Jesús F. Torres-Martínez

Landscapes of life and conflict in northern Spain: the ‘Monte Bernorio in its Environment’ project

Archaeological investigations at Monte Bernorio (northern Spain) and its surroundings are yielding exciting new evidence for the destruction of the Iron Age oppidum by the Roman military and the subsequent Roman occupation of the area.

El fenómeno funerario en la Edad del Hierro del Cantábrico. Un nuevo espacio ritual en la necrópolis de Monte Bernorio (campañas de excavación de 2007 y 2008)

The necropolis of the oppidum of Monte Bernorio was one of the first Iron Age cemeteries excavated in Spain. However, the focus of previous studies on the exceptional metal objects discovered, plus the scarcity of human remains, prevented us from establishing the type of funerary ceremonies that took place at the site. This work presents the interpretation of the outcome of the different studies and analyses made on the material evidence recovered during the excavations carried out in 2007 and 2008. As a result, a funerary ritual that obscures the presence of human remains and implies an different use of funerary spaces has been identified.

Fought under the walls of Bergida: KOCOA analysis of the Roman attack on the Cantabrian oppidum of Monte Bernorio (Spain)

Abstract As conflict archaeology has matured as a discipline, there have been calls for more unified analytical techniques. Several researchers advocate the adoption of codified analytical and planning concepts used by the United States Army. One of these concepts, KOCOA Terrain Analysis, shows promise as a locational and analytical aid in archaeological contexts. Defining terrain features are identified and categorized according to well-defined terminology, allowing for a detailed analysis of the effects of terrain on military operations. KOCOA’s structure and codification render the concept transferable between researchers and diachronically across different site types. KOCOA has only rarely been utilized outside the United States and only on historical battlefields. The ongoing archaeological research at the Monte Bernorio oppidum (Palencia, Spain) provides an opportunity to utilize KOCOA in a classical, proto-historical archaeological context.