A Bayesian Approach for Timing the Neolithization in Mediterranean Iberia

Abstract

In this paper, we compile recent14C dates related to the Neolithic transition in Mediterranean Iberia and present a Bayesian chronological approach for testing thedual model, a mixed model proposed to explain the spread of farming and husbandry processes in eastern Iberia. The dual model postulates the coexistence of agricultural pioneers and indigenous Mesolithic foraging groups in the Middle Holocene. We test this general model with more regional models of four geographical areas (Northeast, Upper, and Middle Ebro Valley, and Eastern and South/Southeastern regions) and present a filtered summed probability of all14C dates known in the region in order to compare socioecological dynamics over a long period. Finally, we discuss the results and analyze how certain specific characteristics of sites and their chronologies can serve for timing the Neolithic expansion in Mediterranean Iberia.

New Insights into the Radiocarbon Chronology of Iberian Megalithic Societies: The tholos-type Tombs of Mojácar (Almería, Spain)

“…For Loma de Belmonte and Loma del Campo 2, the dietary endmembers were derived from several sources and reduced to four food-types: cereals, terrestrial mammals, marine and freshwater species. The mean isotopic values for cereals ( δ 13 C=−22.8 ± 0.1‰; δ 15 N=+7.8 ± 0.2‰) are taken from García Sanjuán et al (2018) and derive from measurements of barley and wheat from the Bronze Age site of Terlinques (Mora González et al, 2016). The terrestrial mammal isotopic values ( δ 13 C=−19.7 ± 0.8‰; δ 15 N=+7.0 ± 1.7‰) are derived from different Neolithic and Chalcolithic sites collected by Aranda Jiménez et al (2017), Beck et al (2018), and Díaz-Zorita Bonilla et al (2019).…”

La inferencia cronológica bayesana aplicada a la industria lítica de la Prehistoria Reciente: el caso de estudio de los conjuntos superficiales de las terrazas del valle bajo del río Ebro (Aldover, Baix Ebre)

“…Actualmente, este enfoque se ha consolidado tanto en el ámbito europeo -Bavaria (Aitchison et al 1991), Stonehenge (Bayliss et al 1997), Gran Bretaña (Whittle et al 2011), Escandinavia (Wohlfarth et al 2006;Kammonen et al 2012; Riede y Edinborough 2012) o Sicilia (Alberti 2013) entre muchos otros-como en contextos americanos (Krus et al 2015). Del mismo modo, en la península Ibérica debemos destacar el análisis de la transición de la Cultura de Los Millares / Cultura del Argar (Lull et al 2013), la exploración de la neolitización (García-Puchol et al 2018) o la expansión de la cultura de los campos de urnas (Capuzzo y Barceló 2015). La difusión y aceptación de este enfoque se debe a la existencia de diferentes softwares de calibración que permiten implementar de forma sencilla la modelización bayesiana (Bronk-Ramsey 1994;Buck et al 1999)…”

“…Estas tipologías se subdividen en tres grandes grupos según su producción y cronología: las laminitas de dorso ivan gironès rofes, saLvador pardo gordó, MiqueL MoList Montaña genéricas (Tipo I); microlitos geométricos (Tipos II-XXII, XXVII y XXVIII), con especificaciones tanto morfométricas como tecnológicas; y puntas bifaciales (Tipos XXIII-XXVI). Tales grupos se han definido a partir de criterios tipométricos (Fortea 1973; Juan-Cabanilles 2008) y tecnológicos (García-Puchol 2005).…”

Timing the Mesolithic-Neolithic Transition in the Iberian Peninsula: The Radiocarbon Dataset

“…Our dataset offers a great potential to explore the Neolithic Transition in the Iberian Peninsula. On one hand, its information can be used to explore chronological transition applying bayesian methods an intra-site or regional analysis [12,14]. On the other hand, the information can be used to explore the neolithisation phenomenon based on radiocarbon maps distribution or demographic trends [15,16,20].…”

“…In this sense, some results of the project have been published on evolutionary approaches related to lithics and pottery [10,11]. Also, Bayesian and geostatistics analyses on the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition at intra-site or regional scale [12][13][14] and demographic trends according to settlements distributions and summed probability distribution of calibrated radiocarbon dates have been published [15,16].…”