ATLANTXES: Mass production and deposition of leaded bronzes in Atlantic Europe during the late Bronze Age-Iron Age transition

Timeframe: 2018-2020Salto de línea Lead researcher: Xosé-Lois Armada Pita (INCIPIT-CSIC)Salto de línea MAN researchers: Eduardo GalánSalto de línea Members of the research group: Dr. Ignacio Montero-Ruiz (IH-CSIC), Dra. Beatriz Comendador Rey (Univ. de Vigo), Dr. Marcos Martinón-Torres (Uinvesity College London, Gran Bretaña), Dr. Antonio Martínez-Cortizas (Univ. de Santiago de Compostela), Raquel Vilaça (Univ. de Coimbra, Portugal), Duncan Hook y Dr. Neil Wilkin (British Museum, Gran Bretaña), Dr. Sophia Adams (Univ. of Glasgow, Grn Bretaña), Dr. Ignacio Soriano (Univ. Autónoma de Barcelona), Dr. Pau Sureda (INCIPIT-CSIC), Óscar García-Vuelta (IH-CSIC) y Aaron Lackinger (investigador independiente).

Large quantities of bronze—amounting to tonnes—were buried in isolated hoards in Europe in the final stages of prehistory, mainly during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age. This practice was particularly intense on Europe’s Atlantic seaboard and remains shrouded in mystery, despite many years of research and lengthy scientific discussions.

The aim of this project is to analyse a particularly enigmatic piece of this puzzle: the large hoards of apparently unused (as-cast) axes made of impractical alloys (high levels of lead and/or tin) that appear in several areas of the European Atlantic facade during the late Bronze Age-Iron Age transition.

Research centres in Spain, Portugal and Great Britain are participating in the project.