Resumen
In plant craftwork, making objects and structures is sometimes a process of growing and tending trees, shrubs or herbs, and the artisans must work with materials in a process of interrelation and adaptation through skill and senses. In the case of basket making the control over plants was one of the central tasks of crafting and a crucial issue to assure the existence of appropriate raw materials. During Iron Age, in Northern Iberia there is a growing number of archaeobotanical and archaeological evidence of baskets and structures made using basketry techniques associated to fences, wattle, and daub buildings. Evidence of basket-making has been preserved directly by charring, or by mineral replacement and indirectly as clay imprints. The evidence recorded up to now indicates the existence of coppicing practices in hazel, and the management of other taxa such as shrubs of the Fabaceae family. The presence of features related to biodeterioration in samples related to wooden fences or other structures built using basketry techniques stresses the relevance of periodically renewing this kind of perishable structures. The information compiled up to now suggests the existence of managed plants oriented specifically to provide adequate raw materials for basket-making, creating in turn landscapes shaped by crafters.
Palabras clave
Basketry. Plants. Management. Landscape. Archaeobotany. Iron Age.