Practicas alimentarias en el mundo iberico

While excavating the protohistoric settlement of Mas Castellar (Pontós-Alt Empordà, eastern Spain), an interesting pit (FS362) was found that contained many samples of food remains - mammals, birds and fish - as well as various pottery fragments. This present study details all the materials collected and provides an insight into the dietary habits of the Catalan-Iberian world between 500-300 BC. The upper layers sealing the pit contained plentiful remains of wrought iron, enabling the investigators to study the level of ironwork development at the period. The quantity and quality of the materials found suggest that a banquet or special feast may have taken place within a fortified settlement, where a festive event associated with the blacksmiths' trade might have been celebrated. The work also reviews the historiography of the time, the handling of foods, the utensils and vessels used, as well as food and midden sites found at Catalan-Iberian settlements.