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USING RAPID ATMOSPHERIC 14C CHANGES IN THE 7TH CENTURY BC TO PRECISELY DATE THE FLOATING CHRONOLOGY FOR PINE WOOD FROM JÓZEFOWO (NORTHERN POLAND) Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Damian Wiktorowski, Marek Krąpiec, Jacek Pawlyta, Joanna Barniak, Andrzej Rakowski
The floating dendrochronological sequence of pine wood from Józefowo, N. Poland was expected to cover the ∼660 BC radiocarbon (14C) excursion. The sequence was radiocarbon dated using the OxCal wiggle matching procedure and the IntCal20 calibration curve. 14C concentrations were measured in one-year α-cellulose samples from around 660 BC. The published data on the ∼660 BC 14C excursion from Grabie
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CHRONOLOGICAL STUDY OF COLLECTIVE BURIALS IN THE NORTHERN IBERIAN PLATEAU: ANALYSIS OF RADIOCARBON DATES ON HUMAN BONES FROM THE MEGALITHIC COMPLEX OF LA LORA (BURGOS, SPAIN) Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-11 Angélica Santa Cruz
This paper offers a temporal analysis of the megalithic group of La Lora in the context of northern Iberian Plateau megalithism. For this purpose, 67 accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) dates were obtained on human bone from the minimum number of individuals recovered from nine tombs. This is the first systematic dating project carried out in this dolmen group and has enabled the chronology
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DATED HOLOCENE HUMAN REMAINS FROM SOUTH AFRICA: RECALIBRATION AND BROAD CONTEXTUALIZATION Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-11 Emma Loftus, Marlize Lombard, Maryna Steyn
The study of human remains can provide valuable information about aspects of past populations. Here we present an updated database consisting of 590 radiocarbon (14C) dates for human remains from Holocene South Africa before European contact. We calibrated or recalibrated all the previously published dates using the most recent calibration curve for the southern hemisphere. Each date is roughly georeferenced
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HORIZONTAL WATERMILL CHRONOLOGIES BASED ON 14C DATING OF ORGANICS IN MORTARS: A CASE STUDY FROM JARASH, JORDAN Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-11 David Boyer
Horizontal watermills in the southern Levant have proved difficult to date. This study investigates the use of radiocarbon (14C) dating of various organic carbon fractions in structural mortars and carbonate deposits to identify terminus post quem (TPQ) construction dates for seven arubah watermills and two chute watermills in northern Jordan. Dating results from the various organic fractions are discussed
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MERIDIONAL MIGRATIONS OF THE INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE DURING THE LAST DEGLACIATION IN THE TIMOR SEA DETECTED BY EXTENSIVE RADIOCARBON DATING Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-27 Karin Nemoto, Yusuke Yokoyama, Satoshi Horiike, Stephen P Obrochta, Yosuke Miyairi
At the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the northern and southern Tradewinds converge, and this region is characterized by low atmospheric pressure and high precipitation. The climate in the Timor Sea is characterized by seasonal precipitation changes driven by meridional migrations of the ITCZ and the monsoonal front. The ITCZ shifts in response to changes in the thermal balance between the
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EVALUATING THE TIMING OF EARLY VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT IN NEW YORK: MORE DATES FROM CLASSIC NEW YORK SITES Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-27 Jennifer Birch, Sturt W Manning, John P Hart, Brita Lorentzen
Five sites in present-day New York have played important roles in archaeological narratives surrounding the development of settled village life in northeastern North America. Excavated in the mid-twentieth century, the Roundtop, Maxon-Derby, Sackett or Canandaigua, Bates, and Kelso sites include evidence related to the transition from semisedentary settlement-subsistence patterns during the twelfth
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HISTORIC LIME MORTARS COMPOSITION AND TERMINOLOGY FOR RADIOCARBON DATING—CASE STUDIES BASED ON THIN-SECTION PETROGRAPHY AND CATHODOLUMINESCENCE Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-27 Marine Wojcieszak, Laurent Fontaine, Jan Elsen, Roald Hayen, Alexander Lehouck, Mathieu Boudin
Since the first developments of anthropogenic lime materials radiocarbon (14C) dating in the 1960s, numerous studies have been undertaken and developed to investigate the topic further. Historic mortars are complex composite and open system materials that can incorporate a large range of components. Due to the complexity of the historic lime mortars composition, they are not part of a routine protocol
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COMPARATIVE FEATURES OF BINP AMS AND MICADAS FACILITIES WORKING AT AMS GOLDEN VALLEY, RUSSIA Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-27 A V Petrozhitskiy, E V Parkhomchuk, M M Ignatov, D V Kuleshov, L A Kutnyakova, E S Konstantinov, V V Parkhomchuk
