Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – The Late Iron Age (fourth–first centuries BC) district of Carpetania in the Central Iberian Peninsula was long considered ‘a marginal territory’ without any significant importance for the region.
However, a recent intriguing discovery invites us to reconsider our understanding of this region’s ancient history. What insights might the captivating ancient relief, associated with the mysterious griffin, offer about Carpetania’s cultural ties with distant civilizations?
The relief from Structure 2 at El Cerrón, comparing a digital photograph (A), a filtered photograph (B) and an artistic rendering (C) (Museo de Santa Cruz de Toledo; Ministerio de Cultura y Deporte; inventory number: CE23580; photograph by J. Blánquez Pérez; drawing by P. Sánchez de Oro).
In a new study published in Antiquity, a team of archaeologists led by Pablo Sánchez de Oro, a researcher from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, re-evaluate archaeological evidence from the site of El Cerrón, Illescas, located in the province of Toledo, Spain.
Artifacts discovered at the site reveal that Carpetania in the Central Iberian Peninsula was not as insignificant as previously believed.
Instead, the local elite of Carpetania was actively engaged in Mediterranean trade and cultural networks during the Late Iron Age (4th–1st centuries BC).
At the El Cerrón excavation site, researchers uncovered a variety of artifacts such as a clay hearth, pottery sherds, metal objects, and animal bones. Among these discoveries, the most significant is a terracotta relief crafted in the Mediterraneanizing style. This piece is adorned with motifs characteristic of the Mediterranean region, suggesting a cultural connection to that part of the world.
The relief (1.35 × 0.33m) features a detailed depiction of a griffin with a possibly floral motif (perhaps a lotus flower) stemming from its open mouth, alongside two charioteers driving horse-drawn chariots. Additionally, it includes a human figure wearing a long tunic or cloak and holding either a baton or a spear.
Colour and greyscale images of the relief shortly after its discovery in 1979 (after Valiente Cánovas & Balmaseda Muncharaz Reference Valiente Cánovas and Balmaseda Muncharaz1981: 53, fig. 1).
This artwork offers insight into the artistic techniques and cultural symbolism of the period in which it was created, although it appears to be a fragment of a larger work. Researchers believe that the relief may have originally decorated an aristocratic residence, although its exact location has not been identified. Alternatively, it could have decorated a cultic site.
The terracotta relief features several intriguing elements. Among these is a depiction of charioteers, who could represent either two heroic figures or deities associated with the griffin as their totemic or protective animal. They might also symbolize two deceased individuals making their way to the Underworld, with the griffin serving as their psychopomp, or spirit guide.
Imports and local imitations of exotica and Iberian products found at El Cerrón: A) Attic pottery, probably a kylix or a skyphos dated to the fourth century BC found in Trench I; B) Iberian imitation of a red-slip bowl found in Trench II; C) Iberian grey pottery unguentarium found in Trench II; D) glass bead found in the ploughsoil; E) bronze Iberian style ex-voto found in the ploughsoil; F) bronze horse-shaped fibula probably from northern Italy found in Trench IX (photographs A–E by P. Sánchez de Oro; Source.
The relief with scenes such as parades or processions bears a striking resemblance to terracotta plaques discovered in Archaic Etruria and Latium in central Italy, dating back to the 6th and 5th centuries BC.
Carpetania was not a marginal territory, with people who borrowed or imitated other regions’ artistic artifacts.
See also: More Archaeology News
By the Late Iron Age, Carpetania had established significant connections with Mediterranean and northern Iberian trade and cultural networks. The local elites played a crucial role in this process, and this strategic engagement helped to strengthen Carpetania’s power, authority, and unique identity.
Written by Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com Staff Writer
