&O&povoado&da&Idade&do&Bronze&da&Cimalha.&Actas-do-I-Encontro-de-Arqueologia-das-Terras-do-Sousa-(Lousada,-2007).-. Oppidum-Número-Especial ...
WOODLAND AND BRONZE AGE BURIALS PRACTICES IN THE NW IBERIA Ana M. S. Bettencourt1, María Martín Seijo2, Hugo Aluai Sampaio3, Francisco Fernandes4 (1-3) Landscape, Heritage and Territory (Lab2PT), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal (2) Study Group for the Prehistory of NW Iberia-GEPN (GI-1534), Department of History I, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain (4) Profissional l of ArchaSchooeology, Freixo, Portugal
Fig. 1 North-western Iberia.
INTRODUCTION Since& the& Neolithic& that& wood& and& woodland& “resources”& have& been& used& in& the& Northwest&of&Iberia&(Fig.&1)&both&in&architectures&and&in&prac?ces&related&with&the&funerary& world.& These& uses& are& materialized& by& construc?ons,& founda?onal& hearths& under& the& tumuli& of& megalithic& monuments,& and& in& the& use& of& resins& as& bindings& in& the& paint& prepara?ons& used& in& the& orthostats& from& chambers& and& corridors& of& these& kind& of& monuments.&& As& examples,& among& many& others,& we& may& refer& Mamoa& de& Cerrado& de& Illade& 0& (As& Pontes,& A& Coruña),& where& it& was& iden?fied& an& individual& burial& in& pit& opened& in& the& bedrock&and&limited&by&a&wood&structure,&which&the&access&was&made&using&a&wood&ramp,& meanwhile&carbonized&(Vaquero,&199);&Mamoa&de&Ponte&da&Pedra&(As&Pontes,&A&Coruña),& where&a&pit&delimited&by&a&hypothe?c&wood&palisade&da?ng&back&from&the&1st&half&of&the& 4th& millennium& BC& was& iden?fied& (Vaquero,& 1993);& an& hearth& under& the& tumulus& of& the& megalithic&monument&of&Campo&Caparinho&(Montalegre),&da?ng&back&from&the&middle&of& the& IV& millennium& BC,& and& almost& en?rely& composed& by& Scots& pine& (Pinus& tp.& sylvestris),& which&was&associated&to&a&fragment&of&Ericacea&(BeVencourt&et-al,.&2008);&the&orthostats& painted&in&white&from&Mamoa&de&Leira&das&Mamas&(Braga),&which&kaolin&was&bound&using& a&resin&from&the&family&of&Pinaceae&(Oliveira&et-al.,&submiVed),&or&the&remains&of&charcoal& debris& associated& to& a& human& burial& at& the& cave& of& Pala& da& Vella& (Ourense)& –& level& 2& –& dated& from& different& moments& of& the& 4th& millennium& BC& (Carrión,& 2005).& The& rela?on& between&the&human&and&these&charcoal&remains&has¬&been&established&yet,&although& their&presence&could&be&related&to&a&bonfire&or&some&illumina?on&devices&used&inside&the& cave.& Also& to& the& Northwest& of& Iberian& Peninsula& Bronze& Age& correspond& several& evidences& of& forest&resources&uses&in&funerary&prac?ces,&although&a&lack&of&a&synthesis&ar?culated&with& anthracological&studies&should&be&stressed.&
Fig. 2. Wooden coffin burned inside the plain grave 322 from Cimalhas necropolis (Almeida and Fernandes, 2008, adapted).
Fig. 8. Pine needles and Santinha vessel where pine needles were discovered.