The AMS Golden Valley radiocarbon analysis laboratory is equipped with two accelerator mass spectrometers: AMS facility from Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics (BINP AMS) and MIni CArbon DAting System (MICADAS-28) from Ionplus AG and two graphitization systems: Automated Graphitization Equipment (AGE-3) from Ionplus AG and Absorption-catalytic setup developed in Boreskov Institute of Catalysis (ACS
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RECONSTRUCTING THE CHRONOLOGY OF BUILDING THE SOUTHWEST CHURCH OF UMM EL-JIMAL, JORDAN BY AMS RADIOCARBON DATING OF MORTAR AND PLASTER Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-27 Khaled Al-Bashaireh
The research aims to reconstruct the chronology of building the Southwest Church, Umm el-Jimal, Jordan by AMS radiocarbon dating organic inclusions uncovered from the mortars collected from the floor of the church, seat of the apse and the base of the north wall. It sheds light on the major aspects of mortar recipes at the time of their production. Samples were examined macroscopically with magnifying
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14C MEASUREMENT OF SAMPLES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE APPLICATIONS AT THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISOTOPE FACILITY (NEIF) RADIOCARBON LABORATORY, SUERC, UK Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-14 P Ascough, N Bompard, M H Garnett, P Gulliver, C Murray, J-A Newton, C Taylor
The National Environmental Isotope Facility (NEIF) Radiocarbon Laboratory at the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC) performs radiocarbon measurement of a wide range of sample matrices for applications in environmental research. Radiocarbon is applied to palaeoenvironmental, palaeoceanographic, and palaeoclimatic investigations, as well as work to understand the source, fate
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CARBON ISOTOPE CHANGES THROUGH THE RECENT PAST: F14C AND δ13C VALUES IN SINGLE BARLEY GRAIN FROM 1852 TO 2020 Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-14 E Dunbar, E M Scott, B G Tripney
Radiocarbon (F14C) and stable carbon (δ13C) values were measured in single grains of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) from the sample archive from two adjacent sites of the Long-term Experiments (LTEs) Hoosfield Spring Barley at Rothamsted Research (Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK), covering the growing periods (March to September) of 1852 to 2020. F14C data of the barley grain confirm that recent values
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SAMPLE SELECTION, CHARACTERIZATION AND CHOICE OF TREATMENT FOR ACCURATE RADIOCARBON ANALYSIS—INSIGHTS FROM THE ETH LABORATORY Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-14 Irka Hajdas, Giulia Guidobaldi, Negar Haghipour, Karin Wyss
Accurate radiocarbon (14C) analysis depends on a successful carbon separation relevant to the studied object. The process of 14C dating involves the following steps: characterization and sample choice, sample treatment, measurements, and evaluation of the results. Here, we provide an overview of conventional approaches to macromolecular samples and address specific issues such as detecting and removing
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SPATIOTEMPORAL PATTERNS ON THE APPEARANCE OF THE FIRST TRAPEZE INDUSTRIES IN THE LATE MESOLITHIC OF THE IBERIAN PENINSULA Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-14 Magdalena Gómez-Puche, Javier Fernández-López de Pablo
The spread of trapeze industries (the creation of trapeze-shaped flint tips) during Late Mesolithic is one of the most disruptive phenomena of technological change documented in the European Prehistory. Understanding the chronological patterns of this process requires (i) a critical evaluation of stratigraphic relationship between trapeze assemblages and radiocarbon samples, and (ii) considering different
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A SUMMARY OF RADIOCARBON MEASUREMENTS OF FLUVIAL AND COLLUVIAL DEPOSITS IN CATCHMENTS OF SOUTH-CENTRAL ONTARIO, CANADA Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-13 William C Mahaney, Andrew M Stewart
Fluvial and colluvial deposits of Late Holocene age in South-Central Ontario catchments have provided few 14C dates, most by conventional methods registering century-old ages. Other young deposits, dated by conventional and accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C), have yielded bomb-affected post-1950 ages over variable time limits. Attempts to date the base of Ah and lower-in-section soil
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14C DATING OF HISTORICAL JAPANESE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT SACKS Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-13 Misao Yokoyama, Minoru Sakamoto, Hikaru Takaya, Kazuyoshi Kanamori
The radiocarbon (14C) dating method was applied to a survey of treasured items related to the ruins of the Imperial Residence in Anou, Nara Prefecture, which was one of the capitals of Japan during the 14th century. In this work, we dated two storage bags for Japanese musical instruments that are believed to be from the period of Emperor Go-Daigo who established the Southern Court. The 14C dating of
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CHARACTERIZATION AND SELECTION OF MORTAR SAMPLES FOR RADIOCARBON DATING IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE MODIS2 INTERCOMPARISON: TWO COMPARED PROCEDURES Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-13 G Artioli, S Barone, M Fedi, A Galli, L Liccioli, M Martini, F Marzaioli, F Maspero, L Panzeri, I Passariello, G Ricci, M Secco, F Terrasi
