Lead Weight Production and Use in Fishing Gear at the Deltaic Settlement of Antic (Amposta, Tarragona, Catalonia) during the Late Iron Age (Third–Second Centuries BCE)

Abstract

Abstract The archaeological investigations conducted at the Iberian site of l’Antic (Amposta, Catalonia), located in the Ebro delta region, have identified a domestic sector associated with the production of fishing lead weights. These artifacts, together with other lead elements linked to their manufacture, are documented in stratigraphic contexts dated to the Late Iron Age (third–second centuries BCE). The assemblage constitutes an unusual find, providing valuable insights into both leadworking technologies and fishing practices in the Iberian period. Morphometric and technological analyses reveal a highly standardized production process aimed at producing items of similar forms (rolled cylindrical or tubular weights), albeit with certain variations suggesting their specific design for nets and fishing lines of different sizes and types. This evidence highlights the technological organization of fishing-related activities and contributes to a more nuanced understanding of riverine and maritime resource exploitation in the lower Ebro region and the wider western Mediterranean during the Late Iron Age.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Maritime Archaeology, 2026 · DOI ↗