.). xvi+217 pages, 50figures, 8 tables. 2002. Madrid: Casa de Velazquez; 84-95555-29-8 34[euro]. JESUS R. ALVAREZ-SANCHIS. Los Vettones (Bibliotheca bib��li��o��the��ca?n.1. A collection of books; a library.2. A catalog of books.[Latin biblioth ArchaeologicaHispana 1).423 pages, 145 figures. 1999. Madrid: Real Academia de laHistoria; 84-89512-32-9 paperback. This review discusses three volumes tackling various approaches toIberian Celtic--Celtiberian--archaeology. All three--a detailedcatalogue, an edited volume and an area study--are written in differentways. Two have an underlying theme--that of defence andsettlement--whilst the monograph collates and discusses distinctivefibulae. All three volumes are, in my opinion, extremely important inhelping to bridge the gap between the methodologies for northern andsouthern Iron Age Europe. In the past, there has been a tendency toregionalise and establish distinctions between Iron Age archaeologiesand, in many ways, each of the three volumes does just this. However,the approach taken, in particular by the authors of the fibulaemonograph and Vettones study, fall into a recognised kind of synthesispractised elsewhere. Despite the idiosyncratic id��i��o��syn��cra��sy?n. pl. id��i��o��syn��cra��sies1. A structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group.2. A physiological or temperamental peculiarity.3. approaches, the reader ismade aware of how certain interpretations are made. In the Vettonesstudy, the author has incorporated wider European approaches. Horse & rider There appears to be an inherent procedure within Mediterranean and,in particular, Iberian archaeology--if it's portable, recordableand there's a lot of it, catalogue it! Over the past, manycatalogues have tended to describe specific artefact See artifact. assemblages withlittle or no discussion and interpretation. However, cataloguingartefacts is all well and good and I dare say that the process ofcollation COLLATION, descents. A term used in the laws of Louisiana. Collation -of goods is the supposed or real return to the mass of the succession, which an heir makes of the property he received in advance of his share or otherwise, in order that such property may be divided, together with the relics on publishing a complete rather than a part corpus ofmaterial One of the three books does just that. In fairness, MartinAlmagro-Gorbea & Mariano Torres Ortiz provide more than just acatalogue of horse and rider This article is about the constellation. For the equestrian magazine, see Horse & Rider. The Horse and Rider is an informal name given to the stars Mizar (ζ UMa) and Alcor (80 UMa) because of their close proximity in the sky. fibulae. This book is divided into foursections: discussion, description, statistical analysis anddistribution. The discussion is based mainly on chronology, typology typology/ty��pol��o��gy/ (ti-pol��ah-je) the study of types; the science of classifying, as bacteria according to type. typologythe study of types; the science of classifying, as bacteria according to type. ,history of discovery, past research and an attempt to provide analternative narrative based on the statistical analysis. The book, in myopinion, works well on a so-termed Celtic assemblage such as horse andrider fibulae. It is well written and has both Spanish and Englishsummaries; but where are the French or German summaries? These are amust-have for any committed European archaeologist, especially when somuch research has been undertaken in this field by German scholars. The data set, 136 different figures, derives from Spain andPortugal and is divided by typology into nine distinct categories.Unfortunately, the authors seem to be content to recognise modernboundaries--i.e., fibulae from the Iberian peninsula--which, in my view,is sometimes a mistake; this volume should place fibulae in a widercontext. The fibulae are catalogued using an invaluable museum accessionnumbering system. The description and classification system used foreach fibula fibula(fĭb`yələ): see leg. is based on previous catalogues written in the early part ofthe twentieth century, in particular by Adolf Schulten Adolf Schulten (b. 1870 in Elberfeld - d. 1960 in Erlangen) was a German author with a Doctorate in Geology by the University of Bonn (1892), crossed Italy, Africa and Greece pensioned by the Institute of Archaeology. . The cataloguehas a useful discussion followed by a description of each of the fibulaeand, finally, their distribution. Although the latter two sections arevital, I fear that the map distribution shows very little spatialpatterning. It may have been useful to have provided a discussion,either within the opening chapter or as a spread-sheet with theprovenance for each fibula. One of the more noticeable irritations of this book, as with manyother catalogue-based monographs, is the lack of a visible scale. Allthe figures, which, incidentally, are skilfully drawn, lack any visualconcept of scale. In one section, figures are given dimensions (inmillimetres) and in another a textual scale. The reader is forced inboth instances to attempt to visualise the size of the artefact. Despite these minor irritations, this monograph provides anextremely detailed description of the data set. I do hope that thisapproach will allow future research to apply similar approaches to otherCeltiberian artefact assemblages, say weaponry. Weaponry & defences Moret & Quesada Sanz provide the reader with a more traditionalview of the Iberian Iron Age. This volume, in a well-established seriesof archaeological publications, the result of a Madrid seminar in 1996,is arranged into seven thought-provoking papers, discussing such topicsas Quesada Sanz's analysis on the development of weapon regalia,Lorrio Alvarado's chronological analysis of weaponry, thedistribution and construction methodology of fortified fortified (fôrt´fīd),adj containing additives more potent than the principal ingredient. hill-topsettlements in eastern Spain (by Romeo Marugan) and the complexity andspatial arrangement Noun 1. spatial arrangement - the property possessed by an array of things that have space between themspacingplacement, arrangement - the spatial property of the way in which something is placed; "the arrangement of the furniture"; "the placement of the of fortified hill-top settlements (by Moret). Moret& Quesada Sanz's volume, unlike most, is skilfully arranged asa progressive theme, each paper being interlinked. For example, the