Radiocarbon Dating and the Prehistory of the Balearic Islands
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Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 63, 1997, pp. 55-86 Radiocarbon Dating and the Prehistory of the Balearic Islands By PEDRO V. CASTRO MARTINEZ, SYLVlA GILl SURINACH, PALOMA GONZALEZ MARCtN, VICEI'ITE LULL, RAFAEL MICO PEREZ and CRlSTINA RIHUETE HERRADA 1 The aim of this paper is to establish an absolute chronology for the prehistoric entities and sites of the Balearic islands. We begin with the human settlement of each island and continue with the temporalities of the most important entities and materials of the Pretalayotic period: the Beaker phenomenon, megalithic tombs, artificial burial caves, naviforms, and navetas. Then we define the chronological limits of the Talayotic period, giving special attention to its internal sequence and to the chronology of its distinctive monuments - the talayots, sanctuaries, and taulas. Finally we suggest the chronological limits of the material and sites ascribed to the Post-talayotic period. The approach adopted here is based on a detailed analysis of the radiocarbon dates corresponding to the main archaeological periods mentioned above. The infonnation potential of each date has been evaluated critically in tenns of the archaeological contexts from which samples were obtained. THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF TIlE BALEARIC ISLANDS: absence of the talaiots constitutes a key discriminating CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS factor in establishing a cultural sequence for the Research into Balearic prehistory, which started at the islands. beginning of the century, has tended to centre on four It is important to point out, however, that research major periods. The first one corresponds broadly to which has generated this cultural sequence has centred what Waldren (1982) has termed the 'First settlement on the two largest islands of the archipelago period'. The second, labelled 'Pretalayotic', is (Mallorca and Menorca), with the emphasis upon associated with the earliest contexts to contain pottery Mallorca. The archaeology of the Pitiussae (Ibiza and and combines a whole series of archaeological Formentera) has focused on the role of the phenomena, as we shall see. The third brings together, Punic-Phoenician colonisation of the island of Eivissa under tbe name of 'Talayotic', all the material (Ibiza) and only recently have there been more expressions which tend to accompany a type of systematic studies on the early settlement which will construction known as a talaiot (dry stone towers allow us to articulate the dynamics of the prehistoric built with large stones and usually conical or quad socio-economy of Eivissa and Formentera with those rangular in outline). Finally, the last period is of Mallorca and Menorca. identified by the presence of icon objects coincidinf; At the same time, the investigation into the precisely with the moment when the talaiot fell into prehistoric sequence of the Balearic islands must disuse. According to some authors, this period is seen contend with another series of problems which as a Late Talayotic, while others have defined it as a concern, above all, the attempt to produce a sequence separate and independent entity, the 'Post-talayotic'. which makes archaeological and chronological sense. However, issues of actual terminology apart, these One of the principal factors which has led to this state periods are based on the idea that the presence or of affairs is the scarcity of systematic excavations; fieldwork tends to be sporadic and not very IDepartamem d'Anrropologia Social i de Prehistoria, standardised. The study of finds shows similar defi Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Edifici B, 08193 ciencies, which poses an adde<:l. problem when it Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain comes to carrying out syntheses of the historical dyna Received August 1996. Accepted April 1997 mics of the communities of the archipelago. At first 55 THE PREHISTORlC SOCIETY glance, the prospects for the chronology should be the Talayotic period is clearly seen, in that for some more favourable, taking into account the extensive authors it does not represent an autonomous entity radiocarbon series associated with the archaeological but rather the final stages of the latter (RosseIl6- sites of the islands. However, these dated sites are by Bordoy 1973; Fern;indez-Miranda 1978a). no means evenly distributed throughout the archaeo In view of the current situation regarding research, logical landscape, as there is a greater concentration in is it possible to maintain the traditional chronology, Mallorca and, more precisely, in a few sites situated in redefining it in terms of recurrent cultural assem the Tramontana mountain range in the north of the blages? In other words, is it possible to ask whether island. It is also important to bear in mind that the the traditional entities can conform to archaeological majority of dates are insufficiently contextualised, and groups as such (GonzaJez Marcen et al. 1992)? At first so their utility is considerably diminished. In spite of glance, only the Talayotic period