For several decades, many efforts have been dedicated to enhancing the accuracy of mortar radiocarbon dating and evaluating the reliability of the results concerning the typology of the examined specimens. Several assumptions that are fundamental for the application of the method may be in many cases not fulfilled, such as (a) complete primary limestone dissociation during calcination, (b) efficient
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GEOCHRONOLOGY OF PHREATOPHYTIC MOUNDS ON THE ATMUR EL KIBIESH, EGYPT: WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF PLANTS COLLECTED DURING THE EXPEDITION TO THE EASTERN SAHARA, EGYPT, AND SUDAN (APPENDIX I) Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-13 C Vance Haynes, Loutfy Boulos, Anthony B Muller
In the hyperarid eastern Sahara, west of the Nile River in Egypt, areas with vegetated eolian mounds have attracted people and animals because of shallow groundwater that at times of high water tables may be reached by hand digging shallow wells. An eolian phreatophytic mound with a living arak bush (Silvadora persica L.) on top, one of three known from this region of SW Egypt, provided a stratigraphic
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SOIL CARBON STOCKS NOT LINKED TO ABOVEGROUND LITTER INPUT AND CHEMISTRY OF OLD-GROWTH FOREST AND ADJACENT PRAIRIE Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-13 Karis J McFarlane, Stefania Mambelli, Rachel C Porras, Daniel B Wiedemeier, Michael W I Schmidt, Todd E Dawson, Margaret S Torn
The long-standing assumption that aboveground plant litter inputs have a substantial influence on soil organic carbon storage (SOC) and dynamics has been challenged by a new paradigm for SOC formation and persistence. We tested the importance of plant litter chemistry on SOC storage, distribution, composition, and age by comparing two highly contrasting ecosystems: an old-growth coast redwood (Sequoia
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ADVANCING ANTARCTIC SEDIMENT CHRONOLOGY THROUGH COMBINED RAMPED PYROLYSIS OXIDATION AND PYROLYSIS-GC-MS Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Catherine E Ginnane, Jocelyn C Turnbull, Sebastian Naeher, Brad E Rosenheim, Ryan A Venturelli, Andy M Phillips, Simon Reeve, Jeremy Parry-Thompson, Albert Zondervan, Richard H Levy, Kyu-Cheul Yoo, Gavin Dunbar, Theo Calkin, Carlota Escutia, Julia Gutierrez Pastor
Radiocarbon (14C) dating of sediment deposition around Antarctica is often challenging due to heterogeneity in sources and ages of organic carbon in the sediment. Chemical and thermochemical techniques have been used to separate organic carbon when microfossils are not present. These techniques generally improve on bulk sediment dates, but they necessitate assumptions about the age spectra of specific
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RADIOCARBON AND URANIUM PROFILES IN MARINE GASTROPODS AROUND THE JAPANESE ARCHIPELAGO Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Shoko Hirabayashi, Takahiro Aze, Yosuke Miyairi, Hironobu Kan, Yusuke Yokoyama
In this study, we investigate the distribution of radiocarbon and uranium in the calcified opercula of Turbo sp. collected from Ryukyu region and Chiba, Japan, to explore the potential of U/Th dating using mollusks collected from the Japanese archipelago. We acquired high-resolution radiocarbon and uranium concentration measurements using single-stage accelerator mass spectrometry and laser ablation−inductively
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14C PREPARATION PROTOCOLS FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL SAMPLES AT THE LMC14, SACLAY, FRANCE Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-24 J-P Dumoulin, C Moreau, E Delqué-Količ, I Caffy, D Farcage, C Goulas, S Hain, M Perron, A Semerok, M Sieudat, B Thellier, L Beck
The Laboratoire de Mesure du Carbone 14 (LMC14) has operated a radiocarbon dating laboratory for almost twenty years with ARTEMIS, the Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (AMS) based on a NEC 9SDH-2 Pelletron tandem accelerator. A first status report describing the chemical pretreatment methods was published in 2017 (Dumoulin et al. 2017). This article summarizes updates of the routine procedures and presents
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14C IN TREE RINGS IN THE VICINITY OF THE RBMK REACTOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANT Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-23 Evgeniy I Nazarov, Alexander V Kruzhalov, Maxim E Vasyanovich, Alexey A Ekidin, Maria D Pyshkina, Vladimir V Kukarskikh, Ekaterina V Parkhomchuk
The paper presents the results of radiocarbon (14C) concentration measurements in tree rings in the vicinity of Kursk NPP (Russia) with four operating RBMK reactors. The sampling was carried out from the site with the highest expected accumulation of radiocarbon in vegetation. The site was determined with long-term meteorological data. The measurements of 14C concentration carried out with accelerator-mass
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“APPROXIMATE” WIGGLE-MATCH DATING APPLIED TO EARLY AMERICAN MUSEUM OBJECTS Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-23 Carla S Hadden, Katharine G Napora, Brent W Tharp
