Jessica Lindsey Beck, Pedro Díaz-del-Río, Hervé Bocherens, Marta Díaz-Zorita Bonilla, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), Díaz del Río, Pedro, Díaz-Zorita Bonilla, Marta, Bocherens, Hérve, Beck, Jessica [0000-0002-7387-2307], Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository, Díaz del Río, Pedro [0000-0002-4150-6185], Díaz-Zorita Bonilla, Marta [0000-0002-1697-0111], and Bocherens, Hérve [0000-0002-0494-0126]
Settlements incorporating large-scale human aggregations are a well-documented but poorly understood phenomenon across late prehistoric Europe. The authors' research examines the origins and trajectory of such aggregations through isotope analysis of human skeletal remains from the mega-site of Marroquíes in Jaén, Spain. The results indicate that eight per cent of 115 sampled individuals are of non-local origin. These individuals received mortuary treatments indistinguishable from those of locals, suggesting their incorporation into pre-existing social networks in both life and death. This research contributes to our understanding of the extent and patterning of human mobility, which underlies the emergence of late prehistoric mega-sites in Europe., Francisca Hornos (Museo de Jaén) and Narciso Zafra (Delegación Territorial de Cultura, Turismo y Deporte, Jaén) facilitated access to the collections and archival information. Research was made possible by the University of Michigan, Museum of Jaén, the Briggite-Schlieben-Lange programme, the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España (HAR2013-47776-R), the National Science Foundation (BCS-1440017), the SFB 1070 ‘Ressourcenkulturen’ at Tübingen University and Proyectos conjuntos CSIC—Fundación Presidente de Rusia para la Investigación Fundamental (2010RU0086) and a Marie Sklodowska-Curie European Fellowship (746216)