seems to comply these difficulties, the information relating to the radio with this, due to the lack of analytical studies carbon dates can be combined with the available regarding the other cultural expressions. Given this archaeological data in an attempt to place the situation, could the temporal dimension, expressed in archaeological entities of the islands in chronological radiocarbon dating, contribute at least to the order. definition of each one of them? The exercise of organising time in relation to the concentrations of the values obtained through STIWCIURING THE PREHISTORIC SEQUENCE OF TIlE calibrated radiocarbon dates can be interpreted in BALEARICS: PERIODS AND 'CULllJRES' terms of rupture or continuity in population, so that The archaeology of the Balearic islands is no we may infer changes in historical dynamics. In this exception to the common practice of establishing sense it would be important to consider the temporal tripartite divisions (Waldten 1982). The three main intervals with enormous concentrations of radio phases mentioned earlier, Pretalayotic, Talayotic, and carbon dates as moments in time when an intensive Post-talayotic, are preceded by a still uncertain inter exploitation of the natural resources for social gain val related to the initial human settlement on the took place (felling trees, slaughtering vertebrates). In islands. However, in contrast to the classical European this way we would define key moments in the periodisations, the Balearic periods do not fit with the exploitation of natural resources which would affect traditional metal · 'Ages': the Pretalayotic extends the islands and that, by way of an hypothesis, we further in rime beyond the conventionally accepted could compare to episodes of rupture or change in duration of the Copper Age, the Talayotic behaves social dynamics. However, we would still lack a code equally with the Bronze Age, and the Post-talayotic which would enable us to give them social meaning. starts after the accepted beginning for the Iron Age. Social significance can only be attributed by archaeo Within this framework, the Talayotic becomes the logists through o,bjects and these can only be central focus around which everything earlier and understood in the .tOntext of material assemblages, later takes on meaning. The splendour of its archi rarely defined in Balearic archaeology. Dates place tectural constIl,lctions (talaiots) and the considerable objects in time, but they do not offer meaning; they homogeneity of the a'itefactual assemblage have merely provide a 'precondition' so that the latter can contributed to making it the only entity which can be be attributed. In this paper, we will be content if we termed an 'archaeological culture' which, at the same can complete the first stage, knowing that many years time, has its very own subdivision into phases of research are required for the second to be achieved. (Rossell6-Bordoy 1973; Fernandez-Miranda 1978a). On the other hand, the Pretalayotic period is defined as one which includes very heterogeneous expressions THE RADIOCARBON SEQUENCE OF THE (domestic activity occurring both in caves and open BALEARlC ISLANDS air settlements, megalithic tombs, Beaker wares, At this moment in time we have 191 datesl associated copper technology) in a variety of combinations, with sites found in the Balearic islands and related to preceded by a 'prologue' based somewhat tenuously archaeological contexts linked with human occu upon evidence regarding the initial stages of human pation (Appendix). In comparison with the list of settlement. As for the Post-talayotic, its reliance upon radiocarbon dates for the Iberian peninsula, the 56 3. P. V. Castro Martinez et al. RADIOCARBON DATING AND BALEARlC PREHISTORY Balearic islands are second (after Andalucia and Of the Balearic series we have mentioned so far, we Portugal) in terms of the number of radiocarbon dates will dispense with dates of the last 2000 years, which associated with the autonomous communities, com are not relevant to the purposes of this study, and also prising just over 10% of the total (Castro, Lull & with dates which have been affected by various Mic6 1996). It is worth noting that the Balearics problems relating to their recovery (for details, see occupy second position, after Euzkadi, with regard to Appendix). Of the 29 dates belonging to this group, the density of dated sites per square km and that the 18 come from Son Matge (QL-23, QL-9 QL-Sb, QL- most complete radiocarbon sequence of sites is 11, QL-22, QL-Ia, QL-24, QL-7, QL-5, QL-7a, QL concentrated in one of its islands (Mallorca). The Sa), 2 from Torralba d'en Salord (BM-1697, CSIC- privileged position of Mallorca is due to the efforts of 142) and Son Ferrandell-Oleza (BM-1988R, BM- William Waldren and his research centre in Deia, 1842R), and 1 from Sa Regina dels Cans (QL-146), where for more than 30 years the need to obtain a Ca Na Costa (BM-1677), Cova dels Marts-Son wide range of absolute dates has been recognised. Gallard (Y-2672), Son Fomes (UGRA-121), Son Mas Two of the sites excavated by this scholar, Son Matge (IRPA-1066), Son Oms (BM·1692), and S'IIIot des and Son Ferrandell-Oleza, offer the most complete Porros (Y-4S84 ).