Northeast Iberia: The Urnfield Culture
One of the novelties of the period was the arrival of human groups from across the Pyrenees and, with them, new beliefs and practices such the cremation of the dead, which they than buried in clay urns.
Their agricultural-based economy led them to establish permanent settlements throughout the region as far south as the Ebro Valley. As they advanced, the new groups interacted with local cultures, forging a unique synthesis.
Clay vessels, Late Bronze Age, Zaragoza.
Photos: Füsun Kavrakoğlu, National Archaeological Museum, Madrid, 2026.
Southeast Iberia
We know very little about the social structures and settlement patterns in the lands of southeast Iberia following the demise of the Argar culture (2200-1550 BC), although a large number of graves have survived that are characterized by their diversity.
Traditional inhumation coexisted with the new cremation rites, possibly borrowed from the Urnfield culture, while newly-created graves, isolated or in small groups, coexisted with the reuse of old megalithic tombs.
Bowl, golden disc, weight, Late Bronze Age.
Bronze bowl was imported from Cyprus or the Syrian-Palestinian coast. Its owners must have prized it highly, probably due to its exotic origin, because it was used to hold the gold torcs from the Berzocana Hoard.
Golden disc: With new objects came new technologies, like the soldering used for the decorative wires on this piece, which illustrates the fusion of local tradition with techniques that must have been learned directly from Mediterranean artisans. Extremadura.
National Archaeological Museum, Madrid.
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