twopapers by Moret and Romeo Marugan look at fortified settlements indifferent ways and merge nicely to form a presentable themed synthesis. In his paper on the Celtiberian fortifications of eastern Spain,Romeo Marugan attempts to draw out the architectural and morphologicalsimilarities between a series of fortified hill enclosures which occupystrategic upland locations overlooking major river valleys. Thesecomplex sites display two important traits: probable year-roundoccupation and defensive earthworks. The concept of year-roundoccupation can be regarded as a late Iron Age development in northernEurope. However, chronometric chro��nom��e��ter?n.An exceptionally precise timepiece.chrono��met dating on a number of the Spanish siteshas pushed back the date for organised settlement to at least the fifthcentury BC. The only criticism I have with this book is the way the word'problem' is used. Archaeological interpretation should beabout problem solving problem solvingProcess involved in finding a solution to a problem. Many animals routinely solve problems of locomotion, food finding, and shelter through trial and error. . Two papers, by Lorrio Alvarado and Quesada Sanz,talk of problems within chronology and documentation, two componentswhich are inherent in archaeology per se. The book would have alsobenefited from English, French or German summaries accompanying each ofthe papers. A number of points made by Carlos Sanz Minguez, for example,raise far-reaching questions concerning the spatial distribution of armsand armour in eastern Spain. The Vettones Within the recent past, there have been very few Spanish landscapeand regional studies that specifically focus on a particular period. Thetendency has been to talk about multi-phased landscapes or to collate col��late?tr.v. col��lat��ed, col��lat��ing, col��lates1. To examine and compare carefully in order to note points of disagreement.2. To assemble in proper numerical or logical sequence.3. aparticular artefact assemblage. I am happy to say that Los Vettonesbrings together a series of artefact assemblages within a welldocumented Celtiberian area. Like other areas of Europe, the transitionbetween Late Bronze Age and Iron Age is significant, especially seenthrough the material culture and trading. One of the outstandinglegacies left by the Vettones was the fortified settlement (oppidum).Retained within its walls was a complex and highly sophisticatedpopulation. Alvarez-Sanchis's most readable volume describes in detail oneof the most important and widely documented Celtic tribal groups insouthern Europe. This group, in the west of Spain, was known to both theGreeks and the Romans. This extensive and well researched volume isconcerned with the chronological development, geographic distributionand material culture. According to Alvarez-Sanchis, the Vettones havetheir roots firmly set within the Late Bronze Age when the area isinhabited by a number of tribal groups collectively referred to as theCogotas I Culture. Unlike later Vettones settlement, Cogotas Isettlement is temporary although the economy is based on stock rearingand cereal agriculture. However, up to 50 per cent of these early sites,which are mainly upland hill-top sites, contain later Iron Age evidencesuggesting long periods of continuous occupation. What I liked about this volume was that it was neither a monographnor a popularised book. Yes, there are many illustrations and, yes, itfocuses on a particular theme. The presentation of data, in particularthe ceramics and, say, spatial distribution of settlements supported bywell-referenced text suggests yet another monograph which willinvariably in��var��i��a��ble?adj.Not changing or subject to change; constant.in��vari��a��bil sit proud on a bookshelf and may be glanced at once in awhile. However, this volume ventures way beyond that. Alvarez-Sanchishas applied a number of theoretical discussion points, in particular tothe complex question of spatial distribution of settlement and themorphological changes that occur through time. This radical and muchneeded injection into the rigour rig��our?n. Chiefly BritishVariant of rigor.rigouror US rigorNoun1. of traditional Spanish archaeology hasprovided the meat on to what is otherwise stale bones.Alvarez-Sanchis's approach, similar to that of the scholars inMadrid, comes at a time when there has been keen interest by those,arguably, imperialistic invaders of Mediterranean archaeology,researchers form north-western Europe. I hope that this and othersimilarly written volumes receive a wider circulation. Here, credit iswhere credit is due. The introduction provides a much needed summary concerned with theacademic development and interpretation. I have to add that the dreadedword 'problem' is ever present--inherent in Celtiberianarchaeology. There is very little to fault this book and, in many ways, it isradically different from the other two. One further point worthmentioning is that Alvarez-Sanchis, rare amongst his counterparts, haslooked beyond the Iberian peninsula for inspiration. The Alvarez-Sanchisvolume offers something for everyone. What Celtiberian means Each of the three volumes, although sometimes predictable inliterature from Mediterranean Europe, fulfils a series of importantobjectives. Each--an artefact synthesis, a collection of papersconcerned with conflict and a regional study--provides a series ofreliable approaches to Celtiberian archaeology. The Almagro-Gorbea &Torres Ortiz monograph provides an important catalogue and synthesis ofhorse and rider fibulae and is similar to museum collection volumespublished elsewhere. Los Vettones is a much needed publication,especially when so much has yet to be published on site and region-specific reports. This well illustrated volume, although focusing on a particularregion, does provide a framework on which other studies should bemodelled. Despite the Moret & Quesada Sanz volume being the resultof a conference seminar, the outcome provides a sober and moretraditional approach to Celtiberian archaeology. The approach taken isbasically New Archaeology. There is even a hint of typologicalprocessing in several of the papers--see papers by Quesada Sanz andLorrio Alvarado. Surprisingly, the other two provide a little moreanalysis and vision as to what Celtiberian means, despite their regionaland restricted subjectivity. George Nash, Centre for the Historic Environment, Department ofArchaeology, University of Bristol, Bristol, England.