Castro Culture Pottery

Short history

Taking as reference some of the ceramic remains documented in the excavations carried out at the Castrolandín hillfort (Cuntis, Pontevedra) during the 2004/2005 campaigns, a Research Project was developed at the request of Mario Touceda Torres (intellectual author of the Project and Activities Coordinator of the Fundación Terra Termarum). The purpose of the project is to understand the steps and techniques applied in the elaboration of pottery during the Iron Age in Galicia.

Thus, in 2004, a detailed and systematic study of the ceramic repertoire recovered at the hillfort began at a technological level, carrying out interpretative practices that allowed information to be obtained on the elaboration processes and the reconstructions of complete pieces, in addition to identifying the most representative types of ceramics from the site.

Once the collection of ceramic replicas from the Castrolandín hillfort was completed, one of the objectives was to relate it to the rest of the key Castro sites in Galicia.

Ceramic fragments found in the 2005 excavation campaign

Investigation project

The Research and Recovery Project of Castro Ceramics in Galicia aims to recover a representative sample of ceramics from key Castro archaeological sites in our community. The objective is the elaboration of a collection of fully documented replicas of Castro ceramics and, using them, to characterize the typological set of pottery from Galician hillforts, relating the collection of ceramic replicas from the Castrolandín hillfort to the rest of the Castro sites in our community.

The result shows Castro ceramics from a new and didactic point of view for the non-specialized public, while also being very interesting for professionals.

Original fragment with its reproduction

Fragmento orixinal coa súa reprodución

To produce the replicas, an archaeological research project was launched consisting of an initial bibliographical selection of the most outstanding pieces of Castro ceramics in Galicia. These pieces are formally and technologically characterized, which, together with photography and archaeological drawing, allows us to make a formal reconstruction that is as objective as possible.

The pieces that were documented for this study belong to museums and Archaeological Centres in Galicia and come from Castro sites with an occupation spanning between the 8th century BC and the 1st century AD. The archaeological reconstructions carried out are the final product of this research process supported by data, experiences, and comparison between pieces.

The final goal of the project is to bring Castro ceramics closer to the general public, managing to abstract a fragment recovered at the site during archaeological excavation, to carry out a recreation of the complete piece that offers us a dimensional view.

This Research and Recovery Project of Castro Ceramics in Galicia was carried out in 2012 by the archaeologist Mar Cortegoso Comesaña (archaeological report) and the technical team of restorers and ceramists formed by Sandra Obarrio Fernández, José Luís Villanueva López, and Elena Cerviño Ferrín.

Workshop

As a result of the research work based on the ceramic materials found in the Castrolandín hillfort excavations during the digging campaigns and the subsequent Castro Ceramics Research Project in Galicia, the Castrolandín Castro Ceramics Workshop (Obradoiro de Cerámica Castrexa de Castrolandín) was launched. Registered with Artesanía de Galicia under number 756, this workshop elaborates the ceramic replicas, fulfilling the need for a local craft.

This is a consolidated project that seeks to offer the public a new and innovative product in the field of craftsmanship, helping to foster the dissemination of the region’s cultural and archaeological heritage.

This workshop is another tool for promoting the Castrolandín hillfort and boosting cultural tourism in the area. The recovery of the ceramics serves as a means of disseminating the project of the Fundación Terra Termarum Castrolandín, highlighting the social objective of facilitating, through these reproductions, the general public’s knowledge of Castro material culture, thereby providing an approach to a part of our history.

Workshop Activities and Services:

Running ceramic courses for children, adults, and specialized groups, teaching the theoretical fundamentals and methodology of Castro ceramic elaboration.
Archaeological replicas of ceramics intended for Interpretation Centres.
Specific pieces for museum collections and private collectors.
Representative gifts of Castro ceramics for official institutions.
Craft pieces (Handicrafts).
Didactic materials for educational centres, featuring ceramic shapes and decorations.

Technical Head of the Workshop:

Sandra Obarrio Fernández (Graduate in Restoration and Conservation of Cultural Heritage, specializing in Archaeology, and Senior Technician in Plastic Arts and Design in Artistic Ceramics).

Exhibition

This exhibition is the result of the Research and Recovery Project of Castro Ceramics in Galicia carried out by the Fundación Terra Termarum Castrolandín.

This collection has been featured in temporary exhibitions in the main cities of Galicia: