scholarly journals Stepping Stones to the Neolithic? Radiocarbon Dating the Early Neolithic on Islands Within the ‘Western Seaways’ of Britain

2017 ◽  
Vol 83 ◽  
pp. 97-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duncan Garrow ◽  
Seren Griffiths ◽  
Hugo Anderson-Whymark ◽  
Fraser Sturt
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Stepping Stones ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Literal Sense ◽  
The North ◽  
Outer Hebrides ◽  
Absolute Dating ◽  
Radiocarbon Chronology

The western seaways – an arc of sea stretching from the Channel Islands in the south, up through the Isles of Scilly, the Isle of Man, and the Outer Hebrides to Orkney in the north – have long been seen as crucial to our understanding of the processes which led to the arrival of the Neolithic in Britain and Ireland in the centuries around 4000 cal bc. The western seaways have not, however, been considered in detail within any of the recent studies addressing the radiocarbon chronology of the earliest Neolithic in that wider region. This paper presents a synthesis of all existing 5th and 4th millennia cal bc radiocarbon dates from islands within the western seaways, including 50 new results obtained specifically for this study. While the focus here is insular in a literal sense, the project’s results have far reaching implications for our understanding of the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition in Britain and Ireland and beyond. The findings broadly fit well with the Gathering Time model of Whittle et al., suggesting that the earliest dated Neolithic in this zone falls into the c. 3900–3700 cal bc bracket. However, it is also noted that our current chronological understanding is based on comparatively few dates spread across a large area. Consequently, it is suggested that both further targeted work and an approach that incorporates an element of typo-chronology (as well as absolute dating) is necessary if we are to move forward our understanding of the processes associated with the appearance of the first Neolithic material culture and practices in this key region.

scholarly journals Early Neolithic of Trans-Urals: the contemporary view on historiographic problems

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-208
Author(s):  
Vadim Sergeevich Mosin ◽  
Ekaterina Sergeevna Yakovleva
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Statistical Processing ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
Decorative Motifs ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Source Study ◽  
Bodies Of Evidence ◽  
Radiocarbon Chronology ◽  
Archaeological Cultures

This paper is devoted to the critical issues of historiography and source study in the early Neolithic of the Trans-Urals. The authors consider basic dated monuments in the context of radiocarbon chronology; analyze the established criteria for identifying archaeological cultures and ceramic traditions and types of this period. Based on statistical processing of the ceramics of the forest-steppe Tobol region settlements: Tashkovo 1, Dolgovskoe 3, Kochegarovo 1, Ust-Suerka 4, the authors distinguish some stadial features in the evolving of the material culture of the early Neolithic in the first and second halves of 6 thousand BC. Attention is paid, firstly, to the co-existence of Koshkino and Kozlovo ancientries within the settlements, and, secondly, to the coincidence of a number of characteristics of Koshkino and Kozlovo material culture regarding the morphology of potteries, ornamentation techniques and basic decorative motifs. Within the framework of a sociocultural approach, it is proposed to consider the bodies of evidence as complexes of two coexisting and interacting traditions within one sociocultural space, understood in the source sense as an archaeological culture, instead of dividing them into two independent lines of development. Besides it is emphasized that the problem of the Neolithization of Trans-Urals, on the basis of the available data, at this time cannot be solved plausible.

The Neolithic transition and European population history

Antiquity ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (301) ◽  
pp. 708-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Crombé ◽  
Mark Van Strydonck
Keyword(s):  
World Wide ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
European Population ◽  
Population History ◽  
The Other ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Neolithic Transition ◽  
Regional Approach ◽  
Absolute Dating