Wiggle-match dating of tree-ring sequences is particularly promising for achieving high-resolution dating across periods with reversals and plateaus in the calibration curve, such as the entire post-Columbian period of North American history. Here we describe a modified procedure for wiggle-match dating that facilitates precise dating of wooden museum objects while minimizing damage due to destructive
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CHALCOLITHIC/EARLY BRONZE AGE AND ADDITIONAL MAGDALENIAN RADIOCARBON DATES FOR EL MIRÓN CAVE (RAMALES DE LA VICTORIA, CANTABRIA, SPAIN). DATE LIST VII Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-22 Manuel R González Morales, Borja González-Rabanal, Igor Gutiérrez-Zugasti, David Cuenca-Solana, Lawrence G Straus
There are now 101 radiocarbon dates from the long Paleolithic and post-Paleolithic culture-stratigraphic sequence in El Mirón Cave, Cantabrian Spain. Here we report on two dates on bone from two different humans whose remains were found in disturbed surface sediments in the cave vestibule rear and that confirm the existence of burials in addition to previously reported residential occupations in the
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CHRONOLOGICAL MODELING ON A CALIBRATION PLATEAU: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE EMERGENCE OF AGRICULTURE IN THE DUTCH WETLANDS Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-22 Merita Dreshaj, Daan Raemaekers, Michael Dee
Short-duration archeological sites situated entirely within plateaus in the radiocarbon calibration curve pose unique challenges for our understanding of past processes at regional and global scales. This paper aims to overcome these limitations by leveraging the specific characteristics of two depositional contexts, the Early Neolithic Swifterbant Culture sites S3 and S4, located in the Dutch wetlands
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OPTICALLY STIMULATED LUMINESCENCE (OSL) MORTAR DATING INTER-COMPARISON STUDY. THE SECOND ROUND OF MODIS, MORTAR DATING INTER-COMPARISON STUDY Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Petra Urbanová, Laura Panzeri, Jorge Sanjurjo-Sánchez, Marco Martini, Francesco Maspero, Pierre Guibert, Anna Galli
After an intercomparison age experiment carried out in the framework of the first MODIS (MOrtar Dating Inter-comparison Study) project, the results showed general agreement both between optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating laboratories and with radiocarbon (14C) dating results. As the needs for the selection of samples convenient for an inter-comparison are not the same between 14C and OSL
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A VIEW FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE: RADIOCARBON CHRONOLOGY FOR ZAOLINHETAN OF THE PRE-ZHOU CULTURE IN EARLY DYNASTIC CHINA Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Xiaojian Li, Wei Liu, Yongxiang Xu, Haifeng Dou, A Mark Pollard, Ruiliang Liu
The conquest of the Shang Dynasty at Anyang around 1046 BCE by the Zhou is one of the major events for not only Chinese Bronze Age but also early interaction between the pastoralist groups from the Eurasian Steppes and agriculture ones in the Central Plains of China. It is well-known from historical texts that the pre-Zhou people lived in the ancient Bin region (豳), the exact location of which is unclear
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AMS 14C DATING AND STABLE ISOTOPE ANALYSIS ON AN 8-KYR OYSTER SHELL FROM TAIPEI BASIN: SEA LEVEL AND SST CHANGES Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-17 Hong-Chun Li, Horng-Sheng Mii, Tsung-Kwei Liu, Wen-Shan Chen, Su-Chen Kang, Chun-Yen Chou, Satabdi Misra, Tzu-Tsen Shen, Meixun Zhao
Seven accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) dates (7260±106∼7607±95 BP averaged 7444±103 BP) on a giant oyster shell, collected from an ancient shore of the Taipei Basin, are similar to the LSC (liquid scintillation counting) 14C age (7260±46 BP) of a grass sample inside the shell. The calibrated 14C ages of the C. gigas by Marine20 are 7490±240∼7805±230 cal BP (average 7660±96 cal BP)
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COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE OF MARINE RESERVOIR VALUES FOR NEW ZEALAND COASTAL WATERS TO INFORM COASTAL HAZARD RESEARCH Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-17 Kate J Clark, Jocelyn C Turnbull, Bruce A Marshall, Taylor W A Ferrick, Jamie D Howarth
Marine radiocarbon (14C) ages are an important geochronology tool for the understanding of past earthquakes and tsunamis that have impacted the coastline of New Zealand. To advance this field of research, we need an improved understanding of the radiocarbon marine reservoir correction for coastal waters of New Zealand. Here we report 170 new ΔR20 (1900–1950) measurements from around New Zealand made
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DEVELOPMENT OF A 14C PROTOCOL AT THE LMC14 FOR THE DATING OF CULTURAL HERITAGE MATERIALS: HISTORICAL MORTARS. PARTICIPATION IN THE MODIS INTERNATIONAL INTERCOMPARISON CAMPAIGN Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-11 Christophe Moreau, Jean-Pascal Dumoulin, Maguy Jaber, Ingrid Caffy, Emmanuelle Delqué-Količ, Cédric Goulas, Stéphane Hain, Marion Perron, Valérie Setti, Marc Sieudat, Bruno Thellier, Lucile Beck