Cistas&de&Paranho&(Late&Bronze&Age).&The&charcoals&samples&recovered&from& &the&cists&and& funerary&urns&included&diverse&woody&species,&like&cork&oak&(majority),&strawberry&tree,&elder& and&Cistacea&(Figueiral,&1997).&& Tumuli(from&Senhora&da&Ouvida&(Late&Bronze&Age).&The&531&punctual&samples&from&the&base& of&the&tumuli-included&a&limited&number&taxa,&with&emphasis&to&pedunculate&oak&and&some& heathers&and&Fabacea&(Figueiral,&1999).&& Fillings&from&the&vessel&annexed&to&the&cist&of&San-nha&(Late&Bronze&Age)&(Fig.&8).&Revealed& the&accumula?on&of&pine&needles&and&a&pine&brachyblast&which&Figueiral&(2001)&considered&of& ritual&character.&
GOALS In& this& sense& this& work& intends& to& make& a& first& synthesis& about& the& Northwest& Iberia& Bronze&Age&funerary&prac?ces,&witch&involve&the&use&of&burned&wood&and&charcoals&and& understand&the&contribu?on&of&anthracology&to&its&interpreta?on.& The& combina?on& of& these& studies& allows& both& the& knowledge& of& social& and& symbolic& aspects& and& of& technological& capacity& (Sørensen& and& Bille,& 2008),& so& as& to& infer& the& interrela?on&of&communi?es&with&the&surroundings.&
Fig. 3 Plain grave 8NE from Cimalhas necropolis, with burned wood (unpublised, courtesy of Carla Martins).
DISCUSSION®ARDING&CHARCOAL&ANALYSIS&RESULTS&
ARCHAEOLOGICAL DATA The& use& of& woodland& “resources”& in& the& Bronze& Age& burial& contexts& and& prac?ces& are& varied&and&materialized&by&different&groups,&according&to&the&seria?on&of&authors&of&this& text:& a&grave&construc-ons&(e.g.&Cerrado&de&Illade&1,&As&Pontes)&(Marbn&Seijo,&2012);& a&hearth&under&the&covering&slab&from&a&cist&(e.g.&Quinta&da&Água&Branca,&Vila&Nova&de& Cerveira)&(Fortes,&1906);&& a&hearth&under&the&covering&slab&of&a&pit&within&a&liVle&tumulus&(e.g.&Casinha&Derribada&3,& Viseu)&(Cruz&et-al.,-1998b)&(Fig.&6);&& a&hearth&and&charcoals&and&ashes&concentra-ons&in&necropolis&(e.g.&Tapada&da&Caldeira,& Baião)&(Jorge,&1980);& a& charcoals& concentra-ons& within& the& tumulus& of& reused& megalithic& monuments& (e.g.& Madorra& da& Granxa,& Castro& de& Rei,& and& Ponte& da& Pedra,& As& Pontes)& (Chao& Álvarez& and& Álvarez&Merayo,&2000;&Marbn&Seijo,&2012);& a& construc-on& of& a& sarcophagus& carved& in& a& wood& trunk& (e.g.& plain& grave& 322& from& the& necropolis&of&Cimalha,&Felgueiras)&(Almeida&and&Fernandes,&2008)&(Fig.&2);& a& possible& individual& crema-ons& (total& or& par?al)& in( situ& (e.g.& plain& grave& 245& from& the& necropolis& of& Cimalha,& Felgueiras& (Almeida& and& Fernandes,& 2008);& structure& within& the& tumulus& of& Vale& de& Chãos& 1,& Braga& (Vilas& Boas& and& Marbn& Seijo,& 2014)& (Fig.& 5);& tumulus& from& Serra& da& Muna& 2& and,& probably,& the& tumuli- from& Serra& da& Muna& 1& and& Casinha& Derribada&4,&both&at&Viseu,&according&to&Cruz&et-al.-(1998a,&1998b);&peripheral&structure& from&Outeiros&de&Gregos&1&(Jorge,&1980)&(Fig.&4);&plain&grave&1&from&Tapado&da&Caldeira,& Baião)&(Jorge,&1980);& a& remains& from& crematory& pyres& (e.g.& necropolis& of& Paranho,& Tondela& (Cruz,& 1997)& and,& probably,&the&tumuli-from&Senhora&da&Ouvida,&Castro&Daire,&according&to&Cruz&and&Vilaça& (1999)&(Fig.&7);& a&burning&of&aroma-c&substances&(e.g.&ceramic&vessel&con?guous&to&the&cist&of&San?nha,& Amares)&(BeVencourt&2001)&(Fig.&8);& a& other& rites& difficult& to& interpret& (e.g.& pit& with& ashes& from& Agro& de& Nogueira,& Melide& (Meijide& 1996);& hearths& from& the& monuments& of& Illade& 3& and& Reboredo& 1,& As& Pontes (Marbn&Seijo&2012);&charcoals&from&the&plain&grave&8NE&from&Cimalha&(Fig.&3);&charcoals& from& the& plain& grave& 11& from& Pego,& Braga,& and& charcoals& from& some& pits& from& Faísca,& Guimarães)&&(Cardoso&1936).&&&
Fig. 4 Outeiros de Gregos 1,&peripheral structure, iwitch the vessel and charcoal were found (Jorge, 1980, adapted).
