Never Say Never Again: Some Thoughts on Could Haves and Might Have Beens

1992 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Adovasio ◽  
J. Donahue ◽  
R. Stuckenrath

Tankersley and Munson (1992) reiterate that the early and, perhaps, some of the later Meadowcroft Rockshelter radiocarbon dates may be contaminated by anthropogenically derived coal or dissolved coal by-products. Their allegations are assessed in light of available data and rejected. Presently, there is no evidence whatsoever for particulate or nonparticulate contamination of any part of the Meadowcroft Rockshelter radiocarbon chronology.

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurélie Salavert ◽  
Antoine Zazzo ◽  
Lucie Martin ◽  
Ferran Antolín ◽  
Caroline Gauthier ◽  
...  

AbstractThis paper aims to define the first chrono-cultural framework on the domestication and early diffusion of the opium poppy using small-sized botanical remains from archaeological sites, opening the way to directly date minute short-lived botanical samples. We produced the initial set of radiocarbon dates directly from the opium poppy remains of eleven Neolithic sites (5900–3500 cal BCE) in the central and western Mediterranean, northwestern temperate Europe, and the western Alps. When possible, we also dated the macrobotanical remains originating from the same sediment sample. In total, 22 samples were taken into account, including 12 dates directly obtained from opium poppy remains. The radiocarbon chronology ranges from 5622 to 4050 cal BCE. The results show that opium poppy is present from at least the middle of the sixth millennium in the Mediterranean, where it possibly grew naturally and was cultivated by pioneer Neolithic communities. Its dispersal outside of its native area was early, being found west of the Rhine in 5300–5200 cal BCE. It was introduced to the western Alps around 5000–4800 cal BCE, becoming widespread from the second half of the fifth millennium. This research evidences different rhythms in the introduction of opium poppy in western Europe.


Radiocarbon ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 859-866 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ede Hertelendi ◽  
Ferenc Horváth

We investigated chronological questions of five Late Neolithic settlements in the Hungarian Tisza-Maros region. Fifty new radiocarbon dates provide an internal chronology for the developmental phases of the tell settlements, and place them into the wider framework of the southeastern European Neolithic. An example is presented of how a unique type of stratigraphic excavation helps the interpretation of radiocarbon data, which are in contradiction with the stratigraphic position of the samples.


Radiocarbon ◽  
1973 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrik Tauber

The following list comprises a selected number of measurements made on archaeologic samples from 1959 to December 1971. Measurements of geologic samples will be given in a later date list. A survey of the radiocarbon chronology for the Danish Mesolithic and Neolithic, ensuing from these and previously published dates from the laboratory, has recently been compiled (Tauber, 1972).


1997 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Lichter

Strandplains of shore-parallel beach ridges bordering the Great Lakes are valuable for reconstructing histories of climate-related lake-level fluctuations. However, imprecise radiocarbon dates of ridge formation have frustrated development of dependable chronologies from which information about variation in the frequency of ridge formation and inferred climate fluctuations can be obtained. The resolution and precision of radiocarbon chronologies can be improved with AMS 14C dates of roots and rhizomes of plant species associated with the formation and growth of the sand-dune caps of breach ridges. These dates reliably estimate the timing of shore progradation when the base of the previously established beach ridge becomes inundated by the water table. An AMS radiocarbon chronology of beach-ridge formation in northern Lake Michigan shows that information about variation in the frequency of ridge formation is important for paleoclimatic interpretation.


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.


2003 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy G. Fisher

AbstractSediment cores with new radiocarbon dates from the southern outlet of glacial Lake Agassiz indicate that meltwater delivery to the Mississippi valley was disrupted at 10,800 14C yr B.P. and the outlet was abandoned by 9400 14C yr B.P. These findings confirm the timing of generally accepted terminations of the Lockhart and Emerson Phases of Lake Agassiz. Additionally, the radiocarbon chronology indicates that the spillway was fully formed by 10,800 14C yr B.P. and that the occupancy in late-Emerson time was likely short-lived with minimal spillway erosion.


Radiocarbon ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
J van der Plicht ◽  
P M M G Akkermans ◽  
O Nieuwenhuyse ◽  
A Kaneda ◽  
A Russell

At Tell Sabi Abyad, Syria, we obtained a robust chronology for the 7th to early 6th millennium BC, the Late Neolithic. The chronology was obtained using a large set of radiocarbon dates, analyzed by Bayesian statistics. Cultural changes observed at ~6200 BC are coeval with the 8.2 ka climate event. The inhabitation remained continuous.


Radiocarbon ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
J R Dodson ◽  
Weijian Zhou

A radiocarbon chronology has been developed using shell, bulk peat, and paired charcoal and pollen preparations from a peat and clay sequence in southwestern Australia. The results indicate the sequence is of Holocene age, and the mid-Holocene was a period of rapid sediment deposition. The earliest record is based on Bothriembyron sp. snail shell and there is a strong indication that the deposit had a stratigraphic hiatus between 9600 and 4700 BP. Modern shell of the snail has no ancient reservoir effect. The bulk peat ages were a little younger than associated AMS determinations on hand-picked charcoal and residues from pollen preparations. As a group, paired charcoal and pollen based dates were indistinguishable in age. This implies that the sedimentary charcoal shows no significant storage and transport time in the catchment before deposition. This is important when interpreting pollen records and sedimentary charcoal to reconstruct fire and vegetation dynamics and inter-relationships.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-146
Author(s):  
Yaroslav Kuzmin ◽  

The article presents an analytical review of the direct radiocarbon dating of fossils of the modern anatomical humans (Homo sapiens sapiens; H. s. s.) found on the Paleolithic sites of Eastern Europe, Siberia and East Asia, with a brief overview of other regions in Eurasia. While one of the most ancient finds in Eurasia, which has a direct radiocarbon date is the Ust’-Ishim in Western Siberia (age — about 45,000 years); in Eastern Europe, the earliest H. s. s. are Kostenki 14 and Kostenki 1 (age — about 37,400–35,500 years). For a number of finds (such as Kostenki 18 and humans fossils from the Sungir site), there are serious problems that need to be solved with the help of new data. This is particularly clear for the Sungir where 21 radiocarbon dates based on different collagen fractions (bulk collagen; ultrafiltered collagen, and hydroxyproline), have been obtained and dates of the samples taken from the same skeleton often do not match with each other. Methodological issues of radiocarbon dating the bones, and the possibility of an independent assessment of the results obtained, are also considered. When preservation of collagen is good, which can be controlled through a number of parameters, dating of bulk collagen fraction seems to be reliable. Claims that only specific amino acids (such as hydroxyproline) give the only accurate radiocarbon dates for bones have not been strictly proven.


Radiocarbon ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 500-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guo Qinglin ◽  
Hiromi Takabayashi ◽  
Toshio Nakamura ◽  
Chen Gangquan ◽  
Ken Okada ◽  
...  

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.


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