Atlantic technology for Mediterranean Gods. The Lebrija type gold 'candelabra'

Abstract

The Lebrija (Seville) hoard, made up of six identical objects, was thought to be unique in its kind until a new specimen came out of the antiquities market, repeating .the morphology and the fabrication technique of the so called candelabra. We have completed a technological, functional and symbolic study, as well as the elemental analysis of the objects by PIXE. In our opinion they were all manufactured by local people at the beginning of the interaction between Phoenicians and Tartesians during the 8th century B. C. Concerning their function, we cannot accept the interpretation as incense burners any more; we prefer to think of them as aniconic representations of the divinity following phoenician mythology.