Bronze production in the Iron Age of the Iberian Peninsula: The case of El Castru, Vigaña (Asturias, NW Spain)

The results show that the technology and scale of bronze production at this hillfort are coherent with the pattern described for much of prehistoric metallurgy in Iberia, with the -direct production of copper alloys by cementation and co-smelting of mineral ores. The results also illustrate some of the challenges encountered when attempting to identify metallurgical processes through the analyses of crucible residues, and propose some criteria to facilitate future studies.