ESR dating of the Early Pleistocene archaeological site at Vallparadis (Terrassa, Cataluna, Spain)

Excavated between 2005 and 2007, the site of Vallparadis (Terrassa, Spain) has given an abundant and diversified fauna associated with a rich Mode 1 industry. In order to complete the chronostratigraphic framework, we performed ESR and combined US-ESR dating applied to quartz grains extracted from sediments and fossil teeth, respectively. The results obtained are very significant, giving a weighted mean ESR age of 0.83 +/- 0.13 Ma (2 sigma) for the reference archaeological level of the site (level 10) and another of 0.79 +/- 0.23 Ma (2 sigma) for the archaeological level 12 of the Vallparadis sequence. These ESR results are in total agreement with the ones derived from biochronology and paleomagnetism. This whole dataset allows the elaboration of a reliable and consistent chronostratigraphic framework which chronologically places Vallparadis site in the late Early Pleistocene period, i.e. within a time range comprised between Jaramillo and Brunhes geomagnetic events. Consequently, as well as Gran Dolina-TD6 and Sima del Elefante-TE9 sites, in Atapuerca, Burgos, Vallparadis can be therefore considered as a key site for the study of early hominid settlements in Europe.