Hist 97.JPG

# The Metal Ages ## 7.2 The Bronze Age began with a change in the way people lived, with the appearance of different centers of metallurgy. The Copper Culture stood out, with urban centers in the southeast, fortified walls, and megalithic tombs. The Millares Culture (Almería) in this period was o...

# The Metal Ages ## 7.2 The Bronze Age began with a change in the way people lived, with the appearance of different centers of metallurgy. The Copper Culture stood out, with urban centers in the southeast, fortified walls, and megalithic tombs. The Millares Culture (Almería) in this period was one of the most important in Europe, with cattle breeding as the main economic activity. A type of inverted bell-shaped pottery called "campaniform" emerged. This pottery, which was likely used for ritual purposes, was traded during the Copper Age. The introduction of bronze technology in Europe led to the transition to new cultures. Among these was the Argar culture in Almería which exhibited significant social inequalities due to the control of metallurgy. The Motilla culture, in the Mancha region, was characterized by settlements with walls built around pits for water resources. These settlements are considered to have been mainly for agricultural and cattle raising. At the end of the Bronze Age, the Talayotic culture emerged in Mallorca and Menorca, characterized by megalithic structures such as taulas (sanctuaries), navetas (collective tombs), and talayots (towers). These structures are similar to those found in other Mediterranean islands like Corsica and Sardinia during the same period. Iron metallurgy arrived in the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century BCE. It was linked with arrivals of people from central Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. The map displays the locations of Megalithic sites, and Bronze Age cultures, and Copper Age sites in the region. The map highlights different geographical areas with specific markers for various sites.