El poblado de montaña calcolítico al aire libre de Ilso Betaio (Bizkaia). Estructuras de habitación, materiales arqueológicas, estudio palinológico y antracológico

GORROTXATEGI, Xabier
; IRIARTE CHIAPUSSO, María José
; KANDINA, Mertxe
; SAGARDUY, María José
; YARRITU, María José
; ZAPATA PEÑA, Lydia

Publication year:

1999

Publication place:

Donostia-San Sebastián

ISSN:

1137-4489

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Summary

The archaeological structures and associated evidences from the mountain settlement of Ilso Betaio (Enkarterria, Bizkaia) are studied in this paper. The site was excavated during the period 1981-1990 and three dwellings were identified. Different aspects have been considered: the excavation of the site, structures and artifacts as well as the descriptions of evident and hidden structures. The settlement is formed by habitational floors, different types of hearths (excavated on the floor, with layers of stone), constructive elements such as post supports, artifact distribution along the space, density of ashy sediment, distribution of charcoal per grid square and last, the categories and frequencies of types of lithic artifacts and debris. The hearths were also made of a layer of small pieces of sanstone and holes excavated on the sandstone local rock or on the clay of the base. The lithic evidence, polished or worked, is distributed in areas around the habitational floor and particularly in rings around the hearths. The most caracteristic artifacts are scrapers, leaf-shaped and tanged-and-barbed arroheads and blunt-back pieces which can clearly be included in an advanced moment of the Calcolithic. Some archaeobotanical considerations about the natural space in which the settlement is located are included.