Lady of Galera. Grave 20. Iberian cemetery of Tútugi (Galera, Granada, Spain)

Catering sculpture from the tomb 20 of the iberian cemetery of Tútugi (Galera, Granada, Spain) It was part of the grave’s trousseau, dated between the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. The trousseau consisted, among other objects, of Greek vessels, painted ceramics and ointments of vitreous paste. It is a female figure sitting on a throne without backing, flanked by two sphinxes touched with the Egyptian double tiara. He saw a pleated robe, which is represented by parallel incisions and holds with both hands a vessel that collected the liquid poured through the hole of the head and that came out through the pierced breasts, in a ritual ceremony in which a sacred liquid would be libarred (maybe a perfume). It is considered a divinity of oriental origin linked to fertility rites, perhaps Astarté, made in the 17th century B.C. but amortized in the 20th grave. The Iberian cemetery of Tútugi is located next to the town of Galera (Granada) in Granada and has been known at the archeological level since 1920, the date of the publication of the memory of the excavations carried out in the 1918 campaign by Juan Cabré and Federico de Motos. The cemetery was in use between the fifth century B.C. and the I B.C. and 134 tumular structures have been counted. This cemetery of incineration is part of a group composed of the Iberian-Roman city of Cerro del Real, several places of production of ceramics (Iberian alfares) and the cemetery of Tútugi, distributed by a large area located next to the current town of Galera. It is within this set where the cemetery finds its articulation and meaning, even though the different elements that make it up have not had too much fortune in regard to its conservation. The cemetery is divided into three zones. Zone I comprises a total of 12.1 ha while zone II occupies about 12 ha. Zone III, located on the other bank of the Orce River, is the smallest of all with an area of about 1.8 ha. Therefore, the total area occupied by burials is just over 25.9 ha. The necropolis have an eminently ritual function in relation to death. This relationship means that the afterlife is perceived in a notorious way, which implies that the relationship of the offerers with the divinity or divinities is made more easily. It is, therefore, a place where contact with visible (stars: stars, sun and moon) and invisible divinities can be made more easily. The burials are oriented towards certain stars, especially we see how most have a general orientation towards the west, in relation to the area where the sun sets, therefore, with death. It is noteworthy how the four largest burials of the cemetery, three of them the oldest (Burial 11, 20 and 34), together with the 75, order the cemetery. They identify the founding and principal family or aristocratic groups and around them the tombs of the clients are distributed. They also present an equinox orientation towards the sunset, so that the sun can enter the cameras for two periods of time per year: early spring and autumn. These burials are controlling the time of the seasons. They point out the beginning of the periods of tillage of the fields and of collection, so important in the agricultural-cattle societies. This knowledge is held by the aristocrats, pointing out how their power is based not only on economic and social factors, but also rituals and knowledge that links them with divinity. Recently, restoration and value in the cemetery have been carried out, so it can be visited. At present, 5 reconstructed and consolidated mounds can be visited. It is also possible to see how the original landscape of the cemetery was, since the original forms of the burial mounds have been replenished. Bibliography: Cabre, J. and Motos, F. (1920): “The Iberian cemetery of Tútugi (Galera, province of Granada).” Memoirs of the Upper Board of Excavations and Antiquities. 25. Rodríguez Ariza, Mª.O. (2014): The Iberian cemetery of Tútugi. 2000-2012. Publications Service of the University of Jaén.