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 ◽  
...  

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.

Radiocarbon ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 245-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaled Al-Bashaireh

This article presents accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates of organic inclusions of cement materials from the House XVII-XVIII Complex located in the Umm el-Jimal archaeological site, east Jordan, aiming at refining the unclear chronology of the house. Fine straws and small fragments of charcoal uncovered from preserved architectural lime mortars and plasters were dated without carrying out extensive excavations. The results indicate that the house most probably was initially plastered or built during the middle of the Byzantine period. The results agree with the historical and archaeological data indicating that Umm el-Jimal flourished during this period; therefore, it is probable that the house was established during this time to meet the housing demand for the increased number of its population.


Radiocarbon ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Beavan Athfield ◽  
Bruce McFadgen ◽  
Rodger Sparks

A suite of 6 bone gelatin accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates for Rattus exulans Peale and associated beta decay 14C dates for Austrovenus stutchburyi shell are presented for 4 middens at Pauatahanui, Wellington, New Zealand. Mean calibrated age ranges of Rattus exulans (520–435 BP and 350–330 BP at 95% confidence level) and shell (465–375 BP at 95% confidence level) from the 4 midden sites overlap. The agreement between Rattus exulans bone gelatin dates and associated shell provides an inter-sample comparison of 14C dating using both gas counting (beta decay) and AMS dating techniques. We examine the adequacy of the standard gelatinization treatment for bone samples, which has been employed consistently at the laboratory since 1995.


Radiocarbon ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 977-986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M Wurster ◽  
Michael I Bird ◽  
Ian Bull ◽  
Charlotte Bryant ◽  
Philippa Ascough

We present accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates on several organic fractions isolated from tropical guano deposits recovered from insular Southeast Asia. Differences were observed between 14C measurements made on bulk guano as well as bulk lipids, the saturated hydrocarbon fraction, solvent-extracted guano, and insect cuticles extracted from the same bulk sample. We infer that 14C dates from the bulk lipid fraction and saturated hydrocarbon fractions can be variably contaminated by exogenous carbon. In contrast, 14C measurements on solvent-extracted guano and isolated insect cuticles appear to yield the most robust age determinations.


Radiocarbon ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 569-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Cherkinsky ◽  
Christine Chataigner

Prehistoric cultures in Armenia are still poorly known; thus, accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates are invaluable in constructing an accurate chronology. Bone samples have been collected from sites representing the Middle Paleolithic, Chalcolithic, and Early Bronze periods. Most of the bone samples are poorly preserved. We describe the separation technique for the extraction of both the bioapatite and collagen fractions. In many cases where the bone had very low organic material content, the collagen fractions yielded a younger age, although the ages of bioapatite fractions were found to be in good agreement with associated archaeological artifacts. In cases where bone was well preserved, both fractions exhibited ages in good agreement with the artifacts. The accuracy of 14C dating of bone material always depends on its degree of preservation, and each case should be carefully evaluated to determine which fraction is less contaminated in order to accurately date a burial event.


Radiocarbon ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 243-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrey V Poliakov ◽  
Svetlana V Svyatko ◽  
Nadezhda F Stepanova

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.


Radiocarbon ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 1689-1700 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Richardin ◽  
N Gandolfo ◽  
B Moignard ◽  
C Lavier ◽  
C Moreau ◽  
...  

The national project for the measurement of radiocarbon includes different scientific partners for the accelerator named ARTEMIS (French acronym for Accélérateur pour la Recherche en sciences de la Terre, Environnement, Muséologie Installé à Saclay), available to the scientific community since 2004 (Cottereau et al. 2007). The French Ministry of Culture uses this accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) facility at the request of archaeologists or curators of museums or of historical monuments. For the preparation of some samples, a laboratory has been installed at the Centre of Research and Restoration of the Museums of France, located in the Louvre Palace. In this report, the first data carried out on vegetal samples from museum objects or archaeological remains, dates are presented in terms of yr BP (before AD 1950).


1986 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Cushing ◽  
Adrian M. Wenner ◽  
Elmer Noble ◽  
Marla Daily

Pleistocene areas of red sediments and carbonized vegetation on the Northern Channel Islands, California, have in the past been interpreted as caused by fires of either natural or human origin. Some are associated with darkened mammoth and bird fossils, and these fossils have been considered as having been burned by early man. Reevaluation of these so-called “fire areas” indicates that the above phenomena are the result of low-temperature (≤100°C), nonheating processes occurring in groundwater. Evidence for this conclusion is derived from field observations on fossil carbonized vegetation, and the geology of the areas. Additional evidence derives from experiments on the red sediments and fossil wood, X-ray diffraction analyses, magnetic analyses, studies on the clay minerals smectite and illite, and the demonstration that fossil mammoth bone contains sufficient Fe and Mn to account for their discoloration. Much of the carbonization of vegetation probably occurred in water rather than in fire. Radiocarbon dates from the islands will probably need to be reevaluated. These data provide evidence contrary to the concept of the occurrence of significant fires, either natural or set by early man, on the Northern Channel Islands.


1989 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Gipp ◽  
David J. W. Piper

Eight new accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates from proglacial sediments in Emerald Basin indicate that the previously proposed chronology, based on dates of total organic matter, is much too old. The new chronology indicates that grounded ice occupied Emerald Basin in the Late Wisconsinan.


Antiquity ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 64 (245) ◽  
pp. 849-853 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Douglas Price ◽  
Kenneth Jacobs

The first radiocarbon determinations for a large prehistoric cemetery in Karelia, USSR, have been obtained using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) of several organic fractions from prehistoric human bone samples. These determinations suggest an age of c. 7500 b.p. for the burials, definitely within the Mesolithic period. Additional information from skeletal and isotope evidence confirm Olenii ostrov as a very important Mesolithic site in northern Europe.


Radiocarbon ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 1278-1285
Author(s):  
Vladimir A Levchenko ◽  
Flarit A Sungatov

A suite of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates for the Ufa-II archaeological site in Bashkortostan, Russia, is obtained for the first time. Dating was done on charcoal samples from a sequence of cultural deposits collected during the 2011 digging season. An age-depth chronology is established using the Bayesian deposition General Outlier P_Sequence model. The oldest age for the site at the horizon immediately over the sterile ground was cal AD 137–237 (68% probability), corresponding to the beginning of site occupation. The youngest 14C date found was late 6th to early 7th century cal AD for the extensive planked boardwalks unearthed at the site. The 14C dates are in good agreement with archaeological determinations based on discovered artifacts.


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