A Time of Contrasts
In the Late Bronze Age, the cultural definition of Iberian societies took quite a different route from that of the previous period because each region evolved in its own way, partly as a result of exposure to external influences.
There was a marked tendency towards sedentism throughout the entire Iberian Peninsula, although the process developed at a different pace in each area, and some regions would not form permanent ties to the territory until the Iron Age.
The regional societies of the Late Bronze Age were the direct predecessors of the pre-Roman peoples, whose names would later be recorded in the writings of Graeco-Latin authors.
Western Iberia: The Atlantic Bronze Age
For most of the Late Bronze Age the Atlantic regions were the most dynamic areas of the Iberian Peninsula. Numerous deposits of gold and bronze have been found from Galicia to western Andalusia, as well as signs of relations with both Atlantic and Mediterranean territories. However, Atlantic societies were slow to adopt a more stable lifestyle, and burials disappeared throughout the region, possibly replaced by rites that left no archaeological trace.
Decorated burnished ware, Late Bronze Age, and painted Carambolo type pottery, Late Bronze Age-Early Iron Age, El Carambolo, Sevilla.
Photos: Füsun Kavrakoğlu, National Archaeological Museum, Madrid, 2026.
Central Iberia: Cogotas I
The cultural development of the Central Plateau was a continuation of the previous period. The defining traits of the Cogotas I culture were decorated vessels and traditional metalwork, the continued existence of temporary settlements, and an economy based on animal husbandry.
The end of this phase was marked by a transition towards more stable settlements, echoed in material changes such as the predominance of plain burnished pottery.
Decorated Cogotas I -type pottery, Late Bronze Age, between Avila and Salamanca, Madrid.
National Archaeological Museum, Madrid.
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