Copper metallurgy and the importance of other raw materials in the context of chalcolithic economic intensification in portuguese Estremadura

摘要

In this work, the origin and development of the copper metallurgy within the Chalcolithic of Portuguese Estremadura is discussed. In the portuguese territory, the southern origin of copper metallurgy is supported by absolute chronology. This situation is compared with the one related to the trade of external material sources, like anfiboloschists, that compose the maiority of polished stone artefacts of estremaduran region. There is thus an evidence of a trans-regional commerce of these materials in exchange for silex, which is abundant in Estremadura. In fact, silex is the prime material of many artefacts in Alentejo and Beira interior, where this rock does not exist. All these facts suggest the existence of trade net for long distances, stable and time lasting, related to the chalcolithic economic intensification.