Goddess of the Puerta del Sol. Iberian Oppidum of Puente Tablas (Jaén)

Very schematic three-dimensional sculpture of a female figure carved in limestone dated to the 5th century BC. It belongs to the culture of the Iberians and comes from the Puerta del Sol (Sun Gate) of the Puente Tablas oppidum in the municipality of Jaén, Spain.It has a preserved height of 110 cm, a width of 50 cm and a thickness of 35 cm.Representing a goddess of fertility, it is a roughly carved image, a faceless goddess on which sculpted arms and hands can be seen. The latter are resting on her belly, with differentiated thumbs, and framing what appears to be a circular element interpreted as the sun. The pointed head simulates the shape of a mitre or tiara covered by a veil. Small volutes are marked on the forehead that could define the shape of a diadem that can be seen under the veil, as also seen in well-known figurative models, such as the Lady of Baza. The veil falls longitudinally, marked by very fine lines. The cloak crosses the chest and is gathered on the left shoulder. Some sculpted details allow us to suggest that the goddess is lifting her long tunic, with part of the gathered clothing falling to the left, a function that may be associated with the position of the hands on her belly, which could have been holding her tunic.The sculpture was found at the end of the Puerta del Sol corridor in the Puente Tablas oppidum, in front of the main room (cella) of the sanctuary. It was supported in a hole reinforced by stones with a clay cushion at the bottom, as such simulating the emergence of the goddess from the earthThis image is associated with the rituality of the Puerta del Sol sanctuary of the Puente Tablas oppidum. It is related, like a calendar, to the cycles of the sun. At dawn on the days that mark the spring and autumn equinoxes, the goddess receives the first light of the sun that rises from the top of a small hill located barely a hundred metres from the oppidum.The Iberian oppidum of the Plaza de Armas of Puente Tablas is situated about 7 km from Jaén, alongside the J-V-312 Jaén-Torrequebradilla regional road. It is in the eastern countryside on the right bank of the Guadalbullón River, a tributary of the Guadalquivir, on a levelled and almost entirely fortified hill. Covering an area of five hectares, it is defined by an urban planning organised in blocks and streets, with multifunctional rectangular houses, in which the presence of a courtyard at the entrance or in the back stands out. A palatial area and a sanctuary have also been documented in the urban framework.The sanctuary has an area of 300 m2 and is divided into three terraces. The first terrace consists of a cella, an antecella and a courtyard that includes the entrance to the sanctuary and an altar. The second terrace is noteworthy for its tower and especially for four small caves on the western side, three of them in front of a platform with three small holes (a libation altar) with a possible oracular function. Finally, the third terrace, the highest, where, in previous phases, two ritual deposits are documented around the schematic image of an earlier baetylus (mid-6th century - mid-5th century BC). Also documented in this area was a cistern that distributed water from a higher level to the rest of the building through a small channel that crossed the sanctuary from north to south. Without doubt, water was another key symbolic element that was integrated into the mythical-sacred scenography and rituality through libation practices. These are evident from the presence of infrastructures, such as altars, votive offerings (amphoras and bowls; Attic grave goods of a krater and two cups) and other indicators, such as the presence of sulphur in the pottery grave goods.References:Ruiz, A.; Molinos, M.; Fernández, R.; Pérez, M. y Rueda, C. (2015): "El Santuario de la Puerta del Sol", en Ruiz, A. y Molinos, M. (eds.): Jaén, tierra íbera. 40 años de investigación y transferencia. Universidad de Jaén. 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 Ruiz, A. y Molinos, M. (coords.): La dama, el príncipe, el héroe y la diosa. Catálogo de la exposición. Junta de Andalucía. 155-168.Proyecto Pastwomen: http://www.pastwomen.net/gb/index