ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE

 
Toy horse in glazed ceramic

 

In the Archaeological Heritage collection, there are noteworthy pieces from diverse provenance that belong to the venery (hunting) and military type weapons. They make a good example of the earliest metal weapons such as arrowheads, lead projectiles, knives, spearheads, axes, halberds, daggers, swords and other objects of a military character. These weapons prompted the emergence of specialized warriors and fortified settlements. So, arms progress boosted the development of military elites and the organization of the territory around walled towns, all of which is of paramount importance to understand societies like the Iberian or Celtiberian ones.


The grave goods of warriors from these cultures are a faithful reflection of this. A telling example is the collection of Uxama’s (the current Burgo de Osma, Soria) Celtiberian necropolis from the third-second century BC, in which- aside from weapons- there were ornaments like brooches, belt plates, a bracelet, an iron insignia, a mirror handle, etc.; grave goods, all of them, unearthed in the early twentieth century. Another typology of pieces worth to mention is that of the antennae-hilted sword- also called bi-globular or double-globular dagger owing to the double circles decorating its hilt-, several instances of which have been found in some graves of this necrópolis.


To all of the above we must add the amazing archaeological findings dug up during the excavations that delayed the works of the museum architectural extension, in 2003. Among these findings there are oil lamps (found in the Alcázar’s north terrace) from the Roman period (see also Roman legionary gravestone), diverse ceramic remains and two small horses in baked clay from the Islamic period, possibly intended as toys.
 

Images

  • Punta de lanza de enmangue tubular / Spearhead with tubular coupling

    ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE
    ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE
  • Scraper from the Neolithic Period

    ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE
    ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE
  • Antennae hilt sword found at the Uxama necropolis

    ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE
    ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE
  • Spiral decoration found at the Uxama necropolis

    ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE
    ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE