Last Wednesday, 4 December, a hundred people attended the presentation of the book Catalunya, en temps dels ibers, written by Dr Maria Carme Belarte and Dr Joan Santacana, at the auditorium of the Museu d’Història de Catalunya (MHC) in Barcelona.
The event featured the participation of the authors, who offered a comprehensive overview of the work and its significance for the study of Iberian societies. Also in attendance were Josep M. Palet, director of the ICAC; Jordi Principal, director of the MHC; and Rafael Català, the book’s publisher.
The book, now available in major bookshops, provides a rigorous yet accessible analysis of the factors that shaped Iberian culture, from its formation to its dissolution under Roman rule. Through various chapters, the work explores key aspects of this ancient civilisation, including society and economy, the origins and evolution of Iberian culture, daily life, and territorial organisation.
Additionally, it presents new insights derived from recent archaeological research at prominent sites such as Ullastret, Masies de Sant Miquel, and El Vilar de Valls, which have benefited from renewed research efforts, deepening our understanding of Iberian urban centres.
The book launch also paid tribute to Joan Sanmartí, who passed away in 2022. A pivotal figure in the study of Iberian culture, he co-authored, alongside Joan Santacana, the previous synthesis work: Els ibers del nord.
This new publication brings together contributions from various specialists who have written articles on archaeology, numismatics, philology, and heritage. Many of these collaborators are affiliated with research centres, museums, and institutions that have advanced the study of Iberian culture, including the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC), the Archaeology Service of the Generalitat de Catalunya, and the Catalonia Archaeology Museum, among others.
A book for everyone
Despite the subject’s complexity, the book makes its content accessible to all readers, offering a general insight into who the Iberians were and what made them the way they were.
The ICAC collaborated on this publication to strengthen its editorial line devoted to scientific dissemination. This new, revised, and expanded edition of Els ibers del nord updates the content of the original work, published in 2005, and incorporates the latest advances in research on the Iberians in Catalonia, cementing it as a key resource for better understanding this period of history.
Get your copy:
Authors: M. Carme Belarte i Joan Santacana
Rafael Dalmau, Editor
368 pages
PVP: 40 euros
Bound in hardcover
ISBN: 978-84-232-0905-7
About the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC)
The Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC-CERCA) is a CERCA center established as a consortium in 2003 by the Government of Catalonia and the Rovira i Virgili University. It is a Catalan institution with an international scope, at the forefront of research and conservation of archaeological heritage. Its headquarters are in Tarragona, a city recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Its researchers work to understand the past, through the study of archaeological remains, and promote the preservation of the historical legacy. We are CERCA!
For more information, visit www.icac.cat.
