Crafting Idiosyncrasies. Early Social Complexity, Ivory and Identity-Making in Copper Age Iberia

Abstract

As a raw material, ivory has been used to manufacture a wide range of objects, normally associated with sumptuous material culture. In this article we explore the role played by ivory and ivory artefacts among early complex societies, and particularly its importance in the definition of identities among emergent elites. To this end, we make a thorough examination of the evidence from Copper Age Iberia, focusing on the mega-site of Valencina, in southern Spain. This site has provided what to date is the largest assemblage of prehistoric ivory in western Europe, with an estimated total of 8.8 kg, including finely crafted artefacts of unrivalled beauty and sophistication. Our study looks carefully at the technological, morphological and contextual dimensions of Copper Age ivory. As a result, we contend that the broad morphological variability together with the technological uniformity of this assemblage suggest that, while belonging to a common technological tradition, objects were deliberately crafted as unique and unrepeatable so that they could be used to create and maintain socio-cultural idiosyncrasies and ideological legitimation.

The use and abuse of cinnabar in Late Neolithic and Copper Age Iberia

“…On the other hand, in both Valencina and Perdigões, cinnabar occurs with intensity in some tombs and not in others, even when they were generally contemporary. But the same happens with other artifactual categories, particularly those made in raw materials of exogenous origin such as ivory (Luciañez Triviño et al, 2021). This reveals that the use of cinnabar, like other exotic substances and raw materials, played a part in the dynamics of identity‐building and social differentiation practices between social groups.…”

“…Cinnabar and other common and prestige trade goods, including ivory from African elephant found at Perdigões and Valencina, the latter of which also includes Asian elephant ivory (García Sanjuán et al, 2013; Luciañez Triviño et al, 2021; Valera et al, 2015), were moved along these routes. Further evidence for this communication system then must come from additional archaeological investigations at sites along the Guadiana River system.…”

Tecnología del marfil: herramientas, técnicas y modos de producción en la Edad del Cobre de la península ibérica. Valencina de la Concepción (Sevilla) como caso de estudio

“…This phenomenon has been interpreted as indicative of an emerging "elite", something that is quite palpable in the lower Guadalquivir River valley during the Chalcolithic Period (between 3200 and 2200/2300 cal BC). The presence of ivory objects seems to be one of the common denominators in local elite grave goods there (García Sanjuán et al, 2018b;Luciañez-Triviño et al, 2021). The presence of significant amounts of ivory, and other extra-peninsular materials (such as ostrich eggshell) in some of the largest Chalcolithic settlements in Iberia reflect the intensification of these trans-Mediterranean exchange networks.…”

“…In the Iberian Copper Age, elephant ivory was used to produce many different kinds of prestigious objects such as handles, zoomorphic and anthropomorphic figurines, combs, decorated and undecorated plates, vessels, boxes, lunulae, and beads. Ivory was not used during the Chalcolithic to make utilitarian objects, like tools to produce other goods, but exclusively for showy personal objects for display, as body ornaments or to be carried by individuals (Luciañez-Triviño et al, 2021).…”

‘Idols’ in late prehistoric Iberia

“…Valera 2019: 16–17; Luciañez-Triviño et al . 2022: 48–51). Scholars and students of prehistoric Europe alike will find these volumes inspiring and they certainly will ignite new ideas with fresh research potential.…”