DEER ANTLER OBJECTS PRODUCTION DURING BRONZE AGE IN SOUTHEAST OF THE IBERIAN PENINSULA. CABEZO REDONDO (VILLENA, ALICANTE, SPAIN)

Abstract

Antler is a profusely used raw material throughout Late Prehistory. From1700/1600 cal BC, social and economic transformations that took place in the Southeast of Iberian Peninsula led to the period known as the Late Bronze Age. During this time, an extraordinary increase in the exploitation of antler raw material can be observed,to create varied objects, most of them involved in productive activities. This change took place in the general context of arise in the production of handicrafts. This includes the improvement of metallic tools made in real bronze and working techniques which allowed for the development of new and diverse implements made from different raw materials with a wide range of functions. The archaeological site with the most well-documented record of this process is Cabezo Redondo: a settlement characterized by a proto-urban organization on a hillside with a chronology which span along almost the entire 2nd millennium cal BC.