The radiocarbon chronology of the oldest megalithic monuments in southeastern Iberia: the necropolises of Las Churuletas, La Atalaya and Llano del Jauton (Purchena, Almeria)

For the first time in the study of the southeastern Iberian megalithic phenomenon, a series of 30 radiocarbon dates has been obtained for some of the oldest mon-uments. Two types of tombs, circular chambers (rund-graber) and graves with chamber and passage, from three necropolises, Las Churuletas, La Atalaya and El Llano de El Jauton, have been dated using human remains. Four main conclusion can be drawn from the statistical analysis of this radiocarbon series: i) the beginning of funeral activity occured between 3730-3650 cal BC and the end between 2395-2270 cal BC; ii) the rundgraber are the type of tomb with shorter duration, ending between 2650-2505 cal BC; iii) the dating of different graves and necropolises shows an important heterogeneity in their periods of use; and iv) from the beginning of the 3rd millennium, there is a strong intensification of funerary activity along with an crease population size and the number of settlements.