Belt from Aliseda

Orientalized Iberia

The so-called "Treasure of Aliseda" takes its name from the town in Cáceres where it was found and is dated to be from the 7th century BC. It appeared in a burial mound where at least two members of the aristocracy, a man and a woman, were buried with their respective jewellery . It was made by Tartessian artisans who had learned the techniques of soldering, granulation and filigree from Phoenician goldsmiths. They used these methods to fashion jewellery pieces comprising various elements which, as in the case of this belt, were occasionally articulated. Some of them, like the diadem, bracelet, pendant earrings known as arracadas, and this belt, are profusely decorated with plant and animal motifs that testify to an eastern influence. However, only the belt is adorned with an image of the Phoenician god-hero Melqart fighting a lion, framed by a frieze of palmettes and winged griffins and set against a granulated background. Like the other jewellery, and judging by the signs of wear, the belt must have been used before it was buried alongside its owner, possibly a high-ranking aristocrat who wore it proudly as a symbol of power and prestige. The rest of the jewels of the buried woman allow us to suppose that she also belonged to the local elite.