The absolute dating of mortar by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) has been the subject of renewed interest for several years. International intercomparison campaigns, called MODIS (MOrtar Dating Intercomparison Study), have been carried out. The first MODIS-1 campaign highlighted limitations in mortar dating, due to the similarity between the primary material to be dated (binder) and the contaminant
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THE INFLUENCE OF PLANT SPECIES AND PRETREATMENT ON THE 14C AGE OF CAREX-DOMINATED PEAT PLANTS OF A PEAT CORE FROM JINCHUAN MIRE, NE CHINA Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-12-28 Satabdi Misra, Sneha Kashyap, Chun-Yen Chou, Tingyi Chang, Hong-Chun Li, Xiaoyan Ning, Jing-Jing Sun, Jie Wang, Meixun Zhao
The comparisons among 126 14C dates of Carex samples including separated leaf and root parts with acid (A)-treatment and acid-base-acid (ABA)-treatment, and 48 published 14C dates of bulk peat plants on a 92-cm core from Jinchuan Mire in NE China, indicate old carbon influence (OCI) on the 14C dates. The OCI varies with plant species, pretreatment and peat depth. In vascular peat plants such as Carex
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LAGOA SALGADA: AN OVERVIEW OF A BRAZILIAN HYPERSALINE LAGOON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES OVER THE LAST 5000 YEARS USING RADIOCARBON DATE CORRECTIONS Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-12-14 M I Oliveira, C Carvalho, A Assumpção, K Macario, D Amaral, C F Barbosa, F Oliveira, A Bahniuk, C Vasconcelos, A Cruz, A Blanco
The Lagoa Salgada is located in the Paraíba do Sul river delta plain on the coast of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, and is one of the few lagoons in the world that have well-developed recent stromatolites. Lagoa Salgada is a hypersaline lagoon formed in a very complex environmental system subjected to terrestrial and oceanic influences under different sea level regimes and climate variations. In addition
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ASSESSMENT OF RESIDUAL GEOGENIC CARBON IN MORTARS CONCERNING RADIOCARBON DATING Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Jan Válek, Petr Kozlovcev, Anna Fialová, Kristýna Kotková, Dita Frankeová, Ivo Světlík, Kateřina Pachnerová Brabcová
Quicklime samples were collected from six vertical layers (L1–L6) of a feedstock calcined in a traditional single-batch wood-fired kiln and assessed. Three samples were well-burned and three under-burned. The quicklime was slaked in an excess of water and the presence of unburned particles was investigated after settling it into putty. The putty was assessed as bulk and also at three depth levels.
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THE DATING OF DOLOMITIC MORTARS WITH UNCERTAIN CHRONOLOGY FROM MÜSTAIR MONASTERY: SAMPLE CHARACTERIZATION AND COMBINED INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Marta Caroselli, Irka Hajdas, Patrick Cassitti
To obtain scientific data regarding the chronology of archaeological structures, lime mortar radiocarbon dating has often demonstrated to be a decisive method. However, knowing the specific chemical-mineralogical characteristics of mortars can help when preparing samples or interpreting results. Among other issues, the dating of magnesian mortars can be particularly difficult because of the combined
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PREPARATION AND HANDLING OF METHANE FOR RADIOCARBON ANALYSIS AT COLOGNEAMS Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Jan Olaf Melchert, Martina Gwozdz, Merle Gierga, Lukas Wacker, Dennis Mücher, Janet Rethemeyer
CH4 is the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas and originates from different sources. The use of radiocarbon (14C) analysis of CH4 opens up the possibility to differentiate geological and agricultural origin. At the CologneAMS facility, the demand for 14C analysis of CH4 required the development of a sample handling routine and a vacuum system that converts CH4 to CO2 for direct injection
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RADIOCARBON, BIG DATA AND INTERNATIONAL HERITAGE Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Seren Griffiths, Lisa Brown, Neil Carlin, Tim Evans, Bisserka Gaydarska, Emma Hannah, Peter McKeague
Radiocarbon data are the most commonly used chronometric measurement technique in archaeology. The introduction of the radiocarbon method offered new potential for independent, internationalized research projects. Today millions of radiocarbon measurements exist globally. However, the many strengths of radiocarbon for research in archaeology have also created an internationally significant challenge
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RADIOCARBON STEP-COMBUSTION OXIDATION METHOD AND FTIR ANALYSIS OF TRONDHEIM CaCO3 PRECIPITATES OF ATMOSPHERIC CO2 SAMPLES: FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS AND INSIGHTS Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Guaciara M Santos, Christopher A Leong, Pieter M Grootes, Martin Seiler, Helene Svarva, Marie-Josée Nadeau
Eight atmospheric carbon dioxide samples (as calcium carbonate—CaCO3—precipitates) from Lindesnes site (58ºN, 7ºE), belonging to 1963 and 1980 (four samples from each year) and stored at the National Laboratory for Age Determination (NTNU), have been reevaluated through radiocarbon (14C) analysis. Previous 14C results indicated the presence of a contaminant, which was not removed through different
