Late Prehistoric Fortifications in Europe: Defensive, Symbolic and Territorial Aspects from the Chalcolithic to the Iron Age

Proceedings of the International Colloquium ‘FortMetalAges’, Guimarães, Portugal

Edited by Davide Delfino Edited by Fernando Coimbra Edited by Gonçalo P. C. Cruz Edited by Daniela Cardoso

Book cover: Late Prehistoric Fortifications in Europe: Defensive, Symbolic and Territorial Aspects from the Chalcolithic to the Iron Age

Extent: 256 pages

Publisher: Archaeopress Publishing

Subjects: European Prehistory

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(March 2020)

ISBN: 9781789692549

8.07 x 11.46 inches

Price: $64.00

On back order

This book presents 19 papers from the International Colloquium ‘FortMetalAges’ (Portugal, 2017); they discuss different interpretive ideas for defensive structures whose construction had necessitated large investment, present new case studies, and conduct comparative analysis between different regions and periods (Chalcolithic to Iro


Late Prehistoric Fortifications in Europe: Defensive, Symbolic and Territorial Aspects from the Chalcolithic to the Iron Age presents the contributions to the International Colloquium ‘FortMetalAges’ (10th-12th November 2017, Guimaraes, Portugal), The Colloquium was organised by the Scientific Commission ‘Metal Ages in Europe’ of the International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences (UISPP/ IUSPP) and by the Martin Sarmento Society of Guimaraes. Nineteen papers discuss different interpretive ideas for defensive structures whose construction had necessitated large investment, present new case studies, and conduct comparative analysis between different regions and chronological periods from the Chalcolithic to the Iron Age.

"Late Prehistoric Fortifications in Europe: Defensive, symbolic and territorial aspects from the Chalcolithic to the Iron Age - Davide Delfino, Fernando Coimbra, Goncalo Cruz and Daniela CardosoAndy ReymannGary Lock and Ian Ralston ; The chronology of the defensive systems at Los Millares (Santa Fe de Mondujar, Almeria, Spain) - Fernando Molina Gonzalez, Jose Andres Afonso Marrero, Juan Antonio Camara Serrano, Alberto Dorado Alejos, Rafael Maria Martinez Sanchez and Liliana Spanedda ; Fortified and Monumentalised Landscapes of the Beira-Douro region between the 3rd and 1st millennia BC: Architecture, Scenarios and Symbology - Alexandre CanhaDavide Delfino and Angiolo Del LuccheseLuis Berrocal-Rangel, Antonio Carlos S. Silva, Rosario Garcia Gimenez and Lucia RuanoPaolo Rondini and Lorenzo ZamboniCaroline von Nicolai ; Some symbolic and chronological aspects of rock art of the Hillfort Culture, northwest Iberian Peninsula - Fernando CoimbraLeif Hansen, Dirk Krausse and Roberto TarpiniManuel Fernandez-GotzJorge Camino Mayor and Esperanza Martin Hernandez ; The Iron Age hillforts of Gipuzkoa (Basque Country): settlement patterns, fortification systems and territory control - Sonia San Jose, Antxoka Martinez, Xabier Penalver, Carlos Olaetxea, Javier Prieto Dominguez and Juncal CalvoOliver Davis and Niall Sharples ; The oppidum of Manching: Examining the construction and defensive capability of a Late Iron Age fortification - Thimo BrestelFrancesca Di Palma ; Walls and Castros. Delimitation structures in the proto-historic settlements of Entre Douro and Vouga region (central-north Portugal) - Antonio Manuel S. P. Silva and Gabriel R. PereiraGoncalo Cruz and Jose Antunes ", Late Prehistoric Fortifications in Europe: Defensive, symbolic and territorial aspects from the Chalcolithic to the Iron Age – Davide Delfino, Fernando Coimbra, Gonçalo Cruz and Daniela CardosoAndy ReymannGary Lock and Ian Ralston ;

The chronology of the defensive systems at Los Millares (Santa Fe de Mondújar, Almería, Spain) – Fernando Molina González, José Andrés Afonso Marrero, Juan Antonio Cámara Serrano, Alberto Dorado Alejos, Rafael María Martínez Sánchez and Liliana Spanedda ;

Fortified and Monumentalised Landscapes of the Beira-Douro region between the 3rd and 1st millennia BC: Architecture, Scenarios and Symbology – Alexandre CanhaDavide Delfino and Angiolo Del LuccheseLuis Berrocal-Rangel, António Carlos S. Silva, Rosario García Giménez and Lucía RuanoPaolo Rondini and Lorenzo ZamboniCaroline von Nicolai ;

Some symbolic and chronological aspects of rock art of the Hillfort Culture, northwest Iberian Peninsula – Fernando CoimbraLeif Hansen, Dirk Krausse and Roberto TarpiniManuel Fernández-GötzJorge Camino Mayor and Esperanza Martín Hernández ;

The Iron Age hillforts of Gipuzkoa (Basque Country): settlement patterns, fortification systems and territory control – Sonia San Jose, Antxoka Martínez, Xabier Peñalver, Carlos Olaetxea, Javier Prieto Domínguez and Juncal CalvoOliver Davis and Niall Sharples ;

The oppidum of Manching: Examining the construction and defensive capability of a Late Iron Age fortification – Thimo BrestelFrancesca Di Palma ;

Walls and Castros. Delimitation structures in the proto-historic settlements of Entre Douro and Vouga region (central-north Portugal) – António Manuel S. P. Silva and Gabriel R. PereiraGonçalo Cruz and José Antunes

Davide Delfino obtained his PhD from the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro. He is a Bronze Age specialist at the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, Visiting Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar (UNESCO Chair in Humanity and Cultural Integrated Landscape Management), and an internal researcher of the Geosciences Centre (University of Coimbra). In 2015 Davide was appointed secretary of the UISPP/IUPPS Scientific Commission ‘Metal Ages in Europe’. ;
Fernando A. Coimbra holds a PhD in Prehistory and Archaeology (University of Salamanca ‘Extraordinary Prize’). Fernando is Visiting Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar, and internal researcher of the Geosciences Centre (University of Coimbra), Portugal, where he completed post-doctoral research on the Bronze and Iron Age rock art of the Tagus Valley. He is a member of several research projects in Portugal, Italy, Malta and Greece. ;
Gonçalo P. C. Cruz graduated in History and Archaeology at the University of Minho (Braga, Portugal) and is a staff archaeologist at the Martins Sarmento Society, Guimarães. His work involves the research and management of the archaeological sites under the administration of the Society, namely the Citânia de Briteiros and Castro de Sabroso, as well as the functioning and activity in different nuclei of the Martins Sarmento Museum. ;
Daniela Cardoso graduated in Landscape Archaeology at the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar, held an Erasmus award in Italy at the University of Ferrara in 2000, and completed in 2002 her Master of Advanced Studies degree at the Institute of Human Palaeontology, Paris. In 2015 she obtained her PhD in ‘Quaternário, Materiais e Culturas’ at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal. She is currently Senior Museum Technician at the Martins Sarmento Society.

  • Edited by Davide Delfino
  • Edited by Fernando Coimbra
  • Edited by Gonçalo P. C. Cruz
  • Edited by Daniela Cardoso