Gabriel de Prado

The village of Ullastret, and especially its fortification, thanks to its state of preservation, has become one of the archetypical examples of Gothic military architecture in the Baix Empordà. This element of the region’s heritage has been cherished, studied and preserved since the mid‑twentieth century, with restoration carried out by Miquel Oliva. Since 2004, a series of preventive archaeological interventions have been carried out, which have made it possible to gather valuable information for understanding the urban development of the historic centre and the defensive system that surrounds it. This article focuses on the description of the fortified enclosure incorporating the new archaeological data we have and, at the same time, we take this opportunity to synthesize of the evolution of the town of Ullastret from the ninth century to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

The Iberian town of Ullastret (Catalonia), located a short distance to the south of the Emporion settlement, entered into contact with the Greeks at an early stage. At first the relationship was commercial, but trade led to the penetration of Mediterranean cultural influences into the local milieu. To a large extent, this exceptional situation accounts for the development of the Iberian town and its progress throughout the Iron Age.
The data compiled to date on the settlement and its evolution provide an insight into the different stages of the formation of this community, which soon became one of the main population centres in the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula. Both the early and more recent excavations carried out at the fortified site known as Puig de Sant Andreu have unearthed architectural blocks and others elements in the Greek style (column bases and capitals, cornice fragments, decorated blocks, painted stucco and paving) at different locations into the settlement. These items testify to the existence of some kind of monumental architecture from as early as the 5th century BC and lasting to the 3rd century BC, as proven by the temples unearthed at the top of the hill.

Dans ce travail nous présentons l’analyse de la micro-usure dentaire portée sur les moutons et les chèvres de deux sites de la région de l’Empordà (nord-est de la Péninsule Ibérique) à l’âge du Fer : le comptoir grec d’Empúries et la ville ibérique d’Ullastret. Cette étude a montré un apport élevé en graminées pour tous les caprinés des deux sites et deux phases chronologiques étudiées. Ce modèle pourrait être compatible avec le pâturage des troupeaux sur des aires humides. À un niveau plus spécifique, cette analyse a aussi révélé quelques divergences entre l’alimentation des troupeaux d’Ullastret et d’Empúries.

En aquest treball s’estudia la inscripció sobre un objecte de plom trobat a les excavacions del fossat del Puig de Sant Andreu, però sense un context arqueològic significatiu. Tot i que el seu contingut no és gaire clar, la disposició enfrontada de les línies apunta a algun tipus de text votiu, màgic o sagrat. La lectura més probable és babar • kikibi • isar / titibiaŕbibi, on els elements de la segona línia, titibi i aŕbibi, serien els que més plausiblement podrien interpretar-se com a antropònims, potser per analogia també kikibi, mentre que isar (is + ar) podria ser una nova forma d’un paradigma pronominal i babar, potser es podria posar en relació amb (ban)baibar que es troba entre els candidats a teònims. La presència de quatre doblets de signes baba, kiki, titi i bibi supera amb escreix el que per atzar li correspondria a un text tan curt i potser també tingués relació amb la funció cultual del text.
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En este trabajo se estudia la inscripción sobre un objeto de plomo encontrado en las excavaciones del foso del Puig de Sant Andreu, pero sin un contexto arqueológico significativo. Aunque su contenido no es muy claro, la disposición enfrentada de las líneas apunta a algún tipo de texto votivo, mágico o sagrado. La lectura más probable es babar • kikibi • isar / titibiaŕbibi, donde los elementos de la segunda línea, titibi y aŕbibi, serían los que más plausiblemente podrían interpretarse como antropónimos, quizá por analogía también kikibi, mientras que isar (is + ar) podría ser una nueva forma de un paradigma pronominal y babar, tal vez se podría poner en relación con (ban)baibar que se encuentra entre los candidatos a teónimos. La presencia de cuatro dobletes de signos baba, kiki, titi y bibi supera con creces lo que por azar le correspondería a un texto tan corto y quizás también tuviera relación con la función cultual del texto.
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In this work we study the inscription on a lead object found in the excavations of the Puig de Sant Andreu trench, but without a significant archaeological context. Although its content is not very clear, the facing arrangement of the lines points to some kind of votive, magical or sacred text. The most likely reading is babar • kikibi • isar / titibiaŕbibi, where the elements of the second line, titibi and aŕbibi, would be the most plausibly could be interpreted as personal names, perhaps by analogy also kikibi, while isar (is + ar) could being a new form of a pronominal paradigm and babar, perhaps it could be put in relation with (ban)baibar that is among the candidates for theonyms. The presence of four doublets of signs baba, kiki, titi and bibi far exceeds what would correspond to a text so short and perhaps also related to the cult function of the text.

The cremation burial site of Puig de Serra (Serra de Daró) is part of the Iberian complex of Ullastret. The burials, dating from the mid-5th century to the last quarter of the 4th century BC, are found in varied states of preservation.
However, their study has contributed important information to our knowledge of the funerary practices and the material culture that accompanied them. Of particular interest in terms of pottery is the large amount of imported Attic ware, which was used both for cinerary urns and grave goods. A preference for certain types of Attic ware was attested. They are found in higher percentages than in neighbouring habitat sites. Among the decorative motifs on the red-figure vessels are repeated depictions of griffins, animals with a funerary significance in the Iberian culture.

Numerous faunal remains have been identified in a large group of buildings located in the Iberian oppidum of Puig de Sant Andreu. The formal and technical characteristics of these suggest that they are remains of offerings presented on the occasion of the foun- dation or the transformation of the buildings. According to the current archeological data, this was not an isolated practice. Rather, it appears to be common among certain Iberian groups located in the North-East of the Iberian Peninsula.

Thauma es como los griegos llamaban a la maravilla y a lo que les provocaba una sensación de admiración. Un estímulo imprescindible para descubrir e investigar que han experimentado muchos jóvenes investigadores que desde 2006 han participado en los Talleres Doctorales que la prof. Dra. Dirce Marzoli, desde el Instituto Arqueológico Alemán y en cooperación con La Casa de Velázquez, ha organizado en Madrid. En este libro misceláneo hemos querido celebrar su jubilación como directora del Instituto Arqueológico Alemán de Madrid con 29 breves artículos que cubren grosso modo sus ámbitos de interés.