Iron Age combustion structures on the eastern Iberian Peninsula have traditionally been analysed ... more Iron Age combustion structures on the eastern Iberian Peninsula have traditionally been analysed through the study of their morphological aspects and their association with archaeological finds. Approaches including microarchaeology and a combination of different disciplines are still rare for this area and period, despite the fact that they will be able to provide more information on the construction techniques, fuels and uses of fire facilities. The authors are currently undertaking the project entitled “Transdisciplinary and Experimental Study of Combustion Structures in the Western Mediterranean during Protohistory (first millennium BC)” (TRANSCOMB) aimed at implementing an interdisciplinary methodology for the study of protohistoric hearths and ovens. This paper presents the results of the analyses (anthracological studies, phytoliths and calcitic microfossils, micromorphology and FTIR) conducted on a selection of combustion structures. Micromorphological and FTIR analyses give us detailed information on the construction technique and materials used. Macrobotanical and microfossil records indicate fuel sources. The different analyses also provide information on the temperatures obtained in the studied combustion structures. The coordination between specialists and the comparison of results obtained from the different techniques have provided a complementary view of the aspects studied. These need to be extended by further research, including experimental work, within the framework of our project.
Des de la primera participacio a la Tribuna d’Arqueologia de l’any 2001 on es van exposar els pri... more Des de la primera participacio a la Tribuna d’Arqueologia de l’any 2001 on es van exposar els primers resultats dels treballs realitzats fins llavors a l’assentament del primer ferro de Sant Jaume (Alcanar, Montsia) s’han succeit un total d’onze campanyes. Al llarg d’aquest temps, el coneixement del jaciment i de la seva contextualitzacio territorial i historica ha augmentat notablement. En aquesta presentacio s’exposara una sintesi dels principals resultats assolits durant aquests anys.
Synthesis of the main results obtained during the excavations in the isolated fortified residence... more Synthesis of the main results obtained during the excavations in the isolated fortified residence of the early Iron Age of St. Jaume (Alcanar, Montsià, Catalonia) between 1997 and 2013
Iron Age combustion structures on the eastern Iberian Peninsula have traditionally been analysed ... more Iron Age combustion structures on the eastern Iberian Peninsula have traditionally been analysed through the study of their morphological aspects and their association with archaeological finds. Approaches including microarchaeology and a combination of different disciplines are still rare for this area and period, despite the fact that they will be able to provide more information on the construction techniques, fuels and uses of fire facilities. The authors are currently undertaking the project entitled “Transdisciplinary and Experimental Study of Combustion Structures in the Western Mediterranean during Protohistory (first millennium BC)” (TRANSCOMB) aimed at implementing an interdisciplinary methodology for the study of protohistoric hearths and ovens. This paper presents the results of the analyses (anthracological studies, phytoliths and calcitic microfossils, micromorphology and FTIR) conducted on a selection of combustion structures. Micromorphological and FTIR analyses give us detailed information on the construction technique and materials used. Macrobotanical and microfossil records indicate fuel sources. The different analyses also provide information on the temperatures obtained in the studied combustion structures. The coordination between specialists and the comparison of results obtained from the different techniques have provided a complementary view of the aspects studied. These need to be extended by further research, including experimental work, within the framework of our project.
