EUROPEAN MEGALITHIC STUDIES GROUP MEETINGSEVILLE, SPAIN, NOVEMBER 3RD-5TH, 2008

ORGANISERS

European Megalithic Studies Group Meeting (Seville, Spain, November 3-5, 2008)

1

European Megalithic Studies Group Meeting Seville, Spain, November 3-5, 2008 DRAFT PROGRAMME

1.- INTRODUCTION Following the successful first meeting of the European Mega-lithic Studies Group at Göteborg in 2004, a second meeting of the Group is now planned for Seville in November 2008. This will be an international meeting bringing together leading spe-cialists from Scandinavia, Britain and Ireland, France and Iberia, and not only provide an opportunity to present and discuss recent research but also to visit the famous chambered tombs of Valencina de la Concepción (Sevilla) and Antequera (Málaga). The meeting also coincides with the opening of the new visitor centre at the Antequera tombs. The meeting will be focused around two key themes ‘the chro-nology of megalithic monuments’ (Day 1: Monday 3rd Novem-ber) and ‘rare rocks in megalithic architecture and deposits’ (Day 2: Tuesday 4th November). Coupled with the meeting of the European Megalithic Studies Group will be a series of public lectures on megalithic monu-ments sponsored by a local bank, the Caja Rural del Sur. These lectures are scheduled for the late afternoon and evening of each day, following the European Megalithic Studies Group meeting in the morning.

Day 3 (Wednesday 5th November) will be devoted to an excur-sion to visit the Antequera tombs and to La Algaba Prehistoric Experimental Centre where a reconstruction of a Copper Age fortified site has recently been created. A provisional programme, giving an indication of the timing and format of the meeting, is provided below. Titles and speakers for the general lectures are also suggested, but these are open to discussion. This meeting will provide an opportu-nity to consider the southern Spanish megalithic phenomenon, geographically located just in between the ‘Atlantic’ and “Mediterranean” traditions, within the broader west European perspective. 2.- MEETING THEMES Two main themes are suggested for discussion at the meeting: absolute chronology and rare rocks. These two research themes have recently experienced major advances thanks to the application of new analytical techniques (dating of pig-ments in megalithic art, or Bayesian analysis, for example).

• Chronology: the organisers ask each speaker to draft two preliminary documents: (1) an outline C14 chro-nology of the megalithic monuments of their region or regions of interest; and (2) a list and brief discussion of the key problem issues that require resolution. During the meeting we would also like to consider the possi-bility of developing working tools for the study of

European Megalithic Studies Group Meeting (Seville, Spain, November 3-5, 2008)

2

European megaliths, such as an online database where currently available C14 dates would be made available,

• Rare rocks: similarly, we invite participants to prepare

a discussion paper on the deposition of rare or exotic rocks (such as variscite, quartz, or jadeite) in megalithic monuments within their regions of interest. The idea here is to encourage discussion on the sourcing of these materials, their symbolic significance in the pre-historic context, their placement and positioning in re-lation to tomb structure and human remains, and the evidence they provide for interregional connections and chronology.

3.- PARTICIPANTS Senior participants in the EMSG are: - Rui Boaventura. University of Lisbon - Manuel Calado. University of Lisbon - Juan Antonio Cámara Serrano. University of Granada - Francisco Carrión Méndez. University of Granada - Leonardo García Sanjuán. University of Sevilla - Jean Guilaine. College de France - Roger Joussaume. CNRS - Philine Kalb. Deutsches Archäologisches Institut - Elías López-Romero. Museo Arqueológico Nacional - Michael Parker Pearson. University of Sheffield - Colin Richards. University of Manchester - Chris Scarre. University of Durham - Karl-Göran Sjögren. University of Goteborg - David Wheatley. University of Southampton

Research students: - Marta Díaz-Zorita Bonilla. University of Durham - Manuel Eleazar Costa Caramé. University of Sevilla - Mercedes Murillo Barroso. CSIC - Patricia Murrieta Flores. University of Southampton - Carlos Odriozola Lloret. CSIC - Bettina Schulz Paulsson. University of Kiel

European Megalithic Studies Group Meeting (Seville, Spain, November 3-5, 2008)

3

4.- FINAL PROGRAMME

DAY 1, MONDAY NOVEMBER 3rd 2008 MORNING. EUROPEAN MEGALITHIC STUDIES GROUP (EMSG)

