Researchers who analyzed the contents of a princely tomb in Pliego, Murcia, in Spain found out that women from the ruling class might have played critical roles in governing the ancient society of El Argar.
The archaeologists from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) analyzed the treasure trove from the tomb designated as Grave 38, containing the remains of two individuals as well as a variety of valuable belongings. Grave 38 was originally discovered at the La Almoloya archaeological site in Pliego, sitting underneath the ruins of what was later identified as the governing hall of a palatial building.
"La Almoloya and the princely Grave 38 belong to these exceptional archaeological finds, which from time to time provide a glimpse into the ruling subjects and the emblematic objects of the first state societies emerging in Europe during the Bronze Age," says Vincente Lull, a coordinator in the study, in a statement.
A Treasure Trove at Grave 38, El Argar
In time for the Women's History Month, the ancient El Argar site's discovery challenges the long-held notion that prehistoric societies were built around male leaders. Buried individuals were found in a large ceramic jar that contained a man estimated to be between 35 to 40 years old and a younger woman between 25 to 30 years. Surrounding this is an assortment of about 30 items of great value and prestige - pieces of jewelry and artifacts adorned with silver, mostly thought to belong to the female specimen.
In their report titled "Emblems and spaces of power during the Argaric Bronze Age at La Almoloya, Murcia," appearing in the journal Antiquity, researchers detail the exquisite finds within Grave 38 - including bracelets, earlobe plugs, spirals, necklaces, and containers with animal offerings. Among these items, the most notable is the silver diadem resting on the head of the female specimen."
Further study of the silver diadem, including a comparison to four similar artifacts found earlier in the 19th century of identified affluent women in El Argar, reveals that all pieces of jewelry were "highly exclusive pieces," not to mention the high degree to which the diadem resemble the four earlier samples.
"The singularity of these diadems is extraordinary," exclaims Cristina Rihuete, one of the authors of the study. She adds that these were symbolic objects specially made for these powerful women, transforming them into "emblematic subjects" of the El Argar ruling class. Rihute noted each piece's uniqueness, similar to funerary markers found to a ruling class of other ancient European societies such as those of Brittany and Wessex or Unetice in what is now the Czech Republic. She also likened it to similar artifacts in the eastern Mediterranean from the 17th century BCE, which lasted almost simultaneously as Grave 38 - which was believed to flourish sometime between 2200 and 1550 BCE.
A Woman Leader in a Patriarchial Society
While the affluence and opulence of the items found in Grave 38 definitely tells a lot about the stature of the ruling class woman buried there, researchers require more studies to confirm whether the woman was an actual leader in El Argar, simply a symbolic representation of her stature.
"In the Argaric society, women of the dominant classes were buried with diadems, while the men were buried with a sword and dagger," researchers noted in the report. They added that funeral items that accompanied men were usually of lesser quantity and quality. Pointing to the sword as symbolic of power and the will needed to enforce it, men of the ruling class in El Argar most likely handled executive roles. On the other hand, researchers propose that the ideological legitimation that guided lawmaking and governance required input from the women.
See the virtual reconstruction of the La Almoloya, an ancient dig site that once housed the El Argar society, below:
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