En este seminario se presentan los primeros resultados del proyecto `Estudio transdisciplinar y e... more En este seminario se presentan los primeros resultados del proyecto `Estudio transdisciplinar y experimental de estructuras de combustión en el Mediterráneo occidental durante la protohistoria (1er milenio a.C.), financiado por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación / Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España)Peer reviewe
QUADERNS DE PREHISTÒRIA I ARQUEOLOGIA DE CASTELLÓ , 2018
In this paper we study through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) of combustion struc... more In this paper we study through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) of combustion structures locate in sector 3 of settlement of late bronze age and early iron age of the Tossal de la Vila in la Serra d’en Galceran (Plana Alta)
Study of a culinary oven from the Early Iron Age settlement of St. Jaume (Alcanar, Montsià, Catal... more Study of a culinary oven from the Early Iron Age settlement of St. Jaume (Alcanar, Montsià, Catalonia) through the use of FTIR spectroscopy, micromorphology and typological analysis
In this paper we study an oven located in the settlement of the early Iron Age (mid seventh-early sixth ANE) of Sant Jaume (Alcanar, Montsià, Catalonia) from various perspectives. The study includes experimental (using micromorphology and FTIR spectroscopy) and typological approaches (typological classification and comparison with other similar structures)
Actes de les I Jornades d'Arqueologia de les Terres de l'Ebre, Tortosa: 201-217., 2016
La Ferradura és un assentament de la primera edat del ferro (650-575 ane) ubicat als darrers estr... more La Ferradura és un assentament de la primera edat del ferro (650-575 ane) ubicat als darrers estreps meridionals de la serra de Montsià, a la comarca catalana del mateix nom. Fou objecte d’importants treballs d’excavació l’any 1972, de la mà de J. Maluquer de Motes. Des de l’any 2009 el Grup de Recerca en Arqueologia Protohistòrica (GRAP) de la Universitat de Barcelona ha reprès els treballs. En aquest article presentem una síntesi dels principals resultats assolits fins ara. / La Ferradura is a settlement dated to the early Iron Age (650-575 BC) located in the southern foothills of the Montsià mountains, in the Catalan region of the same name. It was the subject of major excavations in 1972, by J. Maluquer de Motes. Since 2009 the Grup de Recerca en Arqueologia Protohistòrica (GRAP) of the University of Barcelona has resumed work. This article presents a summary of the main results achieved so far.
Actes de les I Jornades d'Arqueologia de les Terres de l'Ebre, Tortosa: 166-187, 2016
Sant Jaume és un assentament de la primera edat del ferro (650-575 ane) ubicat als darrers estrep... more Sant Jaume és un assentament de la primera edat del ferro (650-575 ane) ubicat als darrers estreps meridionals de la serra de Montsià, a la comarca catalana del mateix nom. Ha estat objecte de treballs d’excavació per part del Grup de Recerca en Arqueologia Protohistòrica (GRAP) de la Universitat de Barcelona des de l’any 1997 fins a l’actualitat. És interpretat com una residència fortificada aïllada, centre d’un cabdillatge denominat Complex Sant Jaume que inclouria també els nuclis de la Moleta del Remei (Alcanar), Ferradura (Ulldecona), Castell (Ulldecona) i Cogula (Ulldecona). En aquest article presentem una síntesi dels principals resultats assolits fins ara. / Sant Jaume is a settlement dated to the early Iron Age (650-575 BC) located in the southern foothills of the Montsià mountains, in the Catalan region of the same name. It has been under excavation by the Grup de Recerca en Arqueologia Protohistòrica (GRAP) of the University of Barcelona from 1997 to the present. It is interpreted as a fortified, isolated residence, center of a chiefdom called Sant Jaume Complex, which also includes Moleta del Remei (Alcanar), Ferradura (Ulldecona), Castell (Ulldecona) and Cogula (Ulldecona). This article presents a summary of the main results achieved so far.
Celestino Pérez, S.; Rodríguez González, E. (Eds.) 2020: Un viaje entre el Oriente y el Occidente del Mediterráneo. Actas del IX Congreso Internacional de Estudios Fenicios y Púnicos, Mytra 5, Mérida. , 2020
En este trabajo analizamos la posible influencia fenicia en el yacimiento de la Primera Edad del ... more En este trabajo analizamos la posible influencia fenicia en el yacimiento de la Primera Edad del Hierro de Sant Jaume, a través del estudio de las estructuras de combustión, en este caso los hornos.
