Abstract:

The article presents the first evidence of pitch production during the Roman period in the Iberian Peninsula as recorded within the framework of the Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley (MPCV) Project. This was an international multidisciplinary project started in 2004 and lasted for six years, aiming to investigate human-environment interactions in high mountain areas from a long-term archaeological perspective (Ejarque 2009; Ejarque et al. 2010; Orengo 2010). The identification of the pitch production centre in the MPCV (Andorra, Eastern Pyrenees), a UNESCO World Heritage site in the category of Cultural Landscape, can significantly contribute to the advancement of knowledge of this industry. Based on these new data and any other scarce evidence for pitch in Europe, our endeavour is to give a general overview of pitch production and offer a first approach to its origins, production techniques, and distribution during antiquity.