Demographic evidence of selective burial in megalithic graves of northern Spain

The main objective of this article is to reconstruct the model of funerary selection in megalithic monuments from the North of Spain. To this end, a minimum of 248 individuals were analyzed. The collections were recovered from seven tombs from the natural region of La Rioja and are dated back to the period between 3700 and 1500 cal. BC. The study focuses on the estimation of certain paleodemographic parameters (mortality rates and sex ratios), compared with population models and other contemporary archaeological series, as a means to identify and assess possible demographic anomalies. The results show what could be considered as systematic bias against infants but also for some adults, whereas an over-representation of children and juveniles arises. This fact is mainly interpreted as the result of a selective burial pattern, where the access to dolmens was most likely restricted only to those with particular rights and privileges.