Ashes to ashes
Plant remains from Iron age funeral rituals in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands
Dados Bibliográficos
| ID | 12201218 |
|---|---|
| Autores | Carmen Chulvi-Escribà (0009-0007-8571-4377, Universitat de València, autor correspondente), Yolanda Carrión Marco (0000-0003-4064-249X, Universitat de València), Guillem Pérez-Jordá (0000-0003-1459-0219, Universitat de València) |
| Ano | 2026 |
| Volume | 35 |
| Fascículo | 5 |
| Páginas | 759-773 |
| Data de publicação | 2026-03-22 |
| Peer Reviewed | Sim |
| Open Access | Sim |
| Tipo | ARTICLE |
| Periódico | Vegetation History and Archaeobotany (JOURNAL) |
| Identificadores do periódico | ISSN: 0939-6314 • E-ISSN: 1617-6278 |
| Editora | Springer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s00334-026-01094-7 |
| OpenAlex | W7140038487 |
| Idioma | EN |
| Referências citadas | 26 |
This study presents the archaeobotanical analysis of several Iberian cremation burial grounds dated to the 1st millennium bce in the eastern Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands. Plant remains from these sites were taxonomically identified and they provide a better understanding of the use of fuel and offerings in funerary contexts, an issue on which there has not yet been sufficient systematic research. The results reveal both the recurring presence of dominant taxa such as Quercus, Olea and Pinus, and notable variability in taxonomic richness and degree of preservation, suggesting diverse funerary practices and wood use strategies. In some cases, the data indicate a clear selection of wood taxa for ritual or symbolic purposes, but generally, an opportunistic use of local vegetation seems evident. Of relevance has been the finding of fragments of cereal-based food remains in the cremations, suggesting the role of this food in the funeral ceremony. Comparing these findings with those from nearby settlements shows differences in resource management and cultural choices related to cremation rites. This work shows the importance of systematic archaeobotanical sampling of funerary contexts and contributes to the broader understanding of plant resource use in Iberian Iron Age societies
Balearic islands · Human settlement · Iron Age · Paleoethnobotany · Peninsula · Taphonomy · Taxon · Vegetation (pathology · Archaeological and Historical Studies · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
Earliest floral grave lining from 13,700–11,700-y-old Natufian burials at Raqefet Cave, Mt. Carmel, Israel
Gone with the fire. The role of charred plant remains in inhumation and cremation rituals in the Phoenician necropolis of Puig des Molins (Ibiza, Balearic Islands)
Trees of eternity-Pinus pinea L. in daily life, rituals, religion and symbolism. Archaeobotanical evidence from the territory of Bulgaria
On the origin and domestication of Olea europaea L. (olive) in Andalucía, Spain, based on the biogeographical distribution of its finds
Mid-Holocene palaeoenvironmental record from the Atlantic Band of Cádiz (SW Spain) based on pollen and charcoal data
Pyre wood fuel and food remains in a necropolis of Barcino (Barcelona, NE Iberian Peninsula)
Food for the dead, fuel for the pyre
Archaeobotanical Evidence of Funerary Plant Offerings at the Southern Etrurian Necropolis of “Valle Santa nell’Agro Veientano” (Rome, Italy)
Plant Assemblage of the Phoenician Sacrificial Pit by the Temple of Melqart/Herakles (Motya, Sicily, Italy)
Análisis antracológico de la necrópolis de Cruz del Negro, (Carmona, Sevilla)
Exploring prehistoric plant use by molecular analyses of Neolithic grave goods
An approach to funerary rituals in the Roman provinces
A methodological approach to the study of archaeological cereal meals
New Products, New Tastes? Agricultural Innovations and Continuities Between the Ninth and Fourth Centuries Bc in Mediterranean Iberia
El ritual funerario en las necrópolis ibéricas a partir de nuevas aproximaciones metodológicas
The use of wood in funerary pyres
Oak, ash and pine
| Velocidade de citação | historical |
|---|---|
| Altamente citado | Não |