The settlement has an important role in the context of the trade relations established during thi... more The settlement has an important role in the context of the trade relations established during this period between the indigenous local communities and the Phoenicians. Through these relationships, phoenicians manufactured products (especially wine) were introduced into the territory, as luxury products. A sociopolitical reading of the architecture and all products has led to establish Sant Jaume as a fortified residence, a seat of political power, with a hinterland watered by the river Senia. Thus, from Sant Jaume, several nearby settlements would have been directly controlled: Moleta del Remei (Alcanar, Montsià), Ferradura (Ulldecona, Montsià), Cogula (Ulldecona, Montsià) and Castell (Ulldecona, Montsià). Each with specific roles and different functions in a coordinated manner forming a political entity with a social polynuclear character, which has been named " Complex Sant Jaume " (Garcia Rubert et al. 2016). Sant Jaume is a powerfully fortified settlement, small in size (approximately 750 m 2) and pseudo-ground loop, which presents an excellent preservation which is well exemplified by the height of its walls (nearly 2m on average). It was occupied for one brief moment, corresponding to the last decades of the VII century and the early VI century BC, thus belonging cronoculturaly to the early Iron Age. The abandonment occurred as a result of an intense fire. These and other reasons (the absence of reoccupation, an architecture based on stone, and the lack of agricultural work or predatory action) have helped to achieve a high quality archaeological record. The site is located atop a promontory with 224 m of conical profile in one of the last ramifications of the southeast of the Montsià Mountains, around 2 km from the coastline. It belongs to the municipality of Alcanar, in the Catalan region of Montsià (Garcia i Rubert et al. 2016). The studied structures are located in the field A5. It measures roughly 20 m 2 (4 x 5 m), has a rectangular shape and is located at the north of the settlement in the zone next to the site entrance. During its excavation, a big quantity of materials such as pieces of immovables were documented. These allowed to identify the use the space had. A5, where the hearths are, is in the north sector of the settlement, which is the best known to date. This zone would be part of the most public area of the residence, where the entrance of the site would lead to A5 and a corridor (C1) with access to other spaces side to side. The field A1, interpreted as a room for banquets, is located at the end of this corridor and the fields A3 and A4, would have had other functions such as stables. The upper level of all these fields, included the field A5, would have been used as warehouses. The results of FTIR on samples from various parts of the structures show that the clay had been altered by high temperatures. The level of heat necessary for the clay to show signs of thermal alteration occurs at 500ºC, when dolomite turns into calcite (Weiner, 2010). Despite the apparent alteration of the clay, there is dolomite in all samples with thermal alteration screed symptoms. This leads us to consider that these structures reached or approached 500ºC, but this temperature was never overreached. In LLAR1012, the surface of the slab appears to be burned unlike the rest of the samples, which have not been affected by the fire. The samples from LLAR1012 allow us to approach the identification of the specific area where there was a greater combustion. Thermally altered samples are only in a very specific area in the surface of the kiln floor. This screed, despite being affected by the cuts made in the construction of LLAR1011, showed high integrity. This allowed to sample several spots to check whether differences were observed between the different sectors of the hearth surface. This fact opens the door to establish a methodology for sampling, mainly the ground of combustion structures provided the integrity allows it, to determine the area where combustion occurred. With this results and according to archaeological evidence related to these structures, we believe that they had a culinary purpose. Their presence in the studied areas, usually indicates its function as a domestic space that is home to a family. Sometimes, however, we find that these structures are closely related to the concentration of certain activities. This seems to be the case in area A5, indicating the existence of a specialized activity.
Iron Age combustion structures on the eastern Iberian Peninsula have traditionally been analysed ... more Iron Age combustion structures on the eastern Iberian Peninsula have traditionally been analysed through the study of their morphological aspects and their association with archaeological finds. Approaches including microarchaeology and a combination of different disciplines are still rare for this area and period, despite the fact that they will be able to provide more information on the construction techniques, fuels and uses of fire facilities. The authors are currently undertaking the project entitled “Transdisciplinary and Experimental Study of Combustion Structures in the Western Mediterranean during Protohistory (first millennium BC)” (TRANSCOMB) aimed at implementing an interdisciplinary methodology for the study of protohistoric hearths and ovens. This paper presents the results of the analyses (anthracological studies, phytoliths and calcitic microfossils, micromorphology and FTIR) conducted on a selection of combustion structures. Micromorphological and FTIR analyses give us detailed information on the construction technique and materials used. Macrobotanical and microfossil records indicate fuel sources. The different analyses also provide information on the temperatures obtained in the studied combustion structures. The coordination between specialists and the comparison of results obtained from the different techniques have provided a complementary view of the aspects studied. These need to be extended by further research, including experimental work, within the framework of our project.
