Finding Colours on Pre-Roman Iberian Sculpture and Architecture

In Pre‑Roman Iberian culture, paint was commonly applied to adorn houses and tombs, as well as to give a more realistic or striking appearance to sculptures. To date, there has not been a systematic research initiative that has defined specific protocols for analysing the colours and pigments employed. This paper presents several examples of how paint was used in the decoration of tombs and sculptures. In the case of tombs, both walls and floors were painted to evoke the impression of a ‹domestic› interior. The outer corridors were painted red and decorated with motifs rendered with pebbles. As Iberian buildings were simple, being made with stones and mudbricks and not with ashlars, relief decoration was hardly used and most of the sculptures were in the round. Usually, they represent human beings and real or imaginary animals. The pigments utilized were common in the Mediterranean region during that period, with cinnabar and Egyptian blue being among the most frequently used. The images of the ‹Damas› (Ladies), Iberian females with a high social standing, displayed their elaborate adornments such as necklaces, earrings, and rings, which in some cases were embellished with metallic foil. Gold has been documented on the ‹Lady of Elche› and tin on the ‹Lady of Baza›, which likely aimed to imitate the appearance of silver. The human figures were realistic, whereas the animals introduced greater fantasy in the design of the painted motifs. This paper synthesizes the most significant studies conducted to date and introduces new data regarding the application of colour on Iberian sculptures, utilizing photographic techniques and filters such as DStretch, for example.