scholarly journals Anchoring the landscape: human utilization of the Cerro Gavilán 2 rockshelter, Middle Orinoco, from the Early Holocene to the present

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 429-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kay Scaramelli ◽  
Franz Scaramelli
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Human Activity ◽  
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Rock Art ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Environmental Interactions ◽  
Tropical America ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Initial archaeological investigations at Cerro Gavilán 2, a rockshelter located in the Bolívar State of Venezuela, reveal evidence for human activity that spans the Early Holocene to the present. This report summarizes the information obtained through surface collection, limited excavation, and documentation of the surface features and rock art in the cave. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C analysis established dates from excavated strata that range between 9250 ± 60 BP to 3440 ± 40 BP, and are associated with a unifacial flake technology and charred faunal and floral remains, whereas surface remains span the known ceramic sequence for the area. Rock art corresponds to distinctive superimposed styles that indicate continual repainting of the cave through time, serving to anchor the site to the landscape for multiple societies inhabiting the region. It is suggested that the shelter may have fulfilled different functions over time and a sequence of seasonal residential, ritual, and funerary activities is proposed. The rich cultural context found in Cerro Gavilán 2 contributes to advances in Amazonian archaeology that are redefining our knowledge of early developments and the complexity of human/environmental interactions in tropical America.

Radiocarbon and Protein Analyses Indicate an Early Holocene Age for the Osseous Rod from Grenfell, Saskatchewan, Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 782-793 ◽  
Author(s):  
John W. Ives ◽  
Duane Froese ◽  
Matthew Collins ◽  
Fiona Brock
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
North America ◽  
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Long Bone ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Made In ◽  
Do So

AbstractThe Grenfell bone rod resembles other instances of Clovis-era organic or osseous technology and has on a number of occasions been considered with other Clovis bone, antler, and ivory rods or beveled artifacts. It had been suspected of being constructed from proboscidean long bone. As an early discovery (made in 1883), the Grenfell artifact had somewhat obscure provenience details and a lengthy curatorial history. We describe accelerator mass spectrometry and zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry methods that allow rapid, minimally destructive determinations of both the age and the raw material composition of osseous artifacts. Our analysis reveals that the Grenfell artifact is actually a terminal Paleoindian-era manifestation made of bison bone. Similar methods could be more widely applied in North America in order to build more refined data sets for osseous technologies. These results also reveal the ease with which archaeologists can secure additional information from existing collections, highlighting our ethical obligations to do so.

scholarly journals A Review of the Radiocarbon Dates for the Afanasyevo Culture (Central Asia): Shifting Towards the “Shorter” Chronology

Radiocarbon ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 243-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrey V Poliakov ◽  
Svetlana V Svyatko ◽  
Nadezhda F Stepanova
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Liquid Scintillation Counting ◽  
Liquid Scintillation ◽  
Scintillation Counting ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Archaeological Data ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Ams Dates

ABSTRACTThis article provides a summary and in-depth analysis of all existing radiocarbon (14C) dates for the Afanasyevo Culture of the Paleometal period. The previous “long” chronology of the culture was widely criticized and contradicted many archaeological observations. The exceedingly wide ranges of the liquid scintillation counting (LSC) dates from bone samples produced in several laboratories and the systematically older ages for the wood/charcoal samples finally reveal the shortcomings of the conventional “long” chronology. From accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), the Afanasyevo burials of the Altai are dated to the 31st–29th century BC, whereas those of the Middle Yenisei Region to the 29th–25th century BC, which confirms the relatively earlier age of the Altai monuments. The “short” chronology removes the incompatibility of deriving the Afanasyevo Culture from the Yamnaya Culture, which previously appeared “younger” than the Afanasyevo, and also contradictions with the archaeological data. It also explains the small number of sites, the small size of the cemeteries and the lack of the internal periodization. We can now clearly move, from the earlier understanding that the Afanasyevo chronology is too broad, towards a different perception. The new AMS dates only represent a “core” for the Afanasyevo chronology, which cannot be narrowed down, but could be slightly expanded over time.