ANTHRACOLOGY RESULTS Although&the&considerable&number&of&archaeological&data&recognized&as&wood&resources& remains,&it&is&s?ll&scarce&the&quan?ty&of&wood&samples&analysed&by&anthracology.&There& are&several&reasons&that&may&explain&this:&old&findings&with&no&recover&of&wood&samples;& punctual& recoveries& merely& intended& to& radiocarbon& da?ng;& lack& of& recovering& strategies& during& the& excava?on& works;& lack& of& funds& to& perform& those& analyses;& and& lack&of&specialists&in&the&Northwest&of&Iberia&during&many&years.& The&first&analysed&charcoals&from&Bronze&Age&funerary&contexts&from&the&Northwest&of& Iberia&date&back&from&the&90s&of&the&20th¢ury,&and&result&from&the&works&of&Vernet&&& Figueiral& (1993)& and& Figueiral& (1997,& 1998a,& 1998b,& 1999,& 2001).& Some& of& them& have& rela?ons&with&paleosols,&like&the&tumuli-of&Outeiro&de&Gregos&5&and&Meninas&do&Crasto& 4,&Baião,&and&would¬&be&considered&in&this&work.&Recently,&other&contexts&have&been& analysed&by&Marbn&Seijo&(Vilas&Boas&and&Marbn&Seijo,&2014).&& The&considered&contexts&in&this&work&are&the&following:&& Tumulus& from& Serra& da& Muna& 2& (Early& Bronze& Age).& From& this& site& 190& charcoal& fragments&were&recovered.&The&deciduous&oak&was&most&abundant&(89,5%),&associated& to& 1& fragment& of& ash& tree,& and& some& Fabaceae& and& heather,& 1& fragment& of& cork,& 1& fragment& of& acorn& and& liana.& Figueiral& (1998a:& 398)& considers& that& these& results& are& consistent&with&a&hearth.& Peripheral&structure&^&Outeiro&de&Gregos&1&(Middle&Bronze&Age).&Under&the&slabs&of&the& subrectangular&structure&associated&with&a&fragment&of&a&troncoconic&vessel&extremely& fragmented&(Fig.&4)&were&iden?fied&Quercus-pyrenaica-and&Fabaceae-type-Cy6sus,-in&11& samples&(Vernet&and&Figueiral,&1993:&26).& Structure&included&in&the&tumulus(of&Vale&de&Chãos&1&(Middle&Bronze&Age)&(Fig.&5).&174& charcoal&fragments&were&iden?fied.&With&high&probability,&167&belonging&to&a&deciduous& oak&trunk.&According&to&the&taphonomic&features&of&the&iden?fied&fragments,&this&trunk& was&in&primary&context.&It&was&associated&to&4&branches&of&Fabaceae&from&broomagorse& type,&2&branches&of&Maloideae&and&1&fragment&of&a&Dicotyledoneae&(Vilas&Boas&&&Marbn& Seijo&2014).&Tumulus& from& Casinha& Derribada& 3& (Middle& Bronze& Age).& From& the& hearth& under& the& covering& slab& of& the& chamber& of& this& monument& (Fig.& 6)& 187& charcoal& fragments& were& iden?fied.& The& pedunculate& oak& was& in& high& quan?ty& (134& frag.),& associated& to& 3& fragments&of&cork&oak,&2&of&white&heather&and&half&of&a&1&acorn.&According&to&the&annual& rings&from&the&oak&charcoals&the&fragments&were&from&a&young&tree&(Figueiral&1998b).& & & & &
The&charcoal&analysis&that&has&been&applied&at&funerary&contexts&dated&of&the&Bronze&Age&in& Northwest&Iberia&offered&interes?ng&data&iden?fying&the&species&used&in&the&burial&prac?ces&& and&contribu?ng&to&interpret&the&rites&performed&there.&Among&them&we&highlight:&& Charcoal& debris& related& to& crema-on& prac-ces& in( situ.( This& kind& of& remains& has& been& iden?fied&at&Serra&da&Muna&2&and&Vale&de&Chão&1.&At&both&sites&the&main&taxa&iden?fied&was& oak,& accompanied& sporadically& by& wood& obtained& from& shrubby& species& such& as& Fabaceae,& Erica& sp.