Un broche de cinturón tardoantiguo de la cueva de Lazaldai (Zuia, Álava/Araba)
Este artículo presenta el hallazgo de un broche de cinturón tardoantiguo en la cueva de Lazaldai (Zuia, Álava/Araba), descubierto durante una intervención arqueológica realizada en 2022. La pieza, datada en el siglo VII, fue localizada en la galería activa de la cavidad y muestra una clara influenci...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
| Published: |
Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Munibe Antropologia-Arkeologia |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.aranzadi.eus/fileadmin/docs/Munibe/maa20257605.pdf |
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| Summary: | Este artículo presenta el hallazgo de un broche de cinturón tardoantiguo en la cueva de Lazaldai (Zuia, Álava/Araba), descubierto durante una intervención arqueológica realizada en 2022. La pieza, datada en el siglo VII, fue localizada en la galería activa de la cavidad y muestra una clara influencia de la toréutica aquitana, a pesar de su morfología típicamente hispánica. Su decoración destaca por un gran entrelazo central y el uso de puntillado, lo que lo vincula con producciones norpirenaicas. El estudio del broche, junto con otros hallazgos en cuevas, necrópolis y aldeas del entorno, refleja la coexistencia de elementos de tradición hispanovisigoda y aquitana en la Vasconia peninsular durante la Tardoantigüedad. Esta mezcla cultural sugiere una intensa interacción a ambos lados de los Pirineos, visible tanto en las costumbres funerarias como en la circulación de objetos. El broche de Lazaldai constituye así una pieza clave para comprender estos procesos de hibridación cultural en el ámbito vasco.
ABSTRACT: This article presents the discovery and contextual study of a Late Antique belt buckle found in Lazaldai Cave (Zuia, Álava/Araba) during an archaeological intervention in 2022. The find occurred within the framework of a broader research project aimed at evaluating the archaeological potential and conservation state of decorated caves in the province. The buckle was discovered by chance in the active gallery of the cave, embedded in a fluvial deposit of clasts, gravel, and mud, which likely transported the object from its original location. Despite being decontextualized, the piece’s formal characteristics and decorative motifs offer important insights into the cultural dynamics of the Vasconic territory during the 7th century. The buckle is a rigid plate type, rectangular with a rounded distal end, measuring 14 cm in length and 6 cm in width. Its surface is densely decorated with incised motifs, including a large central interlace pattern similar to a “Solomon’s knot” and bordered by a triple-line “wolf tooth” design. The use of stippling to fill empty spaces and the irregular execution of the engraving suggest a local artisan tradition influenced by northern styles. Notably, the interlace motif and stippled background decoration connect this buckle stylistically to Aquitanian belt fittings, widely attested in southern Gaul. Typologically, the buckle aligns with the so-called “Vadillo type” identified by Ebel-Zepezauer, which is distinctively Iberian and commonly dated to the 7th century, with continued use into the 8th. While similar pieces have been found throughout the Iberian Peninsula and mania, the specific central motif of the Lazaldai buckle appears to be unique, though it finds partial parallels in both Iberian and Aquitanian archaeological records. The article also contextualizes the find within the broader archaeological landscape of Late Antique Álava and its surrounding regions. Numerous necropolises, cave burials, and early medieval settlements in the area display a blend of Visigothic and Frankish-Aquitanian material culture, suggesting intense cross-Pyrenean interactions. Particularly relevant are the nearby necropolises of Aldaieta and San Martín de Dulantzi, where richly furnished burials have yielded weapons, belt fittings, and other artifacts with both local and continental affiliations. The multifunctional use of Lazaldai Cave—possibly as a ritual space, a burial site, and even a small-scale iron mine—illustrates the complex character of such environments during the Late Antiquity–Early Medieval transition. The discovery of the belt buckle adds a significant data point to the scarce but growing body of evidence for funerary and symbolic practices in cave settings in the Basque territory during the 6th–8th centuries. In conclusion, the Lazaldai buckle exemplifies the cultural hybridity of Vasconia during the Late Antique period. It reflects local craftsmanship shaped by continental aesthetics, highlighting the permeability of the Pyrenees and the role of the Basque region as a zone of exchange. This f ind contributes to our understanding of regional identity construction and the circulation of objects and ideas in post-Roman western Europe. |
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| ISSN: | 1132-2217 2172-4555 |