The stone beads from Barrada’s hypogeum 1 (Aljezur, Algarve, Portugal). Greenstone distribution patterns in the Iberian Southwest late Neolithic

Abstract The raw material and shape choices for stone beads are extremely diverse, but while a diversity of colors and minerals was available it seems clear that Iberian beadmakers had a clear preference for green colored minerals. Previous research by Odriozola et al. suggests that among these green colored stones used to manufacture body ornaments the use of different raw materials is chronology-specific. This model was built upon the available radiocarbon dates and the chemical data for beads. Some issues may however be noted with regard to this model: 1) the long use of the tombs, which makes it difficult to associate personal adornments to specific individuals; 2) most necropolises were the object of old excavations, with an insufficient stratigraphic record; and 3) the frequent curatorial practice of gathering all the adornments from a necropolis in necklaces. In addition to the former issues, it is worth pointing out that the association of personal adornment with buried individuals is extremely rare for collective burials, and no radiocarbon dates are available for any of the rare individuals clearly recorded in association with green beads. We therefore consider the rare association between an individual buried at the Hypogeum 1 of Barrada and a bead assemblage as an exceptional opportunity to test this model against high quality data. This paper offers a characterization of the raw materials and the chronology of this bead assemblage by means of X-Ray Fluorescence (p-XRF) and the radiocarbon dating of a tibia directly associated with the bead anklet under study. The data is then analyzed in a broader context to garner a better understanding of the consumption patterns for greenstones.