Abstract:

A set of three ceramic discs from the Early Iron Age levels of Peña Negra are analysed. They exhibit differences in surface treatment and would have been fitted with handles, so they should be interpreted as lids of large storage vessels. Samples of each disc were studied by means of petrographic and mineralogical analysis (X-ray micro-diffraction, µDRX). Resulting data indicate that those are pieces of relatively homogeneous composition and that were probably locally produced, fired at low temperatures. The discovery of similar objects in other Early Iron Age contexts is reviewed, highlighting those recovered in the Northeast of the Iberian Peninsula and the Ebro Valley, where gypsum discs have also been found, similar to two examples found in Peña Negra. In this site, gypsum was commonly used as raw material in building activities and other crafts.