scholarly journals Apparent Ages of Marine Shells: Implications for Archaeological Dating in Hawai'i

Radiocarbon ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Dye
Keyword(s):  
Shallow Water ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Wood Charcoal ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Apparent Age ◽  
Ams Dates ◽  
Marine Shell

The conventional 14C ages of 8 marine shells of known age and 11 marine shells stratigraphically associated with dated wood charcoal show considerable variation from expected ages. One source of this variation is seashore geology; comparison of 6 AMS dates on 3 species of shallow-water, herbivorous gastropod shells from Pleistocene limestone and Holocene volcanic coasts shows that shells from Pleistocene limestone coasts can have apparent, or reservoir, 14C ages up to 620 yr greater than shells of the same species from volcanic coasts. The relatively great variation in apparent ages of Hawaiian marine shells poses problems for their use in dating archaeological sites. For best results, an archaeological marine shell should be sourced to a particular local environment, and the apparent age of shells in that environment determined by dating well-provenienced shells of known age.

scholarly journals Radiocarbon Chronology of the Shigir and Gorbunovo Archaeological Bog Sites, Middle Urals, Russia

Radiocarbon ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 54 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 783-794 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia E Zaretskaya ◽  
Sönke Hartz ◽  
Thomas Terberger ◽  
Svetlana N Savchenko ◽  
Mikhail G Zhilin
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Central And Eastern Europe ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Peat Bogs ◽  
Middle Urals ◽  
Early Neolithic ◽  
Radiocarbon Chronology ◽  
First Time ◽  
Late Mesolithic ◽  
Ams Dates

Two well-known archaeological sites, the peat bogs of Shigir and Gorbunovo (Middle Urals, Russia), have been radiocarbon dated (61 conventional and accelerator mass spectrometry [AMS] dates from various natural and artifact samples). For the first time, a detailed chronology of Early to Late Mesolithic and Early Neolithic occupation for this region has been obtained, and a paleoenvironmental history reconstructed. Based on these results, we propose that the Mesolithic settlement of the Middle Urals region started in the early Holocene, at the same time as in central and eastern Europe.

scholarly journals Age Discrepancies with the Radiocarbon Dating of Sagebrush (Artemisia Tridentata Nutt.)

Radiocarbon ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phil R Geib
Keyword(s):  
Radiocarbon Dating ◽  
Artemisia Tridentata ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Wood Charcoal ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Fuel Wood ◽  
Tree Wood ◽  
Plant Remains ◽  
Age Discrepancy

When ancient hearths at open archaeological sites do not yield carbonized annual plant remains or other high-quality samples, wood charcoal is commonly used for radiocarbon dating. Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.), a shrub frequently used for fuel across much of the western United States, seems a potentially better candidate for 14C dating than tree wood since the possibility for significant age discrepancy might be less. A comparison of multiple assays from single features reveals that sagebrush can overestimate age more than even tree wood charcoal. A plausible cause of this appears to be persistence of the shrub on the ground surface for an extended interval after death, such that use as fuel almost invariably occurs hundreds of years after fixation of carbon. The potential for age discrepancy may decrease as population density increases because the demand for fuel wood would have resulted in a more rapid turnover of the fuel biomass. This is not true for Archaic period foragers of western North America when population levels were likely quite low and residential mobility quite high.

scholarly journals New AMS dates for the Middle Iron Age in the Mapungubwe landscape

2021 ◽  
Vol 117 (3/4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas N. Huffman ◽  
Stephen Woodborne
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Ethnic Stratification ◽  
Culture History ◽  
Middle Iron Age ◽  
Ams Dates

Research in the Limpopo Valley has documented over 500 Middle Iron Age sites (AD 900–1320) relevant to the origins of Mapungubwe – the capital of the first indigenous state in southern Africa. Fifteen new accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dates from 11 of these archaeological sites establish the boundaries of the ceramic facies that form the culture-history framework for such diverse topics as land use, ethnic stratification, population dynamics and rainfall fluctuations. Mapungubwe was abandoned at about AD 1320.

Археологические памятники у пос. Ергенинский

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 26-45
Author(s):  
Evgeny G. Burataev ◽  
◽  
Maria A. Ochir-Goryaeva ◽  
Erdni A. Kekeev ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Stone Age ◽  
North Caucasus ◽  
Caucasus Region ◽  
The North ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Village ◽  
The Bronze Age

Introduction. Due to the nomadic lifestyle of the indigenous population which they practiced up to 1930s and the absence of any noticeable anthropogenic impact on the local environment, most of the archaeological sites located on the territory of the Republic of Kalmykia are characterized by their very well preserved state. However, the area around the village Ergeninskiy (Ketchenerovskiy region, Republic of Kalmykia) is probably one of the few with such a number and variety of archaeological sites. The goal of this article is to introduce the results of the initial recording of the archaeological sites located in the valleys of the rivers Shar Elsin and Kek Buluk around the village Ergeninskiy. Materials and Methods. The mound group of the Catacomb culture to the eastern edge of the village was examined during the excavation works led by V. P. Shilov in 1981–1986 and M. A. Ochir-Goryaeva in 2006–2008. The Bronze Age settlement situated to the west of the village on the bank of the river Shar Elsin was examined in 2010–2012. The nodules of cretaceous flint were found by our archaeological team in the large Kyur Sala ravine to the north of the village Ergeninskiy. It should be noted that such nodules often indicate the probability of nearby existence of the Stone Age and Copper-Stone Age settlements. The exploration works undertaken in the area 15–18 km in length have revealed the six mound groups including 259 mounds. This article also gives the initial information about the previously unknown flat mounds discovered in the steppes. These mounds are similar to the sites of Maikop culture that date back to the Bronze Age era and are widespread in the North Caucasus region. Results. The area around the village Ergeninskiy is characterized by the density and variety of archaeological sites. Thus, the further archaeological research of this microregion has a lot of prospects.

scholarly journals AMS Radiocarbon Dates of Kurgans Located On the Ust'-Yurt Plateau, Uzbekistan

Radiocarbon ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soren Blau ◽  
Vadim Yagodin
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Radiocarbon Dating ◽  
Skeletal Remains ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Late Prehistoric ◽  
Human Skeletal Remains ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Relative Dating ◽  
Ams Dates

Recent osteological analyses of archaeological human skeletal remains from the Ust'-Yurt Plateau, Uzbekistan, provided the opportunity to obtain samples for radiocarbon dating. The results of 18 accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dates are presented in this paper and provide the first absolute dates for late prehistoric and early historic archaeological sites in Uzbekistan. The AMS dates suggest that most sites are earlier than have been traditionally thought based on relative dating using artifact typologies.

AMS Dates of New Maize Specimens Found in Rock Shelters of the Tehuacan Valley

Radiocarbon ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 975-987
Author(s):  
Esperanza Torres-Rodríguez ◽  
Miguel Vallebueno-Estrada ◽  
Javier Martínez González ◽  
Angel García Cook ◽  
Rafael Montiel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
American Continent ◽  
Large Collection ◽  
Tehuacán Valley ◽  
Global Comparison ◽  
Tehuacan Valley ◽  
San Marcos ◽  
Southeastern Region ◽  
Ams Dates ◽  
Rock Shelters

ABSTRACTA large collection of maize macro-specimens has been gathered from archaeological sites across the American continent, but only a few have been directly dated by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). We recently conducted two new excavations in several rock shelters of Tehuacán valley (San Marcos, Coxcatlán, and Purrón) and uncovered 132 non-manipulated macro-specimens of maize suitable for morphological and paleogenomic analysis, including many complete cobs, stalks, internodes, and leaves. Direct AMS dates for 43 samples found in San Marcos or Coxcatlán confirm the previously reported chronologies for these sites. By contrast, a cob found in Purrón was dated to 3060±30 before present (3360–3180 cal BP) (2σ), demonstrating that maize was present at that site at least 1500 calendar years earlier than previously expected, and suggesting that other specimens of similar age are still likely to be found in the southeastern region of the Tehuacán valley. A global comparison of macro-specimen chronology across the continent shows that the current archaebotanical record does not yet reflect the chronology of dispersal from central Mexico to northern or southern regions, opening the possibility for finding the missing links in subsequent expeditions within Mexico and Central America.

scholarly journals AIRBORNE LASER BATHYMETRY FOR DOCUMENTATION OF SUBMERGED ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES IN SHALLOW WATER

2015 ◽  
Vol XL-5/W5 ◽  
pp. 99-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Doneus ◽  
I. Miholjek ◽  
G. Mandlburger ◽  
N. Doneus ◽  
G. Verhoeven ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shallow Water ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Laser Scanner ◽  
Visible Spectrum ◽  
Laser Pulses ◽  
Green Laser ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Underwater Topography ◽  
Airborne Laser

Knowledge of underwater topography is essential to the understanding of the organisation and distribution of archaeological sites along and in water bodies. Special attention has to be paid to intertidal and inshore zones where, due to sea-level rise, coastlines have changed and many former coastal sites are now submerged in shallow water. Mapping the detailed inshore topography is therefore important to reconstruct former coastlines, identify sunken archaeological structures and locate potential former harbour sites. However, until recently archaeology has lacked suitable methods to provide the required topographical data of shallow underwater bodies. Our research shows that airborne topo-bathymetric laser scanner systems are able to measure surfaces above and below the water table over large areas in high detail using very short and narrow green laser pulses, even revealing sunken archaeological structures in shallow water. Using an airborne laser scanner operating at a wavelength in the green visible spectrum (532 nm) two case study areas in different environmental settings (Kolone, Croatia, with clear sea water; Lake Keutschach, Austria, with turbid water) were scanned. In both cases, a digital model of the underwater topography with a planimetric resolution of a few decimeters was measured. While in the clear waters of Kolone penetration depth was up to 11 meters, turbid Lake Keutschach allowed only to document the upper 1.6 meters of its underwater topography. Our results demonstrate the potential of this technique to map submerged archaeological structures over large areas in high detail providing the possibility for systematic, large scale archaeological investigation of this environment.

Marine Reservoir Correction for American Samoa Using U-series and AMS Dated Corals

Radiocarbon ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 851-868 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey T Clark ◽  
Seth Quintus ◽  
Marshall I Weisler ◽  
Emma St Pierre ◽  
Luke Nothdurft ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Radiocarbon Dating ◽  
American Samoa ◽  
Wood Charcoal ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Marine Samples ◽  
Colonization Period ◽  
Ams Dates

AbstractRadiocarbon dating of marine samples requires a local marine reservoir correction, or ΔR value, for accurate age calibrations. For the Samoan Archipelago in the central Pacific, ΔR values have been proposed previously, but, unlike some Polynesian archipelagoes, ΔR values seem not to vary spatially and temporally. Here, we demonstrate such variability by reporting a ΔR of –101±72 ΔR for the Manu‘a Group—the eastern-most islands in the archipelago—for the colonization period. This value is based on accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C and uranium-thorium (U-Th) series dating of individual coral branches from pre-2300 cal BP archaeological contexts. This figure differs from the previously proposed modern ΔR of 28±26 yr derived from dated historic, pre-1950, shell samples from the western islands of Samoa. Consequently, we recommend using the ΔR of –101±72 yr for the 1st millennium BC in Manu‘a, and 28±26 yr for calibrating dates within the 2nd millennium AD in the western islands (Savai‘i to Tutuila). Until more data from across the archipelago and from throughout the entire culture-historical sequence document ΔR variability, we recommend that researchers use both of these ΔR values to evaluate how the dates of marine-derived samples compare with AMS dates on identified, short-lived wood charcoal.

Validity of Ams Dates on Maize from the Tehuacán Valley: A Comment on Macneish and Eubanks

2001 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Austin Long ◽  
Gayle J. Fritz
Keyword(s):  
Radiocarbon Dating ◽  
Wood Charcoal ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Tehuacán Valley ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Rock Shelter ◽  
Ams Radiocarbon Dating ◽  
Tehuacan Valley ◽  
Ams Dates ◽  
Plant Specimen

MacNeish and Eubanks (2000) reject the AMS radiocarbon dates on maize from the Tehuacán Valley, claiming that the specimens were contaminated with a substance called Bedacryl. We do not believe that the dated fragments were contaminated, and we review the processes by which they were selected and analyzed. We also describe Bedacryl and conclude that, had it been present as a contaminant, the resulting 14C ages should have been older rather than younger than expected. Considered along with recent AMS dates on cultigens from Tamaulipas, it seems evident that post-depositional disturbances in rock-shelter sites sometimes caused mixing of older and younger objects. Direct AMS radiocarbon dating is currently the best and least destructive way to determine whether or not an individual plant specimen is the same age as seemingly associated wood charcoal.

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