The Iberian Enigma
By Mariana Hristova
The latest exhibition at the Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya at Montjuïc, The Iberian Enigma. The Archeology of a Civilization, zooms into the history and culture of the Iberian peoples that inhabited the Mediterranean region of the Iberian Peninsula during most of the Iron Age over 1,500 years ago.
Drawing on the multifaceted landscape of the Iberian civilization at the time, the exhibit casts light on its territorial, political and social organization, details of everyday life such as clothing and habits and on the languages spoken among the various communities. The narrative also traces the relationship of the Iberians with other great civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean in the Iron Age and the influences they experienced, and looks to provide possible answers for the vanishing of the Iberian civilization based on evidence from research carried out in recent years.
This temporary exhibition is also a good occasion to have a look once again at the permanent collection of the archaeological museum, and especially the halls dedicated to the Rock Art Route inspiring visitors to visit a series of nearby sites that offer a glimpse at prehistoric life.