Long-lasting sacred landscapes: The numerical chronology of the megalithic phenomenon in south-eastern Iberia

Thanks to the radiocarbon dating programme undertaken in the last five years, it is now possible to explore the chronology and temporality of the megalithic phenomenon of south-eastern Iberia. Ninety new dates have been obtained based on human bone samples selected according to the minimum number of individuals identified in each tomb. Four main conclusions can be drawn from this radiocarbon series modelled in a Bayesian framework: i) the funerary rituals span a very long period that began in 3810-3635 cal BC and ended in 425-690 cal AD, although the mortuary activity was far less intense from the end of the second millennium; ii) the tombs were built at different times and used on different temporal scales, ranging from a few decades to several centuries; iii) although there is a clear chronological sequence between the tholoi and the other types of tomb, all were contemporaneous during the 3rd millennium, coinciding with their peak mortuary activity; and iv) the continuity of mortuary practices reached an unexpected importance during the Bronze Age, mainly in the tholos-type tombs.