Forging Connections: archaeometallurgical characterization at the Phoenician site of Cerro del Villar (Málaga, Spain) in its regional context

31th EAA Annual Meeting- Intertwined Pasts

Belgrado. Serbia
Congreso. 2025

In the 8th century BCE, the Phoenicians founded Cerro del Villar, one of the largest colonies in southern Iberia, located on an island surrounded by the estuary of the Guadalhorce River (Málaga). This settlement plays a key role in understanding Phoenician colonization dynamics and their interactions with local communities in the Málaga hinterland.

Results of elemental and isotopic composition analyses of copper- and lead-based objects, production remains and Pb-Zn-Ag rich ores are presented in this study. Samples were collected during the new archaeological fieldwork at Cerro del Villar (2022–2024), as well as the prospection campaign in the mines of Llano de la Plata (Alhaurín de la Torre, Málaga). The new excavations are being conducted by an interdisciplinary team leaded by the University of Málaga and including contributions from Spanish universities (Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, and Jaén) and international institutions (Marburg, Germany; Chicago, USA). Archaeometallurgy research is being carried out within the framework of the MedAtMetals Project (INCIPIT-CSIC). This research offers new insights into metallurgical interactions between Phoenicians and local communities in southern Iberia during the first millennium BCE, contributing to a better understanding of the colonial historical process.