A Possible Fragment of Lex Flavia Municipalis in the Res Publica Tutugitanorum (Galera, Granada)

The aim of this article is to document a new bronze epigraphic fragment from the area around Galera, a town in the Huéscar region of Granada. The discovery was made at the beginning of the 20th century and is the first juridical bronze found in the province of Granada. The small size of the fragment is a major impediment to its typological identification and reconstruction. However, thanks to the parallels adduced, the new fragment can be interpreted as Flavian municipal law. Therefore, the article explores the possible integration of the fragment with the res publica Tutugitanorum, a Roman municipality currently located in Cerro del Real (Galera, Granada) and attested by the epigraphy. Furthermore, a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer was employed to carry out a no-destructive analysis to identify its elemental profile. The obtained results showed that the fragment was made with ternary bronze (CuPb/Sn), as expected for this period.

Keywords: Epigraphy, Flavian municipalities, Latin law, Bronze, Metallography.