A new archaeological study at an ancient settlement, Valencina de la Concepción, near Seville, Spain, reveals that an egalitarian and cooperative society thrived there for nearly 1,000 years during the Copper Age.
Researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) [Autonomous University of Barcelona], alongside colleagues from the Autonomous University of Madrid, the University of Würzburg, and the German Archaeological Institute in Madrid, analyzed 635 large stone tools recovered from the northern area of the site.
Their findings challenge earlier views that Valencina was primarily a ceremonial or seasonal gathering place.
The study, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, presents strong evidence that Valencina was a permanent settlement between 3300 and 2150 BCE. Spanning 450 hectares, it is the largest known site of its kind in Europe from the third millennium BCE.
While previous research focused heavily on its necropolis and large megalithic tombs, this new work turns attention to the 200-hectare domestic zone, offering a rare window into the community’s daily life and social structure.
The artifacts were found in and around huts, workshops, and storage pits arranged in a circular pattern. These tools reveal a variety of domestic and economic activities, such as grinding grains, processing plant fibers, working animal hides, and crafting with metals and stone.
Most materials came from within 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) of the site, suggesting a well-managed use of local resources. Researchers also found that many tools had been reused, pointing to a culture that valued sustainability.
“This indicates a permanent occupation of the settlement,” said Marina Eguíluz, lead author of the study and a researcher at UAB. “The only observable changes between the three major phases of occupation could be due to the density of occupation of the area.”
The study found no signs of surplus accumulation or centralized control, which are features common in later complex societies. Instead, the economy appeared cooperative and diverse, with tasks and resources likely shared across the community.
UAB researcher and study coordinator Roberto Risch said the findings support a growing view that some of the Iberian Peninsula’s most advanced Copper Age societies operated as “cooperative societies of abundance.”
He explained it is “a form of social organization that deeply questions the traditional evolutionary models, based on hierarchical and power relations between bands, tribes, prefectures or states.”
The excavation focused on the Cerro de la Cabeza and Pabellón Cubierto areas under the Valencia Nord project. Researchers say their findings in the ancient settlement of Spain open new opportunities to compare similar sites and better understand the range of social and egalitarian models in prehistoric Europe.