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A RADIOCARBON-BASED MODEL OF CHANGING BURIAL RITES IN EARLY MEDIEVAL ENGLAND Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Emma Brownlee
This paper uses a “dates as data” approach to understand how grave good use and cemetery space changed across the early medieval period in England. A series of composite kernel density estimations were created, based on a dataset of nearly 1100 graves with associated radiocarbon dates, from between the fourth and ninth centuries AD. This modeling revealed a previously unrecognized peak in grave furnishing
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STABLE ISOTOPE AND RADIOCARBON DATING OF HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS FROM ISLAMIC SETTLEMENT, KHIRBET AL-SHEIKH HUMAID, NABLUS, PALESTINE Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Loay Abu Alsaud, Amer Al-Qobbaj
Khirbet Al-Sheikh Humaid is found 615 m above sea level in the central highlands of Palestine, northwest of the city of Nablus. During rescue excavations carried out at the site, part of a male human skull with a tooth attached was discovered. Accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) dating and stable isotope analysis were performed on the tooth at the Hertelendi Laboratory in Debrecen,
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A UNIVERSAL GAS INTERFACE FOR SIMULTANEOUS 14C AND δ13C MEASUREMENTS Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Melina Wertnik, Lukas Wacker, Stefano M. Bernasconi, Negar Haghipour, Timothy I Eglinton, Caroline Welte
While simultaneous radiocarbon and δ13C measurements have been available for organic materials (by accelerator mass spectrometry, AMS, and isotope ratio mass spectrometry, IRMS, respectively), this has not been possible for carbonates until now. Using an existing interface for gas ion source AMS measurements, we developed a prototype for a universal gas interface that allows simultaneous measurement
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A RADIOCARBON CHRONOLOGY FOR “GROTTE DI PERTOSA” IN CAMPANIA, SOUTHERN ITALY Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-12-11 Felice Larocca, Francesco Breglia, Lucio Calcagnile, Marisa D’Elia, Gianluca Quarta
The Pertosa Caves, today also known as the Pertosa-Auletta Caves, constitute an important karst system in the Campania region (southern Italy). Crossed by the waters of a river that re-emerges on the surface, they have an overall development of about 3 km. Thanks to the width of the entrance, the excellent location along a natural communication route through the mountains and the natural availability
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THE ROLE OF 14C DATING IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF MISSING PERSONS IN CYPRUS Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-12-11 Gianluca Quarta, Theodora Eleftheriou, Istenc Engin, Lucio Maruccio, Marisa D’Elia, Lucio Calcagnile
The Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) is a bicommunal committee with the mandate to locate and identify the skeletal remains of 2002 persons who were reported missing during the inter-communal fighting of 1963–64, as well as the events of July and August 1974. During the periods of conflict, several archaeological sites and old cemeteries were used as primary burial sites, among several
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HOLOCENE OVERWASH OCCURRENCE AGE IN THE ISUMI RIVER LOWLAND, EASTERN BOSO PENINSULA, JAPAN Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-12-06 Soichiro Oda, Stephen P Obrochta, Osamu Fujiwara, Yusuke Yokoyama, Yosuke Miyairi, Yoshiya Hatakeyama
Analysis of the chronological data and observation of a lagoonal sediment core reveal sand washover events between around 2.4 to 2.5 cal. ky BP in the Isumi River lowland. We conducted radiocarbon dating with AMS and constructed an age-depth model using the latest calibration curve and appropriate model routine. In the middle to lower part of the core, dark-gray sand layers are repeatedly deposited
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RADIOCARBON DATING AND FRESHWATER RESERVOIR EFFECTS OF AQUATIC MOLLUSKS WITHIN FLUVIAL CHANNEL DEPOSITS IN THE MIDWESTERN UNITED STATES Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-11-28 Jason A Rech, Christina N Tenison, Alexander Baldasare, Brian S Currie
Late Quaternary fluvial channel deposits are notoriously difficult to date. In the midwestern United States, shells of aquatic mollusks can be found within many fluvial channel sediments and therefore can be radiocarbon (14C) dated to determine the age of the deposits. However, carbonate platform rocks are abundant in this region, potentially causing freshwater 14C reservoir effects (FRE) in mollusk
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EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATIONS ON PROCESSING LEATHER, SKIN, AND PARCHMENT FOR RADIOCARBON DATING Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-11-13 Margaret A Davis, Brendan J Culleton, Richard L Rosencrance, Christopher S Jazwa
Skin-based samples (leather, skin, and parchment) in archaeological, historic and museum settings are among the most challenging materials to radiocarbon (14C) date in terms of removing exogenous carbon sources—comparable to bone collagen in many respects but with much less empirical study to guide pretreatment approaches. In the case of leather, the 14C content of materials used in manufacturing the
