ABSTRACT
The beginning of the first millennium B C is characterized by the presence of Late Bronze Age communities (1250-700 B C ) . The archaeological record for this period is varied. It consists of a reasonable quantity of metal artefacts and some settlements first identified in the 1980s (Silva 1986; Jorge 1987; Martins 1990). The former show that the region was integrated into a broad network of Atlantic and Mediterranean relationships (Ruiz Galvez Priego 1984, 1987; Coffyn 1985), which intensify from 1250 B C and continue down to the eighth and seventh centuries B C (Jorge 1988; 1990b: 48-52). The typology of these artefacts and their parallels elsewhere in Europe have provided the basis for the construction of an evolutionary chronology, and have enabled the routes of diffusion for both raw materials and artefacts to be identified. The settlement evidence has been used to generate hypotheses about patterns of settlement, economic exploitation of the land and the cultural diversity of these communities (Jorge 1990b: 48-58; Martins 1990). In spite of the scarcity of data, Susana O. Jorge (1990b: 48-57; 1990a) has proposed the division of the Late Bronze Age of northern Portugal into two phases, based on the typology of metal artefacts, settlement
strategies and socio-economic structures. The first phase dates from 1250-1000/900 BC and the second from 900-700/600 BC.