& or& Rosaceae/Maloideae.& Their& presence& is& interpreted& as& the& firewood& use& for& star?ng&the&crema?on&process&while&oak&probably&was&the&main&fuel.&Oak&wood&has&a&high& calorific&value&and&produces&longalas?ng&embers.&& In&these&crema?on&contexts&we&could¬&discard&the&burning&of&wooden&coffins&in-situ-(such& as&Vale&de&Chãos&1)&because&the&amount&of&charcoal&does¬&correspond&with&the&necessary& for& a& crema?on& pyre.& In& this& sense& it& is& interes?ng& to& note& the& presence& at& the& Cimalha& necropolis&of&a&wooden&coffin&inside&the&flat&grave&nº&322&that&was&burned&in-situ&(Almeida& and&Fernandes,&2008).&The&coffin&was&excavated&in&half&a&trunk,&probably&oak,&and&has&about& 0.40& m& wide,& for& less& than& 2& cm& thick.& Inside& of& it& it& was& a& ceramic& vessel& (Fig.& 2)& dated& to& Early&or&Middle&Bronze&Age&(BeVencourt,&2010).&At&Serra&da&Muna&2&there&was&also&iden?fied& a&fragment&of&cork&of&Quercus-suber,&although&no&evidence&of&wood&belonging&to&this&taxa& was&found.&It&is&possible&that&it&presence&was&related&to&an&artefact&or&an&item&of&clothing&or& adornment.&& Firewood&related&to&crema-on&purposes&was&also&recovered&from&the&funerary&vessels&and& cists& of& Paranho& necropolis.& The& same& appears& to& have& occurred& under& the& cairns& of& the&Senhora&da&Ouvida&tumuli-aer&Cruz&and&Vilaça&(1999).&In&the&first&case&there&were&found& charcoal& debris& collected& aer& the& crema?on& and& deposited& inside& cists& and& vessels.& At& this&secondary&burial&contexts&there&were&found&mostly&cork&oak&(Quercus&suber)&associated& to&strawberry&tree&(Arbutus-unedo)&and&elder&(Alnus-sp.)&(Figueiral,&1997).& In& the& second& case& there& were& found& charcoal& debris& collected& aer& the& crema?on& and& deposited&directly&on&the&ground&and&being&subsequently&covered&by&stones.&At&this&probably& secondary& burial& context& there& were& found& mostly& oak& (Quercus& sp.& deciduous)& (Figueiral,&1999).& Charcoal&recovered&from&fireplaces.&There&were&also&found&charcoals&at&fireplaces&associated& to& burial& contexts& (such& as& Casinha& Derribada& 3).& The& species& iden?fied& at& these& structures& have& been& similar& to& those& recovered& at& crema?on& contexts,& deciduous& and& evergreen& oak& were&burned&as&main&fuel&(Figueiral&1998b),&although&they&have&been&used&twigs.& Odd& finds.& At& San?nha& was& found& a& rare& accumula?on& of& pine& needles& (Figueiral,& 2001),& associated&with&a&liVle&cist&structure&(BeVencourt,&2001).&This&kind&of&botanical&remains&are& not& usually& found& at& Bronze& Age& contexts& of& Northwest& Iberia.& Their& presence& could& be& related& to& cerimonial& purposes& (Figueiral,& 2001)& and,& in& this& case,& with& funeral& rites& (BeVencourt& 2001,& 2010).& Needles& produce& odour& while& burned& but& we& could& not& discard& their&selec?on&in&rela?on&to&the&symbolic&meaning&of&pine.&This&evergreen&specie&is&usually& linked&to&immortality,&resurrec?on&and&fer?lity&(Cleene&&&Lejeune,&2002).&
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Fig. 5. Plain grave within the tumulus of Vale de Chãos 1, where the charcoal was retrived (Vilas Boas and Martín Seijo, 2014).
