AMS¹⁴C Dating Of Balearic Lime Burials

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The Balearic quicklime burials of the Iron Age have been radiocarbon dated. Because the bones found are unsuitable for dating, lime was dated using the titration method, with results indicating that in some samples there is still fossil limestone carbonate present, while other samples suffered from recarbonation. Nevertheless, 14 C dates on lime and organic matter agree when both are present. The titration method allows calculating a consensus value. INTRODUCTION Lime BurialsThe Balearic Islands (Mallorca and Menorca, Spain; see Figure 1) are the only place in the Mediterranean region where during the Iron Age people were systematically buried in quicklime (CaO). This practice was very common during the Balearic Iron Age (Stuiver and Waldren 1975; Waldren 1990, 1995), although it is still debated whether this rite started early or later in the Iron Age (Micó Pérez 2005;Micó 2006). Given that these kinds of deposits are often found in natural caves or rockshelters and thus are not very visible, some are not catalogued as archaeological sites, but the presence of about a hundred of these deposits can be estimated for Mallorca and Menorca. This burial practice lasted until the early Roman occupation, but its origin is unknown.

14C Dating of the Lime Burial of Cova de Na Dent (Mallorca, Spain): Optimization of the Sample Preparation and Limitations of the Method

“…The material analyses (on bones and lime conglomerate) confirmed earlier studies performed on museum objects (Van Strydonck et al 2011, Van Strydonck et alin press DOI:10.1002/oa.2307. The 14 C results revealed however an earlier chronology than expected, in conflict with the general idea that the Balearic lime burials are a late Iron Age phenomenon.…”

“…Samples were taken from the fraction between 70 and 125 µm. In the previous experiment four successive CO 2 fractions of roughly equal size were obtained by the titration method (Van Strydonck et al 1982/1983Van Strydonck et al 2011). In the experiments described in this paper the first fraction was further split up into 4 fractions, each of roughly the same size, such that a total of 7 fractions were obtained and consequently dated: 4 smaller and 3 larger ones.…”

14C Dating and Material Analysis of the Lime Burial of Cova de Na Dent (Mallorca, Spain)

“…The consensus dates obtained by the extrapolation method(Van Strydonck et al 2011) on the individual layers are consistent with the vertical stratigraphy (Figure 8). However, the results are not in agreement with the general archaeological conviction suggesting a date from the 5th century BC onwards, based on the presence of archaeological artifacts in previously excavated lime burials(Castro Martínez et al 1997;Micó Pérez 2005, 2006.…”

“…Probably before cremation the body was covered with a layer of fine crushed limestone. Until now, only museum samples, perhaps subject to unknown taphonomic processes since their excavation more than 20 yr ago, could be analyzed (Van Strydonck and Waldren 1990;Waldren and Van Strydonck 1995;Van Strydonck et al 2011). This article discusses the results of samples analyzed within 1 yr after being excavated and stored in good conditions.…”

RICH – A new AMS facility at the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage, Brussels, Belgium

“…Carbonates (shells, mortars, cremated bones, lime burials) are converted into carbon dioxide with acid: phosphoric acid (85%) is added to shells and cremated bones [3,6] and diluted HCl to lime burials and mortars [7][8][9].…”