Käse, Licht oder Rauch? Zur Funktion der siebartig durchlöcherten Keramikgefäße ohne Boden der Kupfer- bis Eisenzeit auf der Iberischen Halbinsel aus komparativer, archäometrischer und experimentalarchäologischer Sicht

Abstract

Sieve-like multi-perforated bottomless ceramic vessels are found in Copper to Iron Age contexts in the Iberian Peninsula, which are traditionally interpreted as utensils for cheese production, and therefore in the Spanish archaeology mostly called ›queseras‹ (from queso/ cheese) or in the Portuguese archaeology ›queijeiras‹ (from queijo/cheese). This interpretation is mainly based on ethnographic analogies, which are therefore subject to extensive consideration and discussion in this paper. It turns out that there is no exact ethnographic analogy to the Copper to Iron Age multi-perforated bottomless vessels in the Iberian Peninsula and that in principle a simple cloth would be sufficient for cheese production. Unfortunately the results of chemical analyses of fragments of multi-perforated vessels from the Iberian Peninsula and other parts of Europe neither give a definite answer: On some fragments milk residues were detected, while on other fragments instead residues of oil-rich seeds or beeswax were revealed. Oil and beeswax could be fuels for small flames, which could have been protected from the wind by the multi-perforated bottomless vessels in order to have always a secure and transportable fire or light source – a hypothesis, which passed an experimental test. Besides that, by analogy with ancient incense burners, a function as upper parts or covers of incense burners is also conceivable.