There is no clear, general consensus on when the mantilla (a lace or silk veil) was first introducedas a traditional garment in Spain. Some authors claim that its use comes from the clothing tradition of the Iberians, who inhabitedthe Iberian Peninsula from the 6th to the 1st century BC. Examples supporting this theory are the well-known Dama de Elche or Dama de Baza, key sculptures from that periodwhich have generated much research on the topic.
For more specialized information, please download our Webzine SILKROADIA VOL.2 NO.2, and read "The Spanish mantilla and the Silk Road : A five-century relationship" written by Valentín Martínez García, Academic Secretary for the specialty of Geography and History in the MA in Teacher Training in Compulsory Secondary Education, and Baccalaureate, Vocational Training and Language Teaching at the University of Valencia.
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