In the southwest of Spain, at the Montelirio tholos burial site (built between 2900 and 2800 BCE), part of the large Copper Age archaeological site of Valencina de la Concepción (Sevilla), what constitutes the largest collection of beads ever documented in a single burial was discovered between 2010 and 2011.

These are the Montelirio beads, a set of ornaments that were part of unparalleled bead outfits worn by some of the individuals buried in the tomb, mostly women. These beads, also found in the structure adjacent to the tholos known as “The Ivory Lady,” have revealed not only a complex network of artisan production and marine resource trade but also the preeminent role of women in the hierarchies more than 4,000 years ago.

Over the past five years, a multidisciplinary team has conducted a thorough study of the material, using radiocarbon dating methods, morphometric analysis, archaeobotany, and experimental reconstructions. The result? An unprecedented discovery: more than 270,000 beads made primarily from seashells and, to a lesser extent, from stone and bone.

Women Montelirio Beads
Excavation process of Individual 343. Credit: A. Acedo García

The discovery was made in the context of the Valencina mega-site, an area of more than 450 hectares that, in the third millennium BCE, served as a central hub for exchange, artisan production, and ritual activities. Among the most significant tombs is Montelirio, where archaeologists have identified multiple burials, mostly of women dressed in bead outfits symbolizing their status and power within the community.

Material analysis has determined that most of the beads were made from seashells, primarily from the Pectinidae and Cardiidae families, mollusks native to the Iberian Atlantic. The use of these materials suggests a link to the sea, either as a symbol of prestige or connection to spiritual beliefs tied to water.

Researchers have estimated that the production of this collection required an astonishing amount of resources and labor. It is estimated that the production of all the beads would have needed about 247,500 hours of labor, equivalent to roughly seven months of continuous work by a team of ten highly skilled artisans. Additionally, the amount of shells used for manufacturing reaches nearly a ton of marine material, emphasizing the sophistication of this production and its impact on the community’s economy.

Women Montelirio Beads
Distribution of the attires within the LC of Montelirio. Credit: M. Luciañez Triviño and Á. Fernández Flores

The use of these beads in the clothing of the women buried at Montelirio supports the theory that in this society women played a fundamental role in the political and religious spheres. The analyzed outfits include full-body tunics, skirts, and cloths, decorated with intricate patterns indicating a high degree of symbolism.

Two of the most prominent individuals, identified as UE102 and UE343, wore beaded tunics that positioned them as figures of great significance. In particular, the body of UE343 was placed in the center of the burial chamber in a ritual posture with raised arms, which has been interpreted as a representation of a leadership or priestly role.

Radiocarbon dating has confirmed that the beads were made just before the death of those who wore them, reinforcing the idea that these outfits were specifically designed for funeral rituals. However, the possibility that all the women were buried simultaneously raises questions about the nature of the event that led to their burial.

Women Montelirio Beads
High-resolution photograph of beads from the upper level of Structure 10.049 (UE 535, above The Ivory Lady), attached to the rock crystal dagger. Credit: David W. Wheatley

Comparative analysis with other findings suggests that this type of attire was uncommon in other contexts of the time, underscoring the uniqueness of Montelirio. In comparison to burials from other prehistoric cultures, such as those from Sunghir in Russia or Ba’ja in Jordan, where beads have been found in considerable quantities, the case of Montelirio stands out due to the scale of the collection and its likely political and symbolic function.

The study of the Montelirio beads has opened a new chapter in research on Copper Age societies in Europe. The sophistication of the manufacture, the quantity of resources used, and the role of women in this context suggest a society more complex than previously believed.

Many questions remain unanswered. How was artisan work organized in Valencina? What exactly did these garments mean in the lives and deaths of these women? And, above all, why did this tradition disappear without a trace in later periods?

SOURCES

Leonardo García Sanjuán et al., A multi-analytical study of the Montelirio beaded attires: Marine resources, sumptuary crafts, and female power in copper age Iberia. Sci. Adv. 11, eadp1917(2025). DOI:10.1126/sciadv.adp1917

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