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TESTING THE USE OF XAD RESIN TO REMOVE SYNTHETIC CONTAMINATION FROM ARCHAEOLOGICAL BONE PRIOR TO RADIOCARBON DATING Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-11-13 L G van der Sluis, A Zazzo, O Tombret, F Thil, J-M Pétillon
Museum collections are extremely valuable sources of material for ongoing research, although the conservation history of some objects is not always recorded, which can be problematic for chemical analyses. While most contamination is removed using the acid-base-acid treatment, this may not be the case for cross-linked contamination. The XAD resin protocol was implemented at the radiocarbon (14C) laboratory
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RADIOCARBON DATING OF ASIAN LACQUERS: MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION AND ASSESSMENT OF A PRETREATMENT METHOD PRIOR TO ACCELERATOR MASS SPECTROMETRY Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-11-09 M Wojcieszak, J Veenhoven, T Van den Brande, S Saverwyns, F Lynen, M Boudin
Lacquerwork technologies comprise multiple techniques depending on countries, time, and traditions. Carved Asian lacquers applied on wooden objects consist of multiple thin uncolored or pigmented layers spread over the surface. To radiocarbon (14C) date these types of objects, often only the wooden structure is used. Here we report on a set of carved lacquered objects that were dated based on stylistic
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THE SIZE INHERITED AGE EFFECT ON RADIOCARBON DATES OF ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS: REDATING CHARCOAL FRAGMENTS IN A SAND-BED STREAM, MACDONALD RIVER, NSW, AUSTRALIA Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-11-08 Rachel Wood, Fleur King, Rebecca Esmay, Qianyang Chen, Larissa Schneider, Emilie Dotte-Sarout, Stewart Fallon, Kirstie Fryirs, Richard Gillespie, Russell Blong
Radiocarbon dates on charred plant remains are often used to define the chronology of archives such as lake cores and fluvial sequences. However, charcoal is often older than its depositional context because old-wood can be burnt and a range of transport and storage stages exist between the woodland and stream or lake bed (“inherited age”). In 1978, Blong and Gillespie dated four size fractions of
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BAYESIAN MODELING OF A PERIPHERAL MIDDLE BRONZE AGE SETTLEMENT AT ZAHRAT ADH-DHRA‘ 1, JORDAN Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-11-07 Patricia L Fall, Elizabeth Ridder, Suzanne E Pilaar Birch, Steven E Falconer
Analysis of 20 calibrated accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) ages reveals a chronology for the habitation of a unique peripheral settlement at Zahrat adh-Dhra‘ 1 (ZAD 1), Jordan during the Middle Bronze Age of the Southern Levant. Bayesian modeling distinguishes three phases of occupation between the first settlement at ZAD 1, perhaps as early as about 2050 cal BCE, and its abandonment
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DATING THE END OF THE EGYPTIAN OLD KINGDOM: NEW CONTEXTUALIZED DATES FROM THE REIGN OF KING PEPY II Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-11-07 Anita Quiles, Karin Sowada, Naguib Kanawati
In this study, the temporal accession date of king Pepy II is modeled by using a series of 14C dates based on samples from the burial of Djau at Deir el-Gebrawi in Middle Egypt. Djau was one of Pepy II’s officials—overseer of Upper Egypt and nomarch of the 8th and 12th provinces. Five samples of Djau’s wrapping as well as his wooden coffin were analyzed. ATR-FTIR (Attenuated Total Reflection–Fourier
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THE POTENTIAL OF BIOGENIC FRACTION ANALYSIS BY RADIOCARBON IN FOOD, DRUG, AND COSMETIC PRODUCTS Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-11-07 Tamás Varga, Dóra Szejke, Zoltán Nemes, A J Timothy Jull, Mihály Molnár
Biobased content analysis is a well-established, analytically independent, standardized method to determine the biobased content of fuels and plastics, based on differences of the specific radiocarbon (14C) activity of fossil and recent biogenic compounds. This biogenic content analysis can be useful for the producers as a quality assurance tool, for the customers as feedback about the truly biobased
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RADIOCARBON DATING OF THE MAJOR SETTLEMENT AT SKARKOS (IOS ISLAND, CYCLADES) AND INFERENCES FOR THE EARLY CYCLADIC CHRONOLOGY Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-11-07 Yannis Maniatis, Marisa Marthari, Georgios S Polymeris
We have radiocarbon-dated the main settlement of Skarkos (Skarkos II) on the Cycladic island of Ios, using a set of animal bone samples. The site of Skarkos stands on a hill in a coastal plain, mid-way down the western side of Ios island and about 1 km from the island’s harbour. It is the first time this important settlement with a wealth of finds and an extraordinary building system with two-storey
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THE NEED FOR A NEW APPROACH TO THE RADIOCARBON DATING OF HISTORIC MORTARS Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-11-03 Giovanni Pesce
