The importance of Iberian women

Female Votive Offerings

These bronze figurines are dated to be from 5th - 1st centuries B.C. They have eloquent ritual poses and they represent women from Iberian culture. They are votive objects that the Iberians deposited over time as an offering to their gods. The women represented by them are ladies from the aristocracy, and thanks to these offerings we know how they dressed. They generally wore a robe, which fit snugly around the waist, and draped themselves in shawls or veils. Some wore high and varied headpieces along with other eye-catching adornments, especially pieces of jewelry, only accessible to the wealthier classes. Something similar occurred with the wool and linen used to manufacture their gowns. Given the exclusive materials and elegant styling, their clothing is indicative of their status and social differentiation. Their poses and gestures underscored the notion of organizational hierarchy within Iberian society, in which it appears that women played a significant role, whose details remain unknown to us. Their role may have been on a par with the role of the men, since the proportion of female offerings discovered was roughly similar to those of men.