Los objetos metálicos de la Madīna Balaghí (Pla d'Almatà, Balaguer): funcionalidad y contexto arqueológico

This article analyses the assemblage of metal artefacts recovered from the Islamic site of Pla d'Almatà, located in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula (Balaguer). The study addresses the main challenges of archaeological metal analysis, such as corrosion, the lack of formal evolution, and the difficulties in establishing chronotypologies, and presents a well-contextualised metal assemblage. The objectives focus on determining the possible functionality of the objects, to confirm the types of activities carried out in the Islamic quarter of Balaguer (textile production, agricultural and livestock tasks, metallurgy activities, among others). To this end, the analysis considers both the archaeological context and the spatial distribution of the material within dwellings and circulation areas, prior to the abandonment of the settlement around 1105, following the Christian conquest of the territory. Finally, this functional and spatial study is complemented by comparative analysis and discussion, allowing connections to be drawn with other metal productions from Iberian and European sites of similar characteristics and chronology.