This commentary aims at raising awareness and fostering a discussion on the need of a new approach to the radiocarbon (14C) dating of historic mortars. Over the last decades, important advancements have been made in the application of the 14C dating methods to lime mortar samples, including the use of lime lumps instead of generic pieces of mortar. However, a relevant number of results in disagreement
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ACHIEVING LOW BACKGROUNDS DURING COMPOUND-SPECIFIC HYDROXYPROLINE DATING: HPLC COLUMN EFFECTS Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-10-31 Bethan Linscott, Luke Spindler, Jamie Cameron, David Chivall, Rachel Wood
Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon (14C) dating is central to the development of robust chronologies in archaeological and paleoenvironmental contexts spanning the last 50,000 years. For dates to be accurate, samples must be free of exogenous carbon contamination. At the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit (ORAU), considerable advancements in the dating of bone collagen have been made
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AUSTRALIAN MARINE RADIOCARBON RESERVOIR EFFECTS: ΔR ATLAS AND ΔR CALCULATOR FOR AUSTRALIAN MAINLAND COASTS AND NEAR-SHORE ISLANDS Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-10-31 Sean Ulm, Damien O’Grady, Fiona Petchey, Quan Hua, Geraldine Jacobsen, Lauren Linnenlucke, Bruno David, Daniel Rosendahl, Magdalena M E Bunbury, Michael I Bird, Paula J Reimer
Studies of pre-bomb mollusks live-collected around the Australian coastline have concluded that near-shore marine radiocarbon reservoir effects are small and relatively uniform. These studies are based on limited samples of sometimes dubious quality representing only selective parts of Australia’s lengthy coastline. We systematically examine spatial variability in the marine radiocarbon reservoir effect
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BONE POINTS IN TIME: DATING HUNTER-GATHERER BONE POINTS IN THE TERRITORY OF LITHUANIA Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-10-31 Tomas Rimkus, Berit Valentin Eriksen, John Meadows, Christian Hamann
Bone points were one of the major hunting implements in northern European hunter-gatherer societies. They differ in shapes, types, and manufacturing techniques. In this paper, we investigate 22 bone points from the territory of Lithuania, by studying their morpho-technological characteristics, direct dates, and adhesive residues. The majority are isolated finds, but four points were selected from excavated
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DATING OF WOODEN HERITAGE OBJECTS IN THE GLIWICE 14C AND MASS SPECTROMETRY LABORATORY Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-10-31 Natalia Piotrowska, Marzena Kłusek, Piotr Boroń, Ewelina Imiołczyk, Mateusz Budziakowski, Adrian Poloczek, Agata Poloczek-Imielińska, Marian Jaksik
We present case studies on three objects of high importance for cultural heritage in southern Poland, dated in years 2018–2022 at the Gliwice 14C and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory with radiocarbon (14C) and dendrochronology methods. The first was a richly ornamented wooden cane, discovered during excavations on the market in Bytom city. The cane can be associated with medieval court proceedings. The
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A NEW RAMPED OXIDATION-14C ANALYSIS FACILITY AT THE NEIF RADIOCARBON LABORATORY, EAST KILBRIDE, UK Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-10-31 M H Garnett, R Pereira, C Taylor, C Murray, P L Ascough
Sample materials such as sediments and soils contain complex mixtures of different carbon-containing compounds. These bulk samples can be split into individual fractions, based on the temperature of thermal decomposition of their components. When coupled with radiocarbon (14C) measurement of the isolated fractions, this approach offers the advantage of directly investigating the residence time, turnover
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ABSOLUTE CHRONOLOGY OF THE RAMPART OF THE EARLY IRON AGE HILLFORT IN CHOTYNIEC NEAR RADYMNO (SOUTHEASTERN POLAND) IN THE CONTEXT OF RADIOCARBON DATING Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-10-16 Sylwester Czopek, Marek Krąpiec, Jacek Pawlyta, Tomasz Tokarczyk
The Early Iron Age hillfort in Chotyniec (SE Poland) is the westernmost permanent settlement of the Scythian cultural circle. Recognizing the construction of the fortified settlement’s ramparts and their chronology was considered one of the priorities of the systematic research conducted since 2016. Based on 18 radiocarbon dated samples from different parts of the rampart, a chronological model of
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NEW INSIGHTS INTO LATE PLEISTOCENE CAVE HYENA CHRONOLOGY AND POPULATION HISTORY—THE CASE OF PERSPEKTYWICZNA CAVE, POLAND Radiocarbon (IF 8.3) Pub Date : 2023-10-16 Maciej T Krajcarz, Mateusz Baca, Chris Baumann, Hervé Bocherens, Tomasz Goslar, Danijela Popović, Magdalena Sudoł-Procyk, Magdalena Krajcarz
The paper focuses on the Pleistocene deposits in Perspektywiczna Cave, southern Poland, related to cave hyena (Crocuta crocuta). We used direct radiocarbon dating of hyena fossils supported by genetic and stable isotope analyses to infer the paleobiology of this population. Radiocarbon dating of 19 hyena remains suggests long inhabitation of the region during early MIS 3, around 50–34 ky cal BP. The