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The Almizaraque settlement, which was primarily occupied during the third millennium BCE, is an important example of copper age culture, though it does contain some materials from earlier periods.

Unlike the cave sites of the early neolithic, Almizaraque was an open-air settlement with houses
The architecture did not feature horizontally or verticle stacked logs like in cabins but rather buildings that were oval or circular in shape. They were constructed using different techniques, potentially with ditch enclosures in some phases.

Central area, not central building
The settlement was organized with a focus on communal areas. The houses were surrounded by ditches, suggesting a planned layout with a central focus, rather than a single, large central building.

Importance of metallurgy: Almizaraque is particularly significant for its evidence of early copper metallurgy
Including mineral and ore finds, pointing to a community with advanced craft skills.

Given the inland location and site characteristics, there is no evidence to suggest that the inhabitants of Almizaraque used carved-out canoes.

While cardial neolithic groups practiced agriculture and herding, evidence at Almizaraques copper age site, shows advanced agricultural practices and diet
Based on other regional sites from the same period, it is very likely that the inhabitants cultivated and ate peas and beans. In addition to cereals, like wheat and barley, which were staples of neolithic agriculture.

No “special” bread recipes are preserved, but a functional bread was likely common
They likely prepared simple forms of bread, perhaps flatbreads made from ground cereals and baked on heated stones or in hearths. Similar to other prehistoric cultures.

Almizaraques people valued artistry and crafted decorated pottery and tools from stone and bone, which would have been a skilled and engaging activity
They traded exotic materials like obsidian from across Europe. The social interaction and travel involved in these networks would have been a significant part of life, and likely provided entertainment and social standing.

Village layout, with central communal areas, points to social events and shared activities
Storytelling, music, and religious practices.

While the broader region of Spain holds much great archaeological evidence. Almizaraque represents specific cultures like pottery and copper. Check it out with more neolithic architecture today!

Bibliography: Rehren, T., & Rovira, S. (2006). The question of early copper production at Almizaraque, SE Spain

Murillo-Barroso, Mercedes & Montero Ruiz, Ignacio & Camalich-Massieu, Dolores & Martín Socas, Dimas & Labaune, Matthieu & Cattin, Florence & Nieto, José & Martinon-Torres, Marcos. (2020). Raw material procurement and selection in Southeast Iberia’s early metallurgy. Trabajos de Prehistoria. 77. 87-112. 10.3989/tp.2020.12248

Joaquín Jiménez-Puerto, Beyond the naked eye: Employing machine learning and computer vision to explore Iberian oculated idols decorative patterns, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, Volume 55, 2024, 104521, ISSN 2352-409X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104521