Honey vessels in the protohistoric settlement of El Castañuelo

Abstract

The excavation of a small settlement in the Aracena mountain range, in the northern part of the province of Huelva (Spain), provided significant information about the occupation of that western territory during the transition between the two Iron Age stages. The settlement was abandoned abruptly at the end of the 5th century BC, leaving behind household items, tools, and personal belongings. Among the abundant pottery recovered, both handmade and wheel-thrown, notable are the vessels used for storing and preserving provisions, which were found in situ or scattered throughout the different rooms. Three of these vessels feature a characteristic lip or tab near the mouth. This type of jar, whose function as containers for honey is well-supported by organic residue analysis and ethnographic parallels extending to contemporary times, spread across the Mediterranean from the Aegean to the Iberian Peninsula during the imprecise dates of the mid-1st millennium BC. The oldest documented examples from the Iberian area date to the 4th century BC, while those from the late 5th century BC were found in the monumental complexes of the Middle Guadiana, which have been linked to the history of the settlement of El Castañuelo.