The Use of Gold at the Rock-cut Tomb Necropolis of Casal do Pardo (Quinta do Anjo, Palmela, 3200-2000 BCE)

Abstract

Thanks to extensive research on the site and its architecture, and remains, Casal do Pardo is a type site for European prehistory, a true archetype of European Bell Beaker culture. Although there are many topics related to Casal do Pardo, this paper focuses exclusively on gold metallurgy and the recent findings of a 2017 archaeological campaign.The group of rock-cut caves at Casal do Pardo is located in the parish council of Quinta do Anjo (municipality of Palmela, district of Setúbal). Although the site is also referred to as simply Palmela1 and Quinta do Anjo2, its right name is Casal do Pardo3.The necropolis is located in an inner part of the Pré-Arrábida mountain range, as identi-fied by Orlando Ribeiro4, in the valley immediately to the north of Serra do Louro. Its geo-graphical coordinates are Hayford – Gauss Datum 73 – 70204. 3664 / 122261. 468 (Portugal’s Military Chart no. 454, 2009). The rock-cut caves, dug into soft limestone, are located in a region with different overlapping geological formations, more precisely a Miocene formation of the Langhian-Serravallian and Tortonian stages5.All the field and laboratory work have been supported by the municipality of Palmela.