Ilercavonia

This paper aims at analysing the social structure of the territory known as the Ilercavonia during the Iron Age, through the data provided by both settlements and necropolises. During the Early Iron Age, the  rst signs of differentiation can be distinguished in the settlements as well as in the necropolises, within a general situation of apparent social equality. The Early Iberian is a period de ned by changes; the data about the settlements are scarce, whilst the necropolises show the importance of weapons as prestige items. During the Middle Iberian period, settlements are of small size and simple urban planning, but possess powerful forti cations. Some of them seem to coexist with the necropolises of the previous phase, which are still used. There is no evidence of settlements of urban category, hierarchical organisation of the territory or signi cant differences inside the settlements. At the end of the Late Iberian period, cities appear in this region, with towns such as Castellet de Banyoles or Hibera (neither prior to the 3rd cent. BC), coexisting with the settlement pattern of small forti ed sites, and likely related to the Punic and / or Roman presence. During the 2nd – 1st centuries BC, these small forti ed settlements are abandoned, and the plain areas are occupied by settlements of different categories, includ- ing possible urban sites such as Torre la Sal.

La necròpolis d’Esquarterades va ser descoberta de manera fortuïta el 2013. Després d’un primer sondeig de verificació realitzat el mateix any per l’empresa Àtics, un equip d’investigadors de la Universitat de Barcelona, l’Institut Català d’Arqueologia Clàssica i el Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya han desenvolupat un projecte de recerca arqueològica, amb dues campanyes d’excavació en els anys 2014 i 2015. Els treballs d’excavació han documentat les restes d’una necròpolis ibèrica del segle V o inicis del IV A.C., amb una vintena de sepultures formades per urnes de ceràmica a torn o a mà, cobertes amb tapadora de ceràmica i dipositades en fosses segellades amb una llosa de pedra. Algunes d’aquestes urnes estaven molt malmeses, mentre que d’altres es conserven pràcticament intactes. Els aixovars funeraris estan formats per elements de bronze dipositats dins les urnes, fonamentalment d’ornamentació personal, mentre a l’exterior apareixen objectes de ferro, sobretot peces d’armament. Actualment s’està realitzant els treballs de laboratori (micro-excavació de les urnes, consolidació i estudi dels materials arqueològics) i properament es realitzarà l’estudi antropològic de les restes òssies. / The necropolis of Esquarterades was discovered by chance in 2013. After an initial verification survey conducted the same year by the archaeology company Àtics, a team of researchers from the University of Barcelona, the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology and the Archaeological Museum of Catalonia have developed a research project with two archaeological excavation campaigns in the years 2014 and 2015. The digs have uncovered the remains of an Iberian necropolis of the 5th century – beginnings of the 4th century B.C., with twenty graves consisting of wheeled or hand-made ceramic urns covered with ceramic lids, and placed in pits sealed by stone slabs. Some of these urns are severely damaged, whilst others are preserved virtually intact. The grave goods consist of bronze artefacts deposited inside the urns, mostly personal ornaments, as well as iron objects, mainly pieces of armament, deposited outside the urns. We are currently carrying out the laboratory studies (micro-excavation of the urns, consolidation and study of archaeological materials) and the anthropological study of the skeletal remains will soon be started.