Summarizing,& we& can& consider& that& the& associa?on& between& archaeological& and& anthracological& data& is& extremely& important& to& interpret& funerary& prac?ces,& specifically& incinera?on& contexts.& The& use& of& anthracology& is& also& possible& to& understand& past& communi?es&species&selec?on,&so&as&their&use&in&certain&ceremonies&related&to&death.& As&such,&more&cau?on&and&sensibility&to&the&presence&of&remains&of&use/manipula?on&of&fire& in& funerary& contexts& is& advised,& so& as& the& exhaus?ve& collec?on& of& samples.& Later& anthracological&and&dendrological&studies&of&these&samples&are&equally&important.&& References:& &
Fig. 6. Casinha Derribada 3 where was found an hearth under the covering slab ( Cruz et al., 1998b, adapted).
Fig. 7. Cairn of Senhora da Ouvida 7 that was covering ligneous remains (Cruz and Vilaça, 1999, adapted).
Acknowledgements:&This&work&was&developed&under&the&project&Funerary-and-Ceremonial-Prac6ces-Between-the-Neolithic-to-theBronze-Age&Approached-by-Archaeometry.&
ALMEIDA&PB&&&&FERNANDES&F&2008.&O&povoado&da&Idade&do&Bronze&da&Cimalha.&Actas-do-I-Encontro-de-Arqueologia-das-Terras-do-Sousa-(Lousada,-2007).Oppidum-Número-Especial,29a44&PDF;&& BETTENCOURT&AMS&2001.&O-Povoado-da-San6nha,-Amares,-Norte-de-Portugal,-nos-Finais-da-Idade-do-Bronze.&Cadernos&de&Arqueologia&Monografias&12,& Univ.& do& Minho.& Braga;& 2010.& La& Edad& del& Bronce& en& el& Noroeste& de& la& Península& Ibérica:& un& análisis& a& par?r& de& las& prác?cas& funerarias,& Trabajos- dePreistoria&67&(1):139a173;&BETTENCOURT&AMS&et(al.(2008.&Contributos¶&a&história&de&um&lugar:&o&túmulo&1&de&Campo&de&Caparinho,&Vilar&de&Perdizes& (Nordeste&de&Portugal)&no&contextoµaregional,&Estudos-do-Quaternário-5:67a78;& CARDOSO&M&1936.&Novas&urnas&de&largo&bordo&horizontal&(um&?po®ional&de&cerâmica&primi?va).&Trabalhos-de-Antropologia-e-Etnologia-8&(1):65a87;& CHAO&ÁLVAREZ&FJ&&&ÁLVAREZ&MERAYO&IA&2000:&A&Madorra&da&Granxa:&o&túmulo&máis&grande&de&Galicia?&Brigan6um&12:41a63;& CRUZ& DJ& 1997.& A& necrópole& do& Bronze& Final& do& “Paranho”& (Molelos,& Tondela,& Viseu).& Estudos- PréQHistóricos- 5:85a109;& CLEENE& M& && LEJEUNE& M& 2002.&Compendium-of-Rituel-plants-in-Europe.-Vol.-I:-Trees-and-Shrubs.-Mens&&&Cultuur&uitgevers;&CRUZ&DJ&&&VILAÇA&R&1999.&O&grupo&de&tumuli&da&Senhora& da& Ouvida& (Castro& Daire,& Viseu).& Estudos- PréQHistóricos- 7:129a161;& CRUZ& DJ& et( al.& 1998a.& Monumento& 2& da& Serra& da& Muna& (Campo,& Viseu):& resultados& preliminares& dos& trabalhos& de& escavação.& Estudos- PréQHistóricos- 6:375a395;& CRUZ& DJ& et- al.