Goddess of the Gate of the Sun. Iberian oppidum of Puente Tablas (Jaén, Spain)

The Iberian oppidum of Plaza de Armas in Puente Tablas is located 7 km outside of Jaén, next to the regional road J-V-312, Jaén-Torrequebradilla, in the eastern countryside and at the right bank of the river Guadalbullón, a tributary of the river Guadalquivir. It is situated 434 metres above sea level, in a plateau-like hill, and it is almost entirely fortified, with an area of 5 ha. In the inner area of the so-called Puerta del Sol, coinciding with the centre of the axis of the access corridor, a stone stele was found, which represents the Goddess of fertility. It is shallowly carved, but it is possible to observe the arms sculpted on the abdomen, the hands framing a small circular element, probably the sun, and the pointy shape of the head, as a tiara. It is 106 cm tall and 48 cm wide. The goddess receives the first sun light at dawn in the days that mark the spring and autumn equinoxes, when it appears over the top of a small hill located just one hundred metres from the access to the oppidum. The second place where it appears in the hill is indicated with some large natural staggered rocks. At that moment, the sun penetrates through the corridor that connects to the door and illuminates the goddess. Some minutes later, when the sun goes up in the sky, the projection of the lintel of the door on the stele leaves the latter in the shade, in a sweep from the tiara to its base, while its entire surroundings receive the sun light. Between the day in which the sun began shinning on the goddess at dawn and the day it stopped, with the equinox as the centre of this period of time, celebrations related to these times of the year must have taken place here. During the late 5th and 4th century B.C., according to these data, Puerta del Sol represented a solar calendar associated with an agricultural calendar. A few minutes after, the second moment of the mythical narration of the deity occurs. The sun light penetrates the interior of the fourth cave of the sanctuary, generating a scenographic effect of the visual representation of divinity, a religious experience that contributes to strengthening the collective identities through the creation of their mythology. The two described moments express the sequence of a myth, based on the sun-goddess relationship. This myth shows the return of the goddess to her dwelling (the cave), or, in an alternative hypothesis, the goddess unites a dead male god, who comes back to life after uniting her. Bibliography: Ruiz, A.; Molinos, M.; Fernández, R.; Pérez, M. y Rueda, C. (2015): "El Santuario de la Puerta del Sol", en A. Ruiz y M. Molinos (coord.): Jaén, tierra ibera 40 Años de investigación y transferencia. Universidad de Jaén. 93-106. Ruiz, A.; Molinos, M.; Fernández, R.; Pérez, M. y Rueda, C. (2017): "El Santuario de la Puerta del Sol de Puente Tablas (Jaén), en A. Ruiz y M. Molinos (eds.): La dama, el príncipe, el héroe y la diosa. Catálogo de la exposición. Junta de Andalucía. 155-168. Project Pastwomen: http://www.pastwomen.net/gb/index