Zephyrus (Jun 2013)
Singular artefacts with southern connections in the Northern Meseta Copper Age. A limestone cup from El Fonsario (Villafáfila, Zamora)
Abstract
A stone cup similar to the ones well known in the Southern Iberia Copper Age has been recovered in El Fonsario –Zamora–. This example serves as the starting point for presenting a list of other PreBeaker Copper Age’s exotic artefacts from sites of the Northern Meseta. In this brief approach two main aspects are explored. On the one hand we intend to discover the socio-political role of these objects at the regional scenario. On the other hand we will analyse their distribution as a key for inquiring into the question of the supraregional interactions. The singular nature of these artefacts, together with some of the contexts in where they were originally discovered, suggest that they could have been used as social differentiation markers obtained through exchange, locally made imitations or individual journeys or odysseys. Concerning their distribution it can be seen that the traditional dichotomy proposed for the Northern Meseta between extroverted –‘Las Pozas’– and isolated –‘Los Cercados’– areas could be modified because of the presence of some of these singular objects in Los Cercados’ area. The use and function of these elements are viewed in a process of growing social complexity.
