scholarly journals Differences in 14C Age Between Stratigraphically Associated Charcoal and Marine Shell from the Archaic Period Site of Kilometer 4, Southern Peru: Old Wood or Old Water?

Radiocarbon ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas J Kennett ◽  
B Lynn Ingram ◽  
John R Southon ◽  
Karen Wise

Consistently large differences occur in the calibrated 14C ages of stratigraphically associated shell and charcoal samples from Kilometer 4, an Archaic Period archaeological site located on the extreme south coast of Peru. A series of nine shell and charcoal samples were collected from a Late Archaic Period (~6000–4000 BP) sector of the site. After calibration, the intercepts of the charcoal dates were ~100–750 years older than the paired shell samples. Due to the hyper-arid conditions in this region that promote long-term preservation of organic material, we argue that the older charcoal dates are best explained by people using old wood for fuel during the Middle Holocene. Given this “old wood” problem, marine shell may actually be preferable to wood charcoal for dating archaeological sites in coastal desert environments as in southern Peru and Northern Chile.

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 274-283
Author(s):  
Amanda D. Roberts Thompson ◽  
Victor D. Thompson ◽  
Michiel Kappers ◽  
Kristine Schenk ◽  
Mark Williams

ABSTRACTFormally established in the fall of 1947, the Laboratory of Archaeology at the University of Georgia is an archaeological research and collection repository. It is considered one of the premier institutions for curation of archaeological collections from the American Southeast. For over 70 years, the Laboratory has served as a repository for objects and associated records generated from archaeological projects and research undertaken by faculty, students, CRM professionals, and state and federal agencies. The Laboratory curates over 20,000 cubic feet of artifacts as well as paper and digital archives. In addition, the Laboratory houses the Georgia Archaeological Site File and manages data from more than 59,000 archaeological sites, including over 11,500 archaeological reports. In this paper, we explore implementation procedures for bringing legacy collections up to modern curation standards. We also outline how we migrate the data on paper records into the digital realm, articulating them within a comprehensive framework.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Colette Berbesque ◽  
Kara C Hoover

Digital photographs taken under controlled conditions were used to examine the incidence of linear enamel hypoplasia defects (LEHs) in burials from the Buckeye Knoll archaeological site (41VT98 Victoria county, Texas), which spans the Early to Late Archaic Period (ca. 2500-6500 BP uncorrected radiocarbon). The majority (68 of 74 burials) date to the Texas Early Archaic, including one extremely early burial dated to 8,500 BP. The photogrammetric data collection method also results in an archive for Buckeye Knoll, a significant rare Archaic period collection that has been repatriated and reinterred. We analyzed the incidence and developmental timing of LEHs in permanent canines. Fifty-nine percent of permanent canines (n = 54) had at least one defect. There were no significant differences in LEH frequency between the maxillary and mandibular canines (U = 640.5, n1 = 37, n2 = 43, p = .110). The sample studied (n=92) had an overall mean of 0.93 LEH defect per tooth, with a median of one defect, and a mode of zero defects. Average age at first insult was 3.92 (median = 4.00, range = 2.5 – 5.4) and the mean age of all insults per individual was 4.18 years old (range = 2.5 - 5.67). Age at first insult is consistent with onset of weaning stress—the weaning age range for hunter-gatherer societies is 1- 4.5. Having an earlier age of first insult was associated with having more LEHs (n = 54, rho = -0.381, p = 0.005).


2004 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy J. Coulam ◽  
Alan R. Schroedl

Split-twig figurines, willow branches bent to resemble miniature animals and dating between 2900 B.C. and 1250 B.C., have been found at 30 Late Archaic period archaeological sites in the Greater American Southwest. Two different and geographically distinct construction styles, Grand Canyon and Green River, have been identified for split-twig figurines. Application of ethnographic analogy to the current split-twig figurine archaeological record supports the postulate that the two different styles of split-twig figurines served two different functions. The Grand Canyon-style figurines generally functioned as increase totems whereas the Green River-style functioned as social totems. This is the first example of increase totemism reported for the region. Ritual and social attitudes toward the animal and totem eventually ended and the last split-twig figurine was discarded around 1250 B.C.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Colette Berbesque ◽  
Kara C Hoover

Digital photographs taken under controlled conditions were used to examine the incidence of linear enamel hypoplasia defects (LEHs) in burials from the Buckeye Knoll archaeological site (41VT98 Victoria county, Texas), which spans the Early to Late Archaic Period (ca. 2500-6500 BP uncorrected radiocarbon). The majority (68 of 74 burials) date to the Texas Early Archaic, including one extremely early burial dated to 8,500 BP. The photogrammetric data collection method also results in an archive for Buckeye Knoll, a significant rare Archaic period collection that has been repatriated and reinterred. We analyzed the incidence and developmental timing of LEHs in permanent canines. Fifty-nine percent of permanent canines (n = 54) had at least one defect. There were no significant differences in LEH frequency between the maxillary and mandibular canines (U = 640.5, n1 = 37, n2 = 43, p = .110). The sample studied (n=92) had an overall mean of 0.93 LEH defect per tooth, with a median of one defect, and a mode of zero defects. Average age at first insult was 3.92 (median = 4.00, range = 2.5 – 5.4) and the mean age of all insults per individual was 4.18 years old (range = 2.5 - 5.67). Age at first insult is consistent with onset of weaning stress—the weaning age range for hunter-gatherer societies is 1- 4.5. Having an earlier age of first insult was associated with having more LEHs (n = 54, rho = -0.381, p = 0.005).


