Early Bronze Age Copper Circulation in the Guadalentín and Segura Valleys (SE Spain)

Identifying the sources of copper used in Early Bronze Age metalwork from south‐east Spain is key to resolving a long‐running debate concerning centralized control, or lack thereof, over El Argar society's economic organisation. This study provides the first substantial integrated programme of EDXRF and MC‐ICP‐MS analyses for copper‐base artefacts from major sites in the Guadalentín and Segura Valleys, complemented by the systematic reattribution of previously misprovenanced material. The findings from the resulting datasets point to a decentralized supply network rather than a centralized system, prompting a reappraisal of the role of metallurgy in structuring Bronze Age social hierarchies in Iberia, and challenging current models of El Argar political economy.