IBERIAN BRONZE FIGURINES: TECHNOLOGICAL AND STYLISTIC ANALYSIS


Seventeen Iberian bronze statuettes were chemically analyzed for 8 major and 7 trace elements using inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), a quantitative yet minimally destructive technique which also minimizes sample preparation and analysis time and cost. The votive statuettes, of Iron Age date (c. 8th-6th centuries BC), come from the sanctuary of Castellar de Santisteban in the province of Jaen, Spain, and are currently on loan to the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology from the Harvard University Art Museums. They were presumably cast by the lost-wax technique in clay molds which were then broken open and discarded. Knowledge of the alloys used provides information on the types of ores exploited, as well as the technological nature of the production process itself (e.g. was lead added to improve casting properties? Were standardized recipes used, suggesting centralized production? Was fresh metal or scrap bronze used?). On average, the figurines contain about 5% tin and nearly 8% lead, although there is considerable individual variability; these results are consistent with other analyses of Iberian bronze figurines. The extent of Eastern Mediterranean influence on both the casting technology employed and the artistic style of these figurines is assessed through a comparison with earlier, indigenous Bronze Age production.