Des de la primera participacio a la Tribuna d’Arqueologia de l’any 2001 on es van exposar els pri... more Des de la primera participacio a la Tribuna d’Arqueologia de l’any 2001 on es van exposar els primers resultats dels treballs realitzats fins llavors a l’assentament del primer ferro de Sant Jaume (Alcanar, Montsia) s’han succeit un total d’onze campanyes. Al llarg d’aquest temps, el coneixement del jaciment i de la seva contextualitzacio territorial i historica ha augmentat notablement. En aquesta presentacio s’exposara una sintesi dels principals resultats assolits durant aquests anys.
Synthesis of the main results obtained during the excavations in the isolated fortified residence... more Synthesis of the main results obtained during the excavations in the isolated fortified residence of the early Iron Age of St. Jaume (Alcanar, Montsià, Catalonia) between 1997 and 2013
Iron Age combustion structures on the eastern Iberian Peninsula have traditionally been analysed ... more Iron Age combustion structures on the eastern Iberian Peninsula have traditionally been analysed through the study of their morphological aspects and their association with archaeological finds. Approaches including microarchaeology and a combination of different disciplines are still rare for this area and period, despite the fact that they will be able to provide more information on the construction techniques, fuels and uses of fire facilities. The authors are currently undertaking the project entitled “Transdisciplinary and Experimental Study of Combustion Structures in the Western Mediterranean during Protohistory (first millennium BC)” (TRANSCOMB) aimed at implementing an interdisciplinary methodology for the study of protohistoric hearths and ovens. This paper presents the results of the analyses (anthracological studies, phytoliths and calcitic microfossils, micromorphology and FTIR) conducted on a selection of combustion structures. Micromorphological and FTIR analyses give us detailed information on the construction technique and materials used. Macrobotanical and microfossil records indicate fuel sources. The different analyses also provide information on the temperatures obtained in the studied combustion structures. The coordination between specialists and the comparison of results obtained from the different techniques have provided a complementary view of the aspects studied. These need to be extended by further research, including experimental work, within the framework of our project.
En este seminario se presentan los primeros resultados del proyecto `Estudio transdisciplinar y e... more En este seminario se presentan los primeros resultados del proyecto `Estudio transdisciplinar y experimental de estructuras de combustión en el Mediterráneo occidental durante la protohistoria (1er milenio a.C.), financiado por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación / Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España)Peer reviewe
QUADERNS DE PREHISTÒRIA I ARQUEOLOGIA DE CASTELLÓ , 2018
In this paper we study through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) of combustion struc... more In this paper we study through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) of combustion structures locate in sector 3 of settlement of late bronze age and early iron age of the Tossal de la Vila in la Serra d’en Galceran (Plana Alta)
Study of a culinary oven from the Early Iron Age settlement of St. Jaume (Alcanar, Montsià, Catal... more Study of a culinary oven from the Early Iron Age settlement of St. Jaume (Alcanar, Montsià, Catalonia) through the use of FTIR spectroscopy, micromorphology and typological analysis
In this paper we study an oven located in the settlement of the early Iron Age (mid seventh-early sixth ANE) of Sant Jaume (Alcanar, Montsià, Catalonia) from various perspectives. The study includes experimental (using micromorphology and FTIR spectroscopy) and typological approaches (typological classification and comparison with other similar structures)
Actes de les I Jornades d'Arqueologia de les Terres de l'Ebre, Tortosa: 201-217., 2016
La Ferradura és un assentament de la primera edat del ferro (650-575 ane) ubicat als darrers estr... more La Ferradura és un assentament de la primera edat del ferro (650-575 ane) ubicat als darrers estreps meridionals de la serra de Montsià, a la comarca catalana del mateix nom. Fou objecte d’importants treballs d’excavació l’any 1972, de la mà de J. Maluquer de Motes. Des de l’any 2009 el Grup de Recerca en Arqueologia Protohistòrica (GRAP) de la Universitat de Barcelona ha reprès els treballs. En aquest article presentem una síntesi dels principals resultats assolits fins ara. / La Ferradura is a settlement dated to the early Iron Age (650-575 BC) located in the southern foothills of the Montsià mountains, in the Catalan region of the same name. It was the subject of major excavations in 1972, by J. Maluquer de Motes. Since 2009 the Grup de Recerca en Arqueologia Protohistòrica (GRAP) of the University of Barcelona has resumed work. This article presents a summary of the main results achieved so far.
