Dear Michael:
Relating to punic inscriptions of Roman Age, you must know that
writting language could not be the same as oral language. We have to be
careful of making social-economic conclusions from these punic
"graffities" (c. I b.C.-I a.C.). I'm not sure, but it seems punic
alphabet lasted in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula in the lowest
social classes. There's a book which deals with survival of phoenician
population during Roman Age, that could be interesting for you:
Lopez Castro, J.L.: Hispania Poena. Los fenicios en la Hispania
Romana, 1995. Ed. crítica.
Pre-phoenician iron, a topical subject nowadays, it is related to the
mediterranean-atlantic contacts during the Final Bronze Age. These iron
objects (Villena, Ría de Huelva, Peña Negra, Baioes, etc.) are dating
around 1000 b.C., before the phoenician iron-working sites establishment,
and are considered imports. About this subject:
Almagro-Gorbea, M.: "La introdución del hierro en la Península
Ibérica. Contactos procoloniales en el período protoorientalizante",
Complutum, 4, 1993, p. 81-94.
The last researches about Villena treasure show mediterranean
influences in its technology. Apart from technology, it can be also
considered a mediterranean influence the iron and amber presence at
Villena. Amber, found in Middle Mediterranean and Aegean sites, probably
came here from Baltic:
Ruiz-Gálvez, M.L.: Ritos de paso y puntos de paso. La Ría de
Huelva en el mundo del Bronce Final Europeo, Complutum Extra, 5, 1995.
Iron knives from Early Iron Age have been recovered in very
varied indigenous contexts, principally burial contexts. We don't know
the specific production in phoenician iron-working sites, but we suppose
these knives could be made there. We thought these knives could be
interpreted as symbolic artefacts given by phoenician merchants to
indigenous leading classes to establish trade relations. A brief study
you can see here:
Ruiz Zapatero, G.: "Comercio protohistórico e innovación
tecnológica: la difusión d la metalurgia de hierro y el torno de alfarero
en el NE. de Iberia", Gala, 1, 1992, p. 103-116.
I hope this references could come in useful to you.
Yours sincerely.
Javier Larrazabal.
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