Abstract:

The necropolis of Esquarterades was discovered by chance in 2013. After an initial verification survey conducted the same year by the archaeology company Àtics, a team of researchers from the University of Barcelona, the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology and the Archaeological Museum of Catalonia have developed a research project with two archaeological excavation campaigns in the years 2014 and 2015. The digs have uncovered the remains of an Iberian necropolis of the 5th century – beginnings of the 4th century b.c., with twenty graves consisting of wheeled or hand-made ceramic urns covered with ceramic lids, and placed in pits sealed by stone slabs. Some of these urns are severely damaged, whilst others are preserved virtually intact. The grave goods consist of bronze artefacts deposited inside the urns, mostly personal ornaments, as well as iron objects, mainly pieces of armament, deposited outside the urns. We are currently carrying out the laboratory studies (micro-excavation of the urns, consolidation and study of archaeological materials) and the anthropological study of the skeletal remains will soon be started.