Actes de les I Jornades d'Arqueologia de les Terres de l'Ebre, Tortosa: 166-187, 2016
Sant Jaume és un assentament de la primera edat del ferro (650-575 ane) ubicat als darrers estrep... more Sant Jaume és un assentament de la primera edat del ferro (650-575 ane) ubicat als darrers estreps meridionals de la serra de Montsià, a la comarca catalana del mateix nom. Ha estat objecte de treballs d’excavació per part del Grup de Recerca en Arqueologia Protohistòrica (GRAP) de la Universitat de Barcelona des de l’any 1997 fins a l’actualitat. És interpretat com una residència fortificada aïllada, centre d’un cabdillatge denominat Complex Sant Jaume que inclouria també els nuclis de la Moleta del Remei (Alcanar), Ferradura (Ulldecona), Castell (Ulldecona) i Cogula (Ulldecona). En aquest article presentem una síntesi dels principals resultats assolits fins ara. / Sant Jaume is a settlement dated to the early Iron Age (650-575 BC) located in the southern foothills of the Montsià mountains, in the Catalan region of the same name. It has been under excavation by the Grup de Recerca en Arqueologia Protohistòrica (GRAP) of the University of Barcelona from 1997 to the present. It is interpreted as a fortified, isolated residence, center of a chiefdom called Sant Jaume Complex, which also includes Moleta del Remei (Alcanar), Ferradura (Ulldecona), Castell (Ulldecona) and Cogula (Ulldecona). This article presents a summary of the main results achieved so far.
Celestino Pérez, S.; Rodríguez González, E. (Eds.) 2020: Un viaje entre el Oriente y el Occidente del Mediterráneo. Actas del IX Congreso Internacional de Estudios Fenicios y Púnicos, Mytra 5, Mérida. , 2020
En este trabajo analizamos la posible influencia fenicia en el yacimiento de la Primera Edad del ... more En este trabajo analizamos la posible influencia fenicia en el yacimiento de la Primera Edad del Hierro de Sant Jaume, a través del estudio de las estructuras de combustión, en este caso los hornos.
The settlement has an important role in the context of the trade relations established during thi... more The settlement has an important role in the context of the trade relations established during this period between the indigenous local communities and the Phoenicians. Through these relationships, phoenicians manufactured products (especially wine) were introduced into the territory, as luxury products. A sociopolitical reading of the architecture and all products has led to establish Sant Jaume as a fortified residence, a seat of political power, with a hinterland watered by the river Senia. Thus, from Sant Jaume, several nearby settlements would have been directly controlled: Moleta del Remei (Alcanar, Montsià), Ferradura (Ulldecona, Montsià), Cogula (Ulldecona, Montsià) and Castell (Ulldecona, Montsià). Each with specific roles and different functions in a coordinated manner forming a political entity with a social polynuclear character, which has been named " Complex Sant Jaume " (Garcia Rubert et al. 2016). Sant Jaume is a powerfully fortified settlement, small in size (approximately 750 m 2) and pseudo-ground loop, which presents an excellent preservation which is well exemplified by the height of its walls (nearly 2m on average). It was occupied for one brief moment, corresponding to the last decades of the VII century and the early VI century BC, thus belonging cronoculturaly to the early Iron Age. The abandonment occurred as a result of an intense fire. These and other reasons (the absence of reoccupation, an architecture based on stone, and the lack of agricultural work or predatory action) have helped to achieve a high quality archaeological record. The site is located atop a promontory with 224 m of conical profile in one of the last ramifications of the southeast of the Montsià Mountains, around 2 km from the coastline. It belongs to the municipality of Alcanar, in the Catalan region of Montsià (Garcia i Rubert et al. 2016). The studied structures are located in the field A5. It measures roughly 20 m 2 (4 x 5 m), has a rectangular shape and is located at the north of the settlement in the zone next to the site entrance. During its excavation, a big quantity of materials such as pieces of immovables were documented. These allowed to identify the use the space had. A5, where the hearths are, is in the north sector of the settlement, which is the best known to date. This