Gonzalo Aranda Jiménez

La población infantil de la Motilla del Azuer: Un estudio bioarqueológico

Our main goal in this paper is the analysis of children through funerary record at the archaeological Bronze Age site of La Motilla del Azuer, Daimiel, in La Mancha area. We have chosen a settlement with high-quality archaeological and anthropological data, and a precise methodology of excavation, documentation and contextualization allow us to formulate cultural hypothesis and understand the roles of different members of the social group, not only due to sex and age identities but also to economic and social positions.

Chronology of Megalithic Funerary Practices in Southeastern Iberia: The Necropolis of Panoria (Granada, Spain)

An excavation carried out at the megalithic necropolis of Panoria in 2015 offered an excellent opportunity for dating a widespread variety of polygonal, rectangular, and trapezoidal-shaped tombs with short passages for which, surprisingly, there were previously no known radiocarbon ( 14 C) measurements available. Based on the anthropological remains, a series of 19 14 C dates was obtained and modeled in a Bayesian statistical framework. The results stress a long period of use that began in the Late Neolithic (3525–3195 cal BC), reaching the most intensive ritual activity during the Copper Age and ending in the Early Bronze Age (2125–1980 cal BC). Throughout this period, tombs were built at different times and used at different temporal scales and intensities, ranging from a few decades to centuries.

Untangling Bronze Age Warfare: The Case of Argaric Society

This chapter provides an alternative interpretation of interpersonal and intergroup violence in Argaric society from southeast Iberia. As with many other cultures of the European Bronze Age, Argaric society has traditionally been considered violent and warlike. According to this narrative, the emergence of complex polities in the Argaric Early Bronze Age would go hand in hand with the rise of new, individualistic, and self-interested warrior elites competing for political power. As argued in the chapter, however, a critical analysis of the archaeological evidence does not corroborate this reading. Defensive structures do not provide conclusive evidence for widespread conflict, for very few settlements comprise fortifications enclosing large portions of the inhabited area. Specialised weapons such as swords and halberds are ambiguous to interpret due to their limited numbers, heterogeneous shapes and dimensions, and varying technological features including unusual use-wear. As for the skeletal trauma, this can clearly be ascribed to interpersonal violence. However, the prevalent blunt force cranial trauma caused by bludgeoning weapons, such as maces and clubs, and the absence of postcranial sharp injuries caused by metallic blades argue against established interpretations of widespread warfare waged by elite warriors armed with metal weapons. Based on alternative personhood models, Argaric violence is reinterpreted here as a social strategy aimed at regulating conflict with few or no fatalities.