& 1998b.& O& grupo& de& tumuli& da& "Casinha& Derribada"& (conc.& de& Viseu).&Resultados&preliminares&da&escavação&arqueológica&dos&monumentos&3,&4&e&5.&Conimbriga&38:&375a395;&& FIGUEIRAL& I& 1997.& Necrópole& do& Paranho& (Molelos,& Tondela):& resultados& da& análise& dos& carvões& vegetais,& Estudos- PréQHistóricos- 5:121a122;& 1998a.& Monumento& 2& da& Serra- da- Muna& (Campo,& Viseu):& a& contribuição& da& antracologia.& Estudos- PréQHistóricos- 6;& 1998b.& Casinha& Derribada,& monumento& 3.& Carvões&vegetais,&Conimbriga&37:86a88;&1999.&Tumuli&da&Senhora&da&Ouvida&(Castro&Daire,&Viseu).&A&contribuição&da&Antracologia.&Estudos-PréQHistóricos& 7:163a166;&2001.&O&povoado&da&San?nha&(Amares,&Braga).&O&contributo&da&antracologia,&in&AMS&BeVencourt&O-Povoado-da-San6nha,-Amares,-Norte-dePortugal,-nos-Finais-da-Idade-do-Bronze.&Cadernos&de&Arqueologia&Monografias&12,&Univ.&do&Minho.&Braga,65a71;& FORTES&J&1906.&A&sepultura&da&Quinta&da&Água&Branca&(Edade&do&Cobre).&Portugália&2:241a252;&& JORGE& SO& 1980.& A& estação& arqueológica& do& Tapado& da& Caldeira,& Baião.& Portugália& n.s.& 1:29a50;& JORGE& VO& 1980.& Escavação& da& Mamoa& 1& de& Outeiro& de& Gregos.&Serra&da&Aboboreira,&Baião.&Portugália&n&s.&1:9a28;& MARTÍN&SEIJO&M&2012.&Historia&das&inves?gacións&sobre&o&megali?smo&no&concello&das&Pontes&(A&Coruña),&Cátedra.-Revista-Eumesa-de-Estudios-:301a314;& MEIJIDE&G&1996.&La&necrópolis&del&Bronce&Inicial&del&Agro&de&Nogueira&(Piñeiro,&Toques,&A&Coruña)&en&el&contexto&funerario&de&su&época.&Homenajem-a-C.Alonso-del-Real.&San?ago&de&Compostela,215a239;&& OLIVEIRA& C& et- al.- (submiVed)- Integrated& analy?cal& techniques& for& the& study& of& colouring& materials& from& two& NW& Portuguese& megalithic& barrows,Archaeometry;-SØRENSEN&T&&&BILLE&M&2008.&Flames&of&transforma?on:&the&role&of&fire&in&crema?on&prac?ces.&World-Archaeology&40(2):253a267;&& VAQUERO&J&1993.&Túmulos&del&NW&peninsular:&escenas.&Actas-del-XXII-Congreso-Nacional-de-Arqueología.&Vigo,39a46;&& VERNET&JL&&&FIGUEIRAL&I&1993.&The&highlands&of&Aboboreira&(Northawest&Portugal):&ecological&condi?ons&&from&Middle/Late&Neolithic&to&Early&Bronze&Age.& Evidences&from&charcoal&analysis.-Oxford--Journal-of-Archaeology&12&(1):19a28;&& VILAS&BOAS&L&&&MARTÍN&SEIJO&M&2014.&Ritos&de&fogo&em&contextos&funerários&da&Idade&do&Bronze&do&NW&da&Ibéria:&o&caso&de&estudo&do&monumento&sob& tumulus&de&Vale&de&Chão&1&(Braga).&In&AMS&BeVencourt&et-al.-(eds.)&Corpos-e-Metais-na-Fachada-Atlân6ca-da-Ibéria.-Do-Neolí6co-à-Idade-do-Bronze.&Braga:& Citcem/Apeq,39a48.&
& &