Venue: Sala de Juntas, Faculty of Geography and History. University of Sevilla Time Title Person

09:00-09:20 Presentation 09:00-09:20: Chris Scarre “The EMSG: history, aims.” 09:20-11:00 Rare Rocks in Megalithic Architecture and Deposits

(Part 1)

09:20-09:40: C. Scarre “Why rare rocks” 09:40-10:00: C. Richards “Building Moai as the past on Easter Island.” 10:00-10:20: D. Wheatley “Rock diversity and megaliths in southern Spain.” 10:20-11:00: Discussion

11:00-11:20 Coffee Break 11:20-13:30 Rare Rocks in Megalithic Architecture and Deposits

(Part 2) 11:20-11:40: P. Kalb “Rare rocks in megalithic monuments.” 11:40-12:00: F Carrión Méndez “Rare rocks and rare rock formations in Antequera (Málaga).” 12:00-12:20: M. Parker Pearson “Healing stones? Controversies surrounding the Stonehenge bluestones.” 12:20-13:30: Discussion

14:00-15:30 Lunch

European Megalithic Studies Group Meeting (Seville, Spain, November 3-5, 2008)

4

DAY 2, TUESDAY NOVEMBER 4th 2008 MORNING. EUROPEAN MEGALITHIC STUDIES GROUP (EMSG)

Venue: City Council Plenary Room (Valencina de la Concepción) Time Title Person

08:30-09:00 Transportation from hotel to Valencina 09:00-09:10 Reception by City Council 09:10-10:10 Chronology of European Megaliths (Part 1) 09:10-09:30: K.G. Sjögren “Radiocarbon chronology of southern Scandinavian

megaliths.” 09:30-09:50: E. López-Romero “OSL Dating of Megalithic Monuments.” 09:50-10:10: M. Calado “Stones are eternal. Chronologies of southern Portuguese megaliths.”

10:10-10:30 Coffee Break 10:30-12:00 Chronology of European Megaliths (Part 2) 10:30-10:50: L García Sanjuán “Chronology of the megalithic phenomenon in

southern Iberia. Advances and limits.” 10:50-11:10: R. Boaventura “Chronology of Megalithism in the Portuguese Estre-madura” 11:10-12:00: Discussion

12:00-14:00 Visit to the Valencina dolmens 14:00-15:00 Lunch in Valencina 15:00-15:30 Transportation from Valencina to Sevilla

European Megalithic Studies Group Meeting (Seville, Spain, November 3-5, 2008)

5

DAY 3, WEDNESDAY 5th 2008

MORNING EUROPEAN MEGALITHIC STUDIES GROUP (EMSG)

Time Activity 08:00-10:30 Transportation from Sevilla to Antequera 10:30-10:45 Reception 10:45-13:30 Presentation of the Antequera dolmens. Visit to the Antequera dolmens 13:30-15:00 Lunch in Antequera 15:00-16:00 Transportation from Antequera to Ronda-La Algaba 16:00-18:00 Visit to La Algaba Copper Age Experimental Centre 18:00-20:00 Transportation from Ronda-La Algaba to Sevilla 22:30 Closing Dinner

European Megalithic Studies Group Meeting (Seville, Spain, November 3-5, 2008)

6

5.- ORGANISING INSTITUTIONS This meeting is held by courtesy of a number of sponsoring institutions. The Caja Rural del Sur Cultural Foundation, or-ganiser of the Autumn Courses series in which the “Mega-liths: The Stones of Europe´s Memory” is included, is the main sponsor of the EMSG meeting held in parallel to this course. The Universities of Durham, Sevilla and Southamtpon are also contributing to the funding of the EMSG meeting, together with the Conjunto Arqueológico de los Dólmenes de Antequera (Consejería de Cultura de la Junta de Andalucía) and the City Council of Valencina de la Concepción (Sevilla).

6.- SPONSORING INSTITUTIONS The Sevilla-2008 European Megalithic Studies Group runs under the auspices of the UISPP Commission 14 “Neolithic Cultures of the Mediterranean and Europe” and the Iberian Peninsula Soci-ety of the American Archaeological Institute.

Ayuntamiento de Valencina

de la ConcepciónConjunto Arqueológico Dólmenes de Antequera