1999 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Fontugne ◽  
Pierre Usselmann ◽  
Danièle Lavallée ◽  
Michèle Julien ◽  
Christine Hatté

Fourteen organic-rich sedimentary layers in the deposits at Quebrada de los Burros, in coastal southern Peru (Tacna department), lie between two debris-flow units, interpreted to result from El Niño events, at 8980 cal yr B.P. and after 3380 cal yr B.P., respectively. The accumulation of the fine-grained and low-energy sediments of this deposit during the mid-Holocene is incompatible with the occurrence of El Niño events in this region, as these would produce catastrophic flood deposits. The occurrence of organic-rich sediments and evidence of an enhancement of upwelling strength at this time imply the existence of a permanent water supply resulting from an increased condensation of fog at mid-altitudes. These results suggest a lower intensity and perhaps, a lower frequency of occurrence of the El Niño phenomenon during the mid-Holocene. It is precisely during this period that the most important human settlements are found at this site, probably indicating the presence of reliable supply of fresh water. The chronologies for wetlands in the central south altiplano are out of phase with those indicating increased soil moisture episodes on the coast, implying a long-term difference in climate between these two regions.


Author(s):  
Allen Angel ◽  
Kathryn A. Jakes

Fabrics recovered from archaeological sites often are so badly degraded that fiber identification based on physical morphology is difficult. Although diagenetic changes may be viewed as destructive to factors necessary for the discernment of fiber information, changes occurring during any stage of a fiber's lifetime leave a record within the fiber's chemical and physical structure. These alterations may offer valuable clues to understanding the conditions of the fiber's growth, fiber preparation and fabric processing technology and conditions of burial or long term storage (1).Energy dispersive spectrometry has been reported to be suitable for determination of mordant treatment on historic fibers (2,3) and has been used to characterize metal wrapping of combination yarns (4,5). In this study, a technique is developed which provides fractured cross sections of fibers for x-ray analysis and elemental mapping. In addition, backscattered electron imaging (BSI) and energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis (EDS) are utilized to correlate elements to their distribution in fibers.


GlaucomaNews ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 65-69
Author(s):  
T.E. Lipatkina ◽  
◽  
Е.V. Karlova ◽  
A.V. Zolotarev ◽  
◽  
...  

Patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and ophthalmic hypertension have an increased likelihood of developing occlusions (thrombosis) of the central retinal vein. Different groups of antihypertensive drugs differ in their mechanism of action and may affect concomitant ocular pathology, in particular, retinal edema, which occurs, for example, in occlusion of the central retinal vein. Used in most patients with glaucoma, prostaglandin analogs can contribute to the long-term preservation of macular edema due to the effect on the permeability of the vascular wall. Preparations of other pharmacological groups, reducing the production of aqueous humor, on the contrary, may contribute to its regression. Therefore, the question of choosing a drug for antihypertensive therapy in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and concomitant macular edema is relevant and is for further study.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sawyer Reid stippa ◽  
George Petropoulos ◽  
Leonidas Toulios ◽  
Prashant K. Srivastava

Archaeological site mapping is important for both understanding the history as well as protecting them from excavation during the developmental activities. As archaeological sites generally spread over a large area, use of high spatial resolution remote sensing imagery is becoming increasingly applicable in the world. The main objective of this study was to map the land cover of the Itanos area of Crete and of its changes, with specific focus on the detection of the landscape’s archaeological features. Six satellite images were acquired from the Pleiades and WorldView-2 satellites over a period of 3 years. In addition, digital photography of two known archaeological sites was used for validation. An Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA) classification was subsequently developed using the five acquired satellite images. Two rule-sets were created, one using the standard four bands which both satellites have and another for the two WorldView-2 images their four extra bands included. Validation of the thematic maps produced from the classification scenarios confirmed a difference in accuracy amongst the five images. Comparing the results of a 4-band rule-set versus the 8-band showed a slight increase in classification accuracy using extra bands. The resultant classifications showed a good level of accuracy exceeding 70%. Yet, separating the archaeological sites from the open spaces with little or no vegetation proved challenging. This was mainly due to the high spectral similarity between rocks and the archaeological ruins. The satellite data spatial resolution allowed for the accuracy in defining larger archaeological sites, but still was a difficulty in distinguishing smaller areas of interest. The digital photography data provided a very good 3D representation for the archaeological sites, assisting as well in validating the satellite-derived classification maps. All in all, our study provided further evidence that use of high resolution imagery may allow for archaeological sites to be located, but only where they are of a suitable size archaeological features.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document