Placing Sanctuaries in Their Socio‐Political Landscapes: A Diachronic Approach to the Late Iron Age Communities in South‐East I beria (Fourth–Second Centuries BC )

Summary This paper explores the relationship between the historical dynamics and the transformations observed in pre‐Roman cult places in eastern I beria between the fourth and second centuries BC . These are analysed through a case study: the sanctuary of L a L uz (Murcia), located in the S egura Valley, in south‐east I beria. Three main religious changes are discussed from this perspective: the development of the sanctuary in the fourth century BC , the changes observed in its archaeological record in the third century BC , and finally its destruction in the second century BC . These offer a diachronic view of the transformations, and illustrate the different levels at which they were expressed, from the archaeological record to the landscape. The work aims to provide a different perspective from previous studies in this area and a new view of the cult places in south‐east I beria within their socio‐political landscape and the Mediterranean historical context.