In volume 295 of Antiquity M. Gkiasta et al. (2003) discussed the results of two sets of analysis carried out on a “new” database of radiocarbon dates: one for the whole of Europe examining the spread of the Neolithic, and one regional approach looking at the relation between Mesolithic and Neolithic dates. Although we are convinced of the potential of both approaches, we do have some major comments on the methodology.First of all the analyses were conducted on a highly incomplete database. As the authors state on their p. 48, the analysed database currently includes over 2600 samples. Many of them, however, had already been collated in Gob’s Atlas of 14C dates (1990). Although the authors have included new dates, we do not believe that this has been done very systematically. For the Belgian territory, for example, virtually all the dates used in the article were those published by Gob – 16 Mesolithic dates and 30 Neolithic dates. The authors justify this by referring to the bad state of publication and public availability of radiocarbon dates in Europe. This certainly does not hold for the Belgian territory. In the last decade over a hundred new Mesolithic and Neolithic dates have been produced, the majority published in journals available world-wide such as Radiocarbon (Van Strydonck et al. 1995; 2001a), Antiquity (Crombé et al. 2002), Archaeometry (Cauwe et al. 2002) proceedings of the international congresses such as 14C and archaeology (Crombé et al. 1999) and The Mesolithic in Europe (Crombé 1999), and the IRPA- datelists (Van Strydonck et al. 2001b; Van Strydonck et al. 2002). The authors assert that these “shortcomings” to the database probably do not affect their conclusions. This is a rash and provocative statement, which minimises all recent progress in absolute dating of the European Mesolithic and Neolithic. We believe that for the Belgian situation a hundred new dates can make a difference. In recent years, for example, these new dates have allowed a thorough revision of Mesolithic chronology (Crombé 1999; Van Strydonck et al. 2001a) and a refinement of the (early) Neolithic chronology (Jadin & Cahen 2003). This will certainly also be the case for the other study-areas in Europe.

Excavations at a Neolithic Enclosure at Lower Luggy, near Welshpool, Powys, Wales

2006 ◽  
Vol 72 ◽  
pp. 163-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Gibson ◽  
Philippa Bradley ◽  
Robert Francis ◽  
Belinda Hill ◽  
Alex Higton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Gate Structure ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Absolute Dating

Excavation at a cropmark enclosure in the Upper Severn Valley was undertaken to try and obtain material from which to provide relative and absolute dating for the site. Lying within an area rich in Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeology and in close proximity to a proven long barrow, the conventional later prehistoric date postulated for the enclosure was questioned. Excavation proved the site to have been a ditched enclosure with internal bank and a possible gate structure. Post-pits ran inside the bank. Finds were few but radiocarbon dates from the floor of the ditch proved the early Neolithic credentials of the monument which seemed to have continued in use for at least some 500 years.

scholarly journals Excavations at a Neolithic Enclosure on The Peak, near Birdlip, Gloucestershire

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 ◽  
pp. 139-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Darvill ◽  
Alex Bayliss ◽  
Debra Costen ◽  
Ellen Hambleton ◽  
Frances Healy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Outer Boundary ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Group Vi ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Human Foot ◽  
Foot Bones ◽  
The North ◽  
Animal Remains ◽  
Single Complex

Surveys and excavations in 1980–1 confirmed Peak Camp as a Neolithic enclosure on a flat promontory of the Cotswold escarpment overlooking the Severn Valley just 1 km south of Crickley Hill. Although heavily eroded by quarrying the site can be reconstructed as having two concentric arcs of boundary earthworks forming an oval plan which was probably open to the north where a steep natural slope defined the edge of the site. A section through the outer boundary showed four main phases of ditch construction, at least one causewayed. An extensive series of radiocarbon dates shows construction began in the late 37th century calbcand probably continued through successive remodellings into the 33rd century calbcor beyond. An internal ditch or elongated pit situated in the area between the inner and outer boundary earthworks had a similar history. Where sampled, the ditch and internal feature were rich in material culture, including a substantial assemblage of plain bowl pottery; flint implements and working waste; animal remains dominated by cattle but including also the remains of a cat; human foot bones; slight traces of cereal production; a fragment of a Group VI axe; part of a sandstone disc; and a highly unusual shale arc pendant of continental type. It is suggested that the ditch fills represent selectively redeposited midden material from within the site that started to accumulate in the late 5th or early 4th millennium calbc. The construction and use of Peak Camp is contemporary with activity on Crickley Hill, and the two sites probably formed components of a single complex. Its use was also contemporary with the deposition of burials at local long barrows in the Cotswold-Severn tradition which are linked by common ceramic traditions and the selective deposition of human body parts.

scholarly journals Neolithic Thessaly: radiocarbon dated periods and phases

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 34-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agathe Reingruber ◽  
Giorgos Toufexis ◽  
Nina Kyparissi-Apostolika ◽  
Michalis Anetakis ◽  
Yannis Maniatis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Neolithic Period ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Central Greece ◽  
Absolute Dating ◽  
The Bronze Age

Thessaly in Central Greece is famous for settlement mounds (magoules) that were already partly formed in the Early Neolithic period. Some of these long-lived sites grew to many metres in height during the subsequent Middle, Late and Final Neolithic periods, and were also in­habited in the Bronze Age. Such magoules served as the backbone for defining relative chronolo­gical schemes. However, their absolute dating is still a topic of debate: due to a lack of well-defined se­quences, different chronological schemes have been proposed. New radiocarbon dates obtained in the last few years allow a better understanding of the duration not only of the main Neolithic pe­riods, but also of the different phases and sub-phases.

scholarly journals Radiocarbon Chronology for Early Caves of the Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang, China

Radiocarbon ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 500-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guo Qinglin ◽  
Hiromi Takabayashi ◽  
Toshio Nakamura ◽  
Chen Gangquan ◽  
Ken Okada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Interval ◽  
Plant Materials ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
The North ◽  
Mural Paintings ◽  
Mogao Grottoes ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
North Wall ◽  
Radiocarbon Chronology ◽  
Archaeological Analysis

The Mogao Grottoes site at Dunhuang is one of the largest stone cave temples in China. The site features 735 caves with Buddhist mural paintings. To investigate the chronology of early caves of the Mogao Grottoes, radiocarbon dates were measured by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) on plant remains collected from 4 caves: 268, 272, 275, and 285. Caves 268, 272, and 275 are regarded (by archaeological analysis) to be the earliest existing caves in the Mogao Grottoes. The fourth cave, 285, features inscriptions on the north wall mentioning the oldest dates of the Chinese Mogao era. Plant materials, taken from the plaster layer of mural paintings and core materials from statues, were collected as samples (n = 11) for AMS 14C dating at Nagoya University. Two samples from cave 275 gave calibrated 14C ages of cal AD 380–430 (1 σ). The other samples resulted in a time interval of cal AD 400–550. The calibrated 14C ages obtained for the samples taken from painted murals and the statues in cave 285 are consistent with the date given by the inscription remaining on the cave's north wall.

scholarly journals Dates, Diet, and Dismemberment: Evidence from the Coldrum Megalithic Monument, Kent

2013 ◽  
Vol 79 ◽  
pp. 61-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Wysocki ◽  
Seren Griffiths ◽  
Robert Hedges ◽  
Alex Bayliss ◽  
Tom Higham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Material Culture ◽  
Statistical Modelling ◽  
Regional Studies ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Burial Practices ◽  
Fish Resources ◽  
Slot Structure ◽  
Stable Isotope Data

We present radiocarbon dates, stable isotope data, and osteological analysis of the remains of a minimum of 17 individuals deposited in the western part of the burial chamber at Coldrum, Kent. This is one of the Medway group of megalithic monuments – sites with shared architectural motifs and no very close parallels elsewhere in Britain – whose location has been seen as important in terms of the origins of Neolithic material culture and practices in Britain. The osteological analysis identified the largest assemblage of cut-marked human bone yet reported from a British early Neolithic chambered tomb; these modifications were probably undertaken as part of burial practices. The stable isotope dataset shows very enrichedδ15N values, the causes of which are not entirely clear, but could include consumption of freshwater fish resources. Bayesian statistical modelling of the radiocarbon dates demonstrates that Coldrum is an early example of a British Neolithic burial monument, though the tomb was perhaps not part of the earliest Neolithic evidence in the Greater Thames Estuary. The site was probably initiated after the first appearance of other early Neolithic regional phenomena including an inhumation burial, early Neolithic pottery and a characteristic early Neolithic post-and-slot structure, and perhaps of Neolithic flint extraction in the Sussex mines. Coldrum is the only site in the Medway monument group to have samples which have been radiocarbon dated, and is important both for regional studies of the early Neolithic and wider narratives of the processes, timing, and tempo of Neolithisation across Britain

scholarly journals The Spread of the Neolithic in the South East European Plain: Radiocarbon Chronology, Subsistence, and Environment

Radiocarbon ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 783-793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavel M Dolukhanov ◽  
Anvar Shukurov ◽  
Kate Davison ◽  
Graeme Sarson ◽  
Natalia P Gerasimenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
East European Plain ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
East European ◽  
The North ◽  
Lower Volga ◽  
Archaeological Materials ◽  
Caspian Lowland ◽  
Early Farming ◽  
Radiocarbon Chronology

Newly available radiocarbon dates show the early signs of pottery-making in the North Caspian area, the Middle-Lower Volga, and the Lower Don at 8–7 kyr cal BC. Stable settlements, as indicated by “coeval subsamples,” are recognized in the Middle-Lower Volga (Yelshanian) at 6.8 kyr cal BC and the Caspian Lowland at about 6 kyr cal BC. The ages of the Strumel-Gostyatin, Surskian, and Bug-Dniesterian sites are in the range of 6.6–4.5 kyr BC, overlapping with early farming entities (Starčevo-Körös-Criş and Linear Pottery), whose influence is perceptible in archaeological materials. Likewise, the 14C-dated pollen data show that the spread of early pottery-making coincided with increased precipitation throughout the forest-steppe area.

scholarly journals Dating the Dead: New Radiocarbon Dates from the Lower Ica Valley, South Coast Peru

Radiocarbon ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 765-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Cadwallader ◽  
Susana Arce Torres ◽  
Tamsin C O'Connell ◽  
Alexander G Pullen ◽  
David G Beresford-Jones
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
South Coast ◽  
Middle Horizon ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Intermediate Period ◽  
Archaeological Data ◽  
Peruvian Coast ◽  
Early Horizon ◽  
Absolute Dating ◽  
Burial Practice

This article presents radiocarbon dates from human bone samples (n = 13) from seven pre-Columbian cemeteries in the Samaca and Ullujaya Basins of the lower Ica Valley, south coast of Peru, spanning from the end of the Early Horizon to the Inca Late Horizon. These contexts have been severely looted. Yet, in all cases, their putative dating by material culture remains is confirmed by these 14C dates. This shows that such disturbed contexts, sadly typical of the Peruvian coast, can nonetheless still yield valuable bioarchaeological and burial practice data. These dates elaborate upon an emerging picture of the absolute dating of the cultural phases of the wider south coast region, in particular casting new light on the poorly understood Middle Horizon to Late Intermediate period transition. A paucity of archaeological data for this 3-century period has been taken as evidence of some sort of environmentally or socially induced lacuna. Instead, the 14C dates presented here suggest that the basins of the lower Ica Valley were continuously occupied over this period.

scholarly journals Neolithic Thessaly: radiocarbon dated periods and phases

10.4312/dp.3 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Agathe Reingruber ◽  
Giorgos Toufexis ◽  
Nina Kyparissi-Apostolika ◽  
Michalis Anetakis ◽  
Yannis Maniatis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Neolithic Period ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Central Greece ◽  
Absolute Dating ◽  
The Bronze Age

Thessaly in Central Greece is famous for settlement mounds (magoules) that were already partly formed in the Early Neolithic period. Some of these long-lived sites grew to many metres in height during the subsequent Middle, Late and Final Neolithic periods, and were also in­habited in the Bronze Age. Such magoules served as the backbone for defining relative chronolo­gical schemes. However, their absolute dating is still a topic of debate: due to a lack of well-defined se­quences, different chronological schemes have been proposed. New radiocarbon dates obtained in the last few years allow a better understanding of the duration not only of the main Neolithic pe­riods, but also of the different phases and sub-phases.

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