This paper reconsiders the meaning of the treasure of Guarrazar. It starts with a presentation and interpretation of the huge amount of information recently provided by the archaeologists: Guarrazar appears to have been a first-level religious centre since imperial times and an aristocratic pole of power since the 6th century at least. The second part discusses the treasure’s main objects, especially its famous crowns, which are often misunderstood as symbols of royal power, and the names recorded in the inscriptions from Guarrazar. The place was not linked to the monarchy as an institution, but to one of the most powerful families in the kingdom, a usual competitor to the throne. Lastly we propose a textual interpretation for the church and monastery of Guarrazar, the basilica of St. Felix in Tatanesio, object of a poem by Eugenius of Toledo: this would suppose that King Theudis played a central role in the destiny of Guarrazar.
The decades between the end of Viriathus’ war and that of the Sertorian conflict (ca. 139-72 BCE) represent a period of strong instability and dissent on the northern margins of the province of Hispania Ulterior. This article examines the military impact of Rome on the river Tagus region of Extremadura, from the perspective of a multiple interaction established among Romans, Italics, local populations (mainly Lusitanians and Vettones) and possible displaced groups. Thus, the concept of ‘middle ground’ is applied to a sphere defined by the confrontation and cohabitation of people in a tensely shared space. The site of Villasviejas del Tamuja (Cáceres), with occupation from the Second Iron Age until the end of the 1st century BC, identifiable with the Celtiberian mint of Tamusia, represents a paradigmatic scenario of these processes.