zone would be part of the most public area of the residence, where the entrance of the site would lead to A5 and a corridor (C1) with access to other spaces side to side. The field A1, interpreted as a room for banquets, is located at the end of this corridor and the fields A3 and A4, would have had other functions such as stables. The upper level of all these fields, included the field A5, would have been used as warehouses. The results of FTIR on samples from various parts of the structures show that the clay had been altered by high temperatures. The level of heat necessary for the clay to show signs of thermal alteration occurs at 500ºC, when dolomite turns into calcite (Weiner, 2010). Despite the apparent alteration of the clay, there is dolomite in all samples with thermal alteration screed symptoms. This leads us to consider that these structures reached or approached 500ºC, but this temperature was never overreached. In LLAR1012, the surface of the slab appears to be burned unlike the rest of the samples, which have not been affected by the fire. The samples from LLAR1012 allow us to approach the identification of the specific area where there was a greater combustion. Thermally altered samples are only in a very specific area in the surface of the kiln floor. This screed, despite being affected by the cuts made in the construction of LLAR1011, showed high integrity. This allowed to sample several spots to check whether differences were observed between the different sectors of the hearth surface. This fact opens the door to establish a methodology for sampling, mainly the ground of combustion structures provided the integrity allows it, to determine the area where combustion occurred. With this results and according to archaeological evidence related to these structures, we believe that they had a culinary purpose. Their presence in the studied areas, usually indicates its function as a domestic space that is home to a family. Sometimes, however, we find that these structures are closely related to the concentration of certain activities. This seems to be the case in area A5, indicating the existence of a specialized activity.
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Papers by Carme Saorin
In this paper we study an oven located in the settlement of the early Iron Age (mid seventh-early sixth ANE) of Sant
Jaume (Alcanar, Montsià, Catalonia) from various perspectives. The study includes experimental (using micromorphology
and FTIR spectroscopy) and typological approaches (typological classification and comparison with other similar structures)
Sant Jaume is a settlement dated to the early Iron Age (650-575 BC) located in the southern foothills of the Montsià mountains, in the Catalan region of the same name. It has been under excavation by the Grup de Recerca en Arqueologia Protohistòrica (GRAP) of the University of Barcelona from 1997 to the present. It is interpreted as a fortified, isolated residence, center of a chiefdom called Sant Jaume Complex, which also includes Moleta del Remei (Alcanar), Ferradura (Ulldecona), Castell (Ulldecona) and Cogula (Ulldecona). This article presents a summary of the main results achieved so far.
Conference Presentations by Carme Saorin
de Sant Jaume, a través del estudio de las estructuras de combustión, en este caso los hornos.
In this paper we study an oven located in the settlement of the early Iron Age (mid seventh-early sixth ANE) of Sant
Jaume (Alcanar, Montsià, Catalonia) from various perspectives. The study includes experimental (using micromorphology
and FTIR spectroscopy) and typological approaches (typological classification and comparison with other similar structures)
Sant Jaume is a settlement dated to the early Iron Age (650-575 BC) located in the southern foothills of the Montsià mountains, in the Catalan region of the same name. It has been under excavation by the Grup de Recerca en Arqueologia Protohistòrica (GRAP) of the University of Barcelona from 1997 to the present. It is interpreted as a fortified, isolated residence, center of a chiefdom called Sant Jaume Complex, which also includes Moleta del Remei (Alcanar), Ferradura (Ulldecona), Castell (Ulldecona) and Cogula (Ulldecona). This article presents a summary of the main results achieved so far.
de Sant Jaume, a través del estudio de las estructuras de combustión, en este caso los hornos.