The Macro‐Regional Scale of Silver Production in<scp>I</scp>beria During the First Millennium<scp>BC</scp>in the Context of Mediterranean Contacts

Abstract

Summary The extraction of silver has traditionally been considered as one of the main incentives for the Phoenician expansion throughout the M editerranean and their settlement in I beria. In this paper, we approach the organization of silver production in I beria during the E arly I ron A ge through the study of the evidence of production currently available and the development of L ead I sotope A nalysis ( LIA ). Previous results ( H unt 2003; S tos G ale 2001; K assianidou 1992) are considered in the light of new data. The extraction of silver from complex minerals noticeably intensifies in south‐west I beria. Imports of exogenous lead, needed for the extraction of silver from these complex minerals, are evident. Supplies of lead come in from other regions of I beria, such as G ádor, C artagena/ M azarrón, L inares or even the mining district of M olar‐ B elmunt‐ F alset ( MBF ) in C atalonia. This picture reveals that the organization of silver production was much more complex than initially thought, with the articulation of an exchange network of raw materials at a macro‐territorial scale embracing almost all I beria. The socioeconomic implications that control of these networks of lead distribution could have had are also discussed.