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Architectures of earth during the transition to the Iron Age in Iberia (2nd–1st Millennium BC): Technologies, Traditions and Knowledge Transmission

Objective

IBEARTH explores how earthen architecture, particularly mudbrick construction, became a powerful marker of social transformation during the transition from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age (c. 1200–400 BC) in inland Iberia. This pivotal moment witnessed the emergence of new architectural forms, the spread of technological innovations, and the consolidation of peasant communities in the Western Mediterranean. By focusing on the Douro and Mid–Upper Ebro basins, the project investigates how the introduction of mould-shaped mudbricks, the appearance of painted walls, and the persistence of earlier techniques reveal intertwined processes of innovation, adaptation, and cultural interaction.

Through a multi-scalar and interdisciplinary approach, IBEARTH integrates cutting-edge archaeometric analyses—ceramic petrography, micromorphology, phytolith analysis, and sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA)—with archaeological and ethnographic perspectives to illuminate how construction knowledge circulated, how labour was organised, and how architecture embodied social choices, framed within the chaîne opératoire theoretical approach. Rather than treating buildings as mere shelters, the project conceives them as cultural artefacts with biographies of their own, encoding memory, identity, and collective practices.

By delivering the first comprehensive study of earthen architecture in inland Iberia, IBEARTH will establish a transferable analytical framework for prehistoric and protohistoric buildings. Its outcomes will advance key debates on technological transfer, hybridisation, and resilience, while also promoting inclusive narratives that challenge conventional assumptions about gender roles and labour in ancient building practices.

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF

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Coordinator

OESTERREICHISCHE AKADEMIE DER WISSENSCHAFTEN
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 230 184,72
Address
DR. IGNAZ SEIPEL-PLATZ 2
1010 Wien
Austria

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Region
Ostösterreich Wien Wien
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

No data

Partners (1)