Summary
Palstave hoarding is a widespread social practice among indigenous communities of north-western Iberian Peninsula during the Late Bronze Age. In this presentation we have studied the most significant palstave assemblages found in the coastal region of northwest Iberia.X-Ray Fluorescence analyses have revealed interesting trends in the alloy selection used in the manufacturing of these artefacts. On the one hand, copper-tin alloys are usually chosen for the manufacture of the archaic type, single-looped palstaves, like the ones present in the Mougás hoard. On the other hand, there are two types of double-looped palstaves where the most regular chosen recipes are made with copper, tin and high amounts of lead. In contrast to what was expected, while Samieira and Noalla hoards follows this pattern, Estea hoard have revealed a variety of different alloys. The heterogeneous alloys compositions present in Estea Palstaves set are: copper-tin, copper-lead, copper-tin-lead alloys and a copper palstave.Northwest peninsula, where some researchers place the Cassitérides classical sources, is one of the regions linked to the Tin Route used during Phoenician period. Could be this change in the metalwork local recipes pattern related with the arrival of new Mediterranean contacts to northwest Iberia?