Stand brazier. Ritual ceremonies

ProtohistorySalto de línea

Throughout the period of formation of the pre-Roman peoples between the 9th and the 5th century BC, the communities who lived on the Central Plateau and in the Ebro, Douro and Tagus river valleys evolved thanks to the cultural influence of Mediterranean and Central European civilisations, although the degree of assimilation varied depending on the nature and intensity of each group’s foreign relations. The trade network of luxury goods established by the Phoenicians and Greeks was monopolised by the dominant social classes, who made sure that only they were able to use these prestige commodities. They also adopted rituals typical of the Mediterranean elite, in which braziers were necessary elements for burning perfumes, especially incense, and they copied their custom of burying the dead with rich grave goods consisting of weapons and objects from the funerary banquet.

This elegant bronze piece from the 6th century BC. was a stand for a perfume censer or brazier, used to elevate and enhance the ceremonial vessel. The horse figure, an animal believed to transport the dead to the afterlife in the Indo-European tradition, suggests a funerary significance. By studying its archaeological context, we have been able to get a better idea of its meaning. The piece was discovered in Calaceite (Teruel) by chance in a tomb along with other grave goods, which consisted of a breastplate decorated with concentric circles, greaves and two swords. Alongside this battle gear, which undoubtedly belonged to a person of high standing, there were fragments of objects related to ceremonial rituals, such as three bronze handles from a vessel and a bronze ladle and some pottery vases. This motley assortment of objects has also been found in contemporaneous tombs in southeast France, which allows us to deduce that the occupants of these graves had the same aristocratic status and received similar ritual ceremonies associated with that rank.