Archaeomagnetic study and dating at five sites from Catalonia (NE Spain)

Archaeomagnetic dating techniques have been applied to constrain the age of kilns from five archaeological sites in Catalonia (NE Spain). The SCHA.DIF.3K regional archaeomagnetic model and the secular variation curve for the Iberian Peninsula were used. Three sites (Vil·la de Barenys, La Buada and Collet de Sant Antoni) produced typologically datable artifacts and the archaeomagnetic-direction dating of their kilns agrees roughly with the archaeological ages. Two kilns, at Sota la Timba del Castellot (TC) and Riera de la Selva (RS) appeared isolated lacking of datable artefacts and their archaeomagnetic directions bring important information on their age. For example, the result at RS could be an evidence of the survival of kilns of Roman type (Cuomo di Caprio II/c or Le Ny IIF) up to late Antiquity. Archaeointensities were also obtained for two kilns (La Buada and TC), the first is a datum that can be used as a reference point to improve the description of the archaeointensity variation during Roman times and the latter was used to constrain further the age of kiln TC and confirming its Antique age. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.