Dating Egypt's oldest ‘art’: AMS 14C age determinations of rock varnishes covering petroglyphs at El-Hosh (Upper Egypt)

Antiquity ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (287) ◽  
pp. 68-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Huyge ◽  
A. Watchman ◽  
M. De Dapper ◽  
E. Marchi
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Rock Art ◽  
Nile Valley ◽  
Upper Egypt ◽  
14C Age ◽  
Age Determinations

Direct dating, using the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) 14C method, indicates that some petroglyphs (rock art) at El-Hosh in Upper Egypt pre-date the early 7th millennium BP (mid 6th millennium cal BC), making it the oldest graphic activity recorded in the Nile Valley.

Radiocarbon and Stratigraphic Chronology of Canímar Abajo, Matanzas, Cuba

Radiocarbon ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 755-763 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirjana Roksandic ◽  
William Mark Buhay ◽  
Yadira Chinique de Armas ◽  
Roberto Rodríguez Suárez ◽  
Matthew C Peros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Human Bone ◽  
Bone Collagen ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Shell Matrix ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Ams Dates

Twelve accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates from the shell-matrix site of Canímar Abajo (Matanzas, Cuba) are reported. Eleven were obtained directly from human bone collagen in burials and one was obtained from charcoal recovered from a burial context. The site stratigraphy presents two episodes of burial activity separated by a shell midden layer. The AMS dates fall into two compact clusters that correlate remarkably well with the stratigraphy. The older burial dates to between 1380–800 cal BC (2σ) and the younger one to between cal AD 360–950 (2σ). The AMS dates are compared to eight conventional 14C dates previously obtained on shell and charcoal. One of the conventional dates on charcoal (5480–5380 cal BC; 2σ) has been reported as the oldest 14C date in the Caribbean region; its context and reliability are clarified. The suite of AMS dates provides one of the most reliable chronometric dating of a cultural context during this timeframe in Cuba. The correlation of 14C and stratigraphy establishes a solid chronology for investigating the important economic and ritual features of Canímar Abajo.

FIRST DIRECTLY DATED ROCK ART IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

Radiocarbon ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Andrea Jalandoni ◽  
Marie Grace Pamela G Faylona ◽  
Aila Shaine Sambo ◽  
Mark D Willis ◽  
Caroline Marie Q Lising ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Rock Art ◽  
Human Remains ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
The People

ABSTRACT This paper integrates the first rock art directly dated with radiocarbon (14C) in Southeast Asia with the archaeological activity in the area and with stylistically similar rock art in the region. Peñablanca is a hotspot of archaeological research that includes the oldest dates for human remains in the Philippines. The caves in Peñablanca with known rock art were revisited and only 37.6% of the original recorded figures were found; the others are likely lost to agents of deterioration. A sample was collected from an anthropomorph and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dated to 3570–3460 cal BP. The date corresponds to archaeological activity in the area and provides a more holistic view of the people inhabiting the Peñablanca caves at that time. A systematic review was used to find similar black anthropomorph motifs in Southeast Asia to identify potential connections across the region and provide a possible chronological association.

scholarly journals Archaeology of rock art at Dalakngalarr 1, centralwestern Arnhem Land

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel James ◽  
Bruno David ◽  
Jean-Jacques Delannoy ◽  
Robert Gunn ◽  
Alexandria Hunt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Rock Art ◽  
Present Position ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
X Ray ◽  
The Past ◽  
Arnhem Land ◽  
Archaeological Excavations ◽  
Lines Of Evidence

In 2011, we began researching the subsurface archaeology, geomorphology and rock art ofDalakngalarr 1, a moderately sized rock shelter on top of the central-western Arnhem Landplateau in Jawoyn Country. Here, four lines of evidence give relative or absolute ages for rockart:1. Archaeological excavations adjacent to a boulder that contains a painting of a red macropodreveal when that boulder attained its present position, so the red macropod must have beenpainted sometime afterwards.2. Paintings of axe/hoes with metal heads indicate that they were painted during the Europeancontact period. A nearby group of X-ray images are painted in comparable pigments,suggesting that they are contemporaneous with the axe/hoes.3. Geomorphological evidence suggests that parts of the site’s ceiling collapsed at datable timesin the past, indicating that the art on that roof must post-date the roof collapse.4. Direct accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates on beeswax art.

Perspectives and potentials for absolute dating prehistoric rock paintings

Antiquity ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 67 (254) ◽  
pp. 58-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Watchman
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Radiocarbon Dating ◽  
Rock Art ◽  
Organic Substances ◽  
Sample Collection ◽  
Absolute Dating ◽  
Rock Paintings ◽  
Analytical Equipment

Absolute dating of prehistoric rock paintings is an exciting archaeological pursuit. Sophisticated sample collection, handling and pretreatment methods and new analytical equipment and techniques are minimizing contamination and permitting identification of trace amounts of organic substances in prehistoric paints. Radiocarbon dating using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) is producing dates for minute residues of blood, charcoal and plant fibres, either accidentally or deliberately incorporated in paintings. Carbon-bearing laminations, such as oxalate-crusts and silica skins, which have accumulated under and over rock art, have also been recently dated.

scholarly journals Eight New Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene AMS Dates from the Southeastern Baltic

Radiocarbon ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 615-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bente Philippsen ◽  
Livija Ivanovaitė ◽  
Kirill Makhotka ◽  
Florian Sauer ◽  
Felix Riede ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Human Occupation ◽  
Early Date ◽  
Eastern Baltic ◽  
Ams Dates ◽  
Radiometric Dates

ABSTRACTOnly a limited number of radiometric dates for the Final Palaeolithic and the first half of the Mesolithic are available from the southeastern Baltic. This paper presents eight new Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene radiocarbon accelerator mass spectrometry (14C AMS) ages of osseous artifacts housed at the Kaliningrad Regional Museum of History and Art. These artifacts include one piece of worked reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) antler, three axes of the so-called Lyngby type, one bone point, one uniserial harpoon, one so-called bâton percé antler shaft, and one slotted bone. All the samples were successfully dated and yielded five Late Pleistocene and three Early Holocene ages, including the hitherto earliest age for human occupation in the Eastern Baltic. The dates include not only a surprisingly early date for a bone point (for this region), but also some dates that contradict expected ages based on traditional typological assessment. Our study significantly adds to the still small number of existing absolutely dated artifacts from the region and proposes new ways of viewing the Final Palaeolithic and Early Mesolithic chronology in the southeastern Baltic.

scholarly journals Everything is a question of time – age of important Quaternary palaeontological finds from Westphalia

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 454-459
Author(s):  
Markus Bertling ◽  
Doris Döppes ◽  
Wilfried Rosendahl
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
European Bison ◽  
Musk Ox ◽  
Woolly Mammoth

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) was used to establish the age of three mammal specimens from the Quaternary of the Münsterland, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The dated samples represent regionally important finds: The woolly mammoth from Ahlen with an age of 41 ka BP and the musk-ox from Herne with an age of 24 ka BP are typical representatives of the so-called mammoth steppe. The European Bison from Gladbeck with an age of 9.2 ka BP confirms the Early Holocene appearance of this species in Europe.

scholarly journals A Black Deer at Black Cave: New Pictograph Radiocarbon Date for the Lower Pecos, Texas

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lennon Bates ◽  
Amanda Castañeda ◽  
Carolyn Boyd ◽  
Karen Steelman
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Rock Art ◽  
Radiocarbon Date ◽  
Plasma Oxidation ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Pecos River ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Lower Pecos

A Pecos River style painting of a black deer from Black Cave Annex (41VV76a) in southwest Texas was radiocarbon dated. Using plasma oxidation and accelerator mass spectrometry, we obtained an age of 1465 ± 40 RCYBP (2 sigma calibrated age range of A.D. 470-660). This age is younger than the accepted age range for Pecos River style paintings, which is approximately 4000-3000 years B.P. This new measurement in association with other younger dates prompts us to question whether the Pecos River style endured for a longer time period than previously thought. More radiocarbon research is needed in order to understand how this anomalous result might fit within the Lower Pecos Canyonlands rock art chronology.

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