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Introduction
Recent methodological advances in radiocarbon measurements and their statistical interpretation have led to a profound change in our perception of temporality in past societies (Buck et al., 1991; Bronk Ramsey, 1995, 2013; Bayliss, 2009; Bayliss et al., 2007; Scarre, 2010; Whittle et al., 2011). Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) dating has made it possible to use smaller samples, thus expanding the pool of datable materials; the standard deviation of measurements is progressively decreasing, and the chronological models--mainly the Bayesian framework--have shown the possibility of narrowing the broad spans of prehistoric chronology to the scale of an individual's lifetime. These developments have provided a great opportunity to create a refined chronological framework that may be crucial, particularly in the study of the megalithic phenomenon, which is characterized in many cases by long periods of use.
The Iberian Peninsula has not benefited from these improvements, at least not in the same way as other European regions. Only a few graves have been dated, with the aim of confirming a broad cultural framework for this phenomenon. Radiocarbon chronology was not an important concern until very recently. That is the case of south-eastern Iberia, which has one of the most important concentrations of megalithic tombs in Western Europe. The lack of radiocarbon dates--just ten up to 2012--has been one of the main factors hindering a better understanding of this phenomenon (Aranda Jiménez, 2013). Our current research hopes to change this situation with new insights into the chronology and temporality of these megalithic monuments. For this purpose, we undertook a radiocarbon dating programme in 2012. It has four main goals: i) to establish the chronology and timing of the megalithic architecture in south-eastern Iberia; ii) to determine the period of construction and use of the different types of megalithic monuments; iii) to establish the timescale and span of funerary use of single megalithic graves; and iv) to explore the continuity and reuse of these ritual spaces (Aranda Jiménez & Lozano Medina, forthcoming).
As part of this programme we focused our attention on cemeteries such as El Barranquete (Nijar, Almería) that offer an excellent opportunity to achieve these goals. Instead of several